| Travelling westward, after Lagos, the Algarvian landscape undergoes a dramatic change as the Atlantic winds make their presence felt and the shelter provided by the Serra de Monchique falls away toward the coast above Aljezur. |
 |
| The area around the charming town of Vial do Bispo is traditionally known as the breadbasket of the Algarve and up until comparatively recently was famed for its abundance of windmills. Cedric Salter writing in the 1970s, commented “I remember (Vila do Bispo) chiefly for the profusion of its enormous orange pumpkins ripening on its roofs in the pale sun of autumn; any one of them was clearly large enough to supply Cindarella’s coach at the touch of her godmother’s wand.” |
| Today’s town has changed little, in essence, over the last 30 years and is composed of delightful whitewashed houses arranged around an 18th century parish church with an impressive tower. The church itself boasts an interior of superb early 18th century traditional Portuguese tile work (azulejos) and the main altar there is a renowned statue of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception) dating in the early 16th century. Attached to the church is a small museum containing various works of religious art. |
|