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historicaltavira.com

dear christof,

for most of my years i have lived in cornwall, in my opinion the most beautiful coastal county in england.
i had served in the royal navy, visiting various ports of the world. when i had started holidaying abroad it was always a different location. i was bitten by the travel bug.
my first visit to portugal was in 1988 and on a trip to the eastern end of the algarve i discovered tavira: my first impression was the rio do gilão.
the river splitting the city, running under the roman bridge, at that time, the only access over the river.
the gardens and old market on one side, it flowed through quatros águas, an estuary to cabanas on one side, to barril on the other, past the island to the atlantic ocean. the renovated castle with its gardens, overlooking rooftops and nesting storks. the many churches that bless the city. one must not underestimate the gourmet food, wine, and liquors that abound to attack your taste buds, eating is a hobby of mine. tavira lured me back, not once, but at late twice yearly until i retired in 1999. ate that year, i took to driving down through spain, still twice yearly, i took to staying longer and longer, eventually spending most of the winter in the village of cabanas, making many friends with the portuguese and international community.

silence and tranquility
e'en birds respect the peace
they glide above beautifully
the waters that they grace.

egrets feed, so white and proud
cormorants join in too,
storks and herons 'mongst the crowd
to name but just a few.

the anchored boats face the tide
the daily ebb and flow,
mirrored image side by side
reflects this fine tableau.

shimmering dunes across the way
they seem just out of reach,
but ferries cross ev'ry day
to take us to the beach.

from dawn to dusk, magic's spell
is cast before your eyes,
natures beauty here to dwell
forever immortalized.