Cliffs and Chimneys

Portugal is famous for it's plethora of chimneys.  Wherever you look, it seems, you are presented with a forest of the most ornate smoke-stacks.  Most service fireplaces below, in the house, but many are rooftop extensions of barbecues built in the yards.  Walking back from Albufeira, we were presented with several chimney-laden vistas.

Modern houses, villas and apartments are just as chimney-covered as the older properties.

The coastline of this part of the Algarve is punctuated by hundreds of tiny coves and miniature sandy beaches.  The crumbly nature of the cliffs which line this coast, are both picturesque and - in places - dangerous.

In some places you have to take care not to tumble down large 'blow-holes' which have been carved out by the crashing surf..

Some of the cliff-carving waves were in evidence during the middle weekend of our holiday as the warm wind picked up from the South-West sending the surf in to pick away at the base of the cliffs.  The piles of large boulders on the beach bore testament to the forces involved and the potential dangers of walking too close to the edge.

Even after the weekend, when the weather had mellowed a little and the wind had died down, the sea still had quite a swell for a couple of days sending waves crashing against the rocks.  We wondered how much of the coastline is lost to the sea each year, especially as it must be very exposed to the worst of the winter gales.