I was almost feeling human today, this being my 9th day in Europe. I went to bed about 10:30-11:00 pm and woke up at 4:30 am—just about my normal routine time at home.

It was a little overcast today but we still saw some absolutely spectacular scenery in the Algarve region. Our first stop was at the cliffs at Cape St. Vincent, the most southwestern point of Portugal and the western edge of Europe.

We then stopped at a place called Piety Point (Ponta da Piedade), Lagos, with dramatic cliffs and caves along the shoreline. I was petrified to get too close to the edge! I took many many photos here, but here is just a taste of what I saw.

The last stop in the afternoon was at St. Lawrence of Amansil Church in Faro (Church of São Lourenç) considered to be Portuguese baroque. It is remarkable for its 22,000 blue and white tiles which completely cover the interior of the church in addition to the gilded altar. We were only allowed to photograph the exterior of the church, but I did find an image on the internet showing the stunning interior.

Our guide told us St. Lawrence is always shown holding a gridiron … essentially he was a martyr and “barbecued!” He therefore is the patron saint of cooks and firefighters. He was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of Christians in the year 258.

According to the Britannica.com, although Lawrence was probably beheaded, legend records that he was roasted to death on a gridiron, supposedly remarking to his torturers: “I am cooked on that side; turn me over, and eat.”

One thing we noticed in this region right away were the little turrets on top of many of the houses, resembling minarets, but according to one website I found, they have nothing to do with the occupation by the Moors from 711 to 1249. They are in fact chimneys and are part of the region’s heritage, and were a statement of wealth and standing in the community.

We finished the day by having a typical Algarve dinner: a vegetable soup, a fish stew, an orange pudding for dessert, and an almond dessert liqueur.