My first day in Portugal was spent in Portimão, a coastal city west of Faro. I landed in the airport early, and caught the first train out of town.
The hour and a half ride took us past whitewashed towns on hillsides, at least one super legit castle up on a hill, and a metric crapton of orange orchards.
Fun fact, I think this is the third time I've been on a train in my life (lightrail doesn't count)
We crossed the river into town, I found my hostel, and then opted to go to the beach. I made my way to the waterfront, and got distracted by the Museau de Portimão.
It's a wonderful museum that talks about the beginnings of Portimão as a port, and their history with sardines. It's a recurring theme.
Statues walked you through the process from start to finish.
Fish came in on the boats, and whistles called the workers in. The fish made their way into the factory via basket chairlift.
Then they were dumped in brine to toughen them up for the cooking process.
Beheaded.
And stuck onto a rack. Those got pressure cooked in an autoclave.
Then they got fully gutted and packed in tins.
The tin making process involved stamping out the tops, gluing them to the sides. After the sardines were packed and olive oil added, the bottoms were welded on.
There was a great documentary video playing with footage from the whole process. Very worth €3.
I caught a bus down to the beach just in time to catch the sunset. The Algarve coast is known for its red and yellow limestone cliffs, and they were a big part of why I chose Portugal as my destination this trip.
I wasn't disappointed.
The pictures don't do the rocks justice. They can't capture the massive scale of them, and the colors don't show up properly. Especially in the sunlight, the oranges and yellows are way more vibrant.
I stayed on the beach until it was truly twilight and walked back home.
Rawr.
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