BEER, POP SOLD IN SAME MACHINES

By Bob Van Leer

  (SAO BRAS DEL ALPORTEL, the ALGARVE, PORTUGAL, July 7, 1992) - Tonight we stayed at another of the government-run pousadas, just north of Sao Bras.

  This one was just built in 1942 for a hotel, it is not converted from anything. It is a "regional" pousada as opposed to a "historic" one.

  It overlooks the small Moorish settlement of Sao Bras de Alportel. Today was only a four hour drive from Setubal so there was time to enjoy the scenery and explore after we reached the hotel.

Cork From Trees

  For most of the drive it was rolling or flat farm country turning to low mountains on the south coast. Trees are predominantly cork, pine, eucalyptus and olive. The cork tree is an oak, a fascinating tree with a bark that makes everything cork we use.

  The bark was being stripped as we drove through. Before stripping, it is cracking by itself. A tree yields 60-100 pounds of bark and will be stripped 12-15 times in its life of around 200 years. It takes nine years to grow bark thick enough for cutting.

  As we drove further south there was more open country and more rice in river bottoms. We are on our own in Portugal and mostly this works out fine. But there are times when we miss a translator-guide.

Sandeman 1790-1990

  High on the top of a grassy knob north of Estacao de Ourique is a black silhouette of a man in a cape, about 50 feet tall, with the legend underneath in large letters "Sandeman 1790-1990".

  Whoever or whatever Sandeman is we'll probably never know.

  Along the way we stopped at a one-station town for a break. Regular gas was 136 escudos or $1.08 per liter. The station had a soda pop machine. You had your choice of Coke, Sprite or San Miguel beer.

Drivers "Immortal"

  Drivers in Portugal tend to drive as if they have personal immortality. They pass on blind curves and trust the other driver to prevent a wreck.

  The number of car carcasses, tow trucks and ambulances we saw demonstrated this isn't so.
There is a freeway being built on the Algarve. Where it starts and where it is going to we can't tell. But it is sorely needed.

  Many major highways here are not nearly as good as county roads at home.
After checking in to our hotel we took a drive a few kilometers south to Faro which a shopkeeper assured me is the "capital" of the Algarve.

  Old town had narrow, winding streets and looked medieval, but didn't have much of interest to tourists.
Tomorrow we plan to drive back to Faro, then west along the coast just exploring.

  We will have only about 100 miles to our next stop, Pousada de Santa Clara, near a major dam.