Wed 4 Nov - Faro R&R Day 1

A lazy morning yet again. I felt quite uninspired and was not exactly jumping out of bed to explore Faro as I woke up. 

It is probably a sign that it is time to go home. I've seen and experienced enough for one trip. It would have been different if Good Mrs was here...

I did get up for breakfast served downstairs at 7am, which incidentally is quite extensive for being continental, but then I went back to my room and chilled a bit more. 

By 9.30am I eventually moved my sorry backside and wandered out to explore Faro. 

Outside Faro train station, tree hacking was in full swing. The pruners had already worked through a number of trees when I arrived. The workers were quite brutal in their chopping. 
I decided to walk along the waterfront and soon came across this half finished building. The front looked complete, the side had several "holes" through it. 
My loose destination was a park called Jardim da Alameda João de Deus. Adjacent to the park was the municipal library. This photo is taken from inside the park and looking at the side of the library. 
I started my exploration by checking out the library. They had some English language books and newspapers and I read this paper for a while. 
The library had Henning Mankell books in English but I had already read them all. 
Find 3 faults. Unfortunately this is a bit symptomatic for the sometimes run down state of Portugal. The faults are:
- No lid on the waste basket
- The lid to the soap dispenser does not stay up
- Water drain is almost completely blocked 
Jardim da Alameda João de Deus was pleasant enough. Not a big park but it had several cafes...
...a row of cages as a kind of mini zoo. There were mostly birds there but also Guinea pigs. 
I then walked back to the town center as I wanted to check out this particular church. It's called Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo do Faro. A bit of a handful name. Why did I want to check out that particular church?
The church had an entrance fee of 2€ which I happily paid. But inside it looked like many other churches. 
What I wanted to check out was this chapel outside and at the back of the church. 
This sign may give it away...
That's right. This particular chapel is made of human bones and decorated further with human skulls. As you do. 
Looking the other way inside the chapel. Behind these windows you could hear children. Yes, it looked like a kindergarten at the other side of the wall. Clearly the parents had no objections to their kids being that close to skulls and bones. 
I read that the church was constructed in 1816 and contained approximately 1245 skulls and bones. They did not differentiate between the skulls or bones when they presented that number. 
All those skulls and bones provided ample opportunity for strange photography. And I was there all by myself so nobody else to accommodate. 
Are you looking at me? Well, no, not any more. 
I then picked up some more water at the supermercado almost opposite the church and went back to my hotel Sol Algarve with my supplies. 

Along the way, I passed the building where the painters with the paint spotted van were working yesterday. The painters were gone now and this was the result from their efforts. 
Later, at dusk, I wandered around Faro's centre and took a few pics along the way.

Along the pedestrianized areas.  

Around the waterfront. 


The evening was spent watching football on TV in my hotel room and drinking vino tinto. 

All in all, a pretty uneventful day. 

Oh well, I'm off to Lisbon the morning after tomorrow and I will be home in 6 days. It is definitely time. 

Post note: Here is my Portuguese crash course of essential words. 
From iTranslate app. 



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