Explore the hidden Algarve on foot – in Portugal

This sponsored post takes us to the Algarve region of Portugal, to explore not only the beautiful beaches, but also the hidden backwaters, such as the inland walking trail of the Via Algarviana and the Costa Vicentina nature reserve.

Until last year I thought the Algarve was all sun, sea and golf. A sort of rich man’s  Costa del Sol where people came to fly and flop and cultural adventure was extended from the hotel bar to the beach and back.
This I now realise was not only misguided and unfair but widely off the mark. Sure, you can come to the Algarve for its sandy beaches and comfortable apartments but for those wanting slightly more from their get-away Portugal’s most southern region offers up more than enough to satisfy those itchy feet.

Day one of my Algarvian retreat and I joined my guide just outside the pretty hillside village of Alte where I was to begin a stretch of the regions popular walking trail – the Via Algarviana. This 240 kilometre path stretches from Lower Guadiana to Cape Saint Vincent and takes in some of the region’s most picturesque countryside along the way. As someone who has been known in the past to be somewhat navigationally challenged I was more than pleased to discover the paths were clearly sign-posted and the wooden posts with their red painted ring were all I needed to monitor in order to ensure I didn’t end up aimlessly walking into Andalucía…

In terms of seeing the ‘hidden Algarve’ you can’t get much more off the beaten track than this. The paths wind their way through fields and meadows, forests and tiny little villages where dogs bark with gusto as you pass through their little pocket of tranquillity. After a couple of hours our guide brought us to a small clearing by a house where she promptly laid down a blanket and an elderly lady from the cottage scurried over with a basket heavy with fresh breads, olives, Portuguese meats and delicious homemade chutneys and jams. Needless to say our small group devoured this mouth-watering picnic before gathering our things together and carrying on to meet our vehicle which would drive us out to the coast to our designated lunch spot (yes, that was just a snack…)

Food in the Algarve is another very good reason to come here and away from the tourist hot spots there are numerous local restaurants to slip into for a traditional meal. Bread, cheese, cooked meats and sweet potatoes were all firm favourites of mine – while the seafood was without doubt some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Fresh, beautifully cooked in light sauces the fish, prawns, mussels and scallops we feasted on overlooking the Costa Vicentina on the Algarve’s rugged and idyllic Western Coast.

As well as nature lovers (the Costa Vicentina is a protected Natural Park covering over 74,000 hectares and boasting over 750 different species – 12 of which are not found anywhere else in the world) this part of the Algarve is a surfers haven. Sandy inlets, rugged coves and deserted stretches of wave scattered sea and sand make this an ideal place to come and bring your board. Or, if like me you’ve eaten far too many mussels to risk straining your own, a great place to sit and digest…

Heading back later that evening to the nearest largest town, Lagos, where we would spend the night (a mini bus had helpfully taken our suitcases that morning – well, I was on holiday:) I checked into the Quinta dos Caracois full of respect for a region so undeniably appealing yet also in some parts so untouched I almost want to keep my new found knowledge to myself. Enjoy…

Author Bio: Roberta Summer loves exotic locations, cocktails and Japanese food. She hails from Madrid where she learnt flamenco and has since travelled extensively to explore her passion for dance and languages.

Photo credits: Beaches of the Algarve and Seafood of the Algarve by MyDestination.com, Via Algarviana by ESMTG, Costa Vincentina by Thruhike98

More Things to Enjoy in Portugal

Seafood and beer at Cervejaria Trinidade in Lisbon
Having my Pastéis and eating it in Lisbon – Portugal
05 An autumn weekend in Lisbon – Podcast Episode 5

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Lángos and other street food – in Hungary

If you’re visiting Budapest, you might be looking for a cheap and tasty snack that’s typically Hungarian – look no further than the Lángos, pronounced Lang-gosh (I’m sure the Hungarian speakers out there will correct me). We ate Lángos on a couple of occasions, once from a booth on the top floor of the Central Market, which I recommend as a place for inexpensive food at lunch time, and on another day from the cafe at the Palatine Strand baths on Margaret island, along with six plates of chicken livers (but that’s another story!)

Lángos is somewhere between a doughnut and a pancake, being made from a yeasty dough that’s rolled into balls then flattened by slamming from hand to hand – we watched this being done in the Central Market. Then the flattened pancake is deep fried in hot oil so that it puffs up and is served with your choice of savoury or sweet toppings. The topping  with sour cream and grated cheese is one of the most popular and is called sajtos tejfölös, sajtos being cheese and tejfölos being sour cream.

Another Hungarian speciality you might come across, especially in tourist areas is the Kürtős Kalács pictured  above that we saw at the Hungarian Arts and Crafts Festival in August, amongst other places. It’s a milk-dough that is rolled into strips that are then wound around a metal cylinder and toasted over an open fire, just like you might do when camping. The name comes from the funnel inside a chimney that it resembles once it’s taken off the metal spit. Once it’s cooked it is generally rolled in sugar and cinnamon and sometimes nuts and then you can pick strips off the roll to eat – great for a family to share.

Thanks to my Hungarian Friend, János for filling me in on these little details – all I know is that they were fun and tasty to eat!

This article is posted as part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick – head over for a tropical breakfast and other foodie delights.

While visiting Budapest we stayed at Art’Otel Budapest

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More Hungarian Experiences

My Top 10 sights in Budapest with the help of the Eyewitness Guide from Dorling Kindersley
The Festetics Palace and the marzipan museum at Keszthely – in Hungary
Sour cherry soup at Salföld in Hungary

www.flickr.com   heatheronhertravels’ Budapest – around Budapest photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Country house classic at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon – Video

We took a winter weekend break at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon in a mock Jacobean country house set in parkland with its own golf course and spa – read on for my review and video…

We pass the Victorian gatehouse and turn up the drive, lined with groves of beech trees and just the odd sign to hint at the golf course that’s set in the grounds of the Welcombe Hotel. It’s an old country house, built in the 1870s in Jacobean style for a local family, but was turned into a hotel in the 1930s and has been run by the Menzies Hotel Group for nearly ten years.

The car park is at the side of the hotel, and we pass through the inconspicuous doorway, past the two doormen, to check in. Oops, their key machine is broken, so they’re not able to give us a card key, but the inconvenience is played down most charmingly and we’re told that instead a member of staff will personally accompany us to open our room.

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We walk through the rather grand oak panelled drawing room, where a fire is burning in the fireplace and a group of girls that looks like a hen party are sitting around chatting. Onward down the corridor and we reach the Garden Annexe, a modern wing built on the site of an old winter garden. Having checked out the website, I’d expected four-posters and traditional decor that are to be found in the a main hotel building, but here the rooms are decorated in contemporary style in shades of soft yellow, green and oatmeal, echoing the formal gardens outside the window.

It’s all perfectly pleasant, with the conveniences of hair dryer (in it’s own marked drawer), tea and coffee making and an iron with ironing board. The fitted desks and wardrobes give the room a slightly corporate feel that makes me think more of a business hotel than a haven of leisure and relaxation, and the bathroom has a classic black and white theme and twinkling black marble surfaces. Everything is clean and comfortable although in a minor housekeeping lapse, my bedside light is not working.

Bathroom at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

Garden room at Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

The metal windows are disguised by curtains, but we have a lovely view out on to the formal gardens with their box hedges, fountains and classical statues. With the winter sun shining on it, it makes an attractive outlook and I’m sure it would be even nicer in spring and summer when the bedding displays of primroses and rose beds are in flower. The hotel is a popular wedding venue and these gardens are the place for the perfect wedding photo with the grand mock Jacobean house, fountains and flowers in the background.

Once settled in, it’s back to the oak panelled hall where most guests are relaxing with lunch or a coffee and we sit close to the fire that’s burning in the imposing marble fireplace with twisted columns and a classical picture of sailing ships above it. Every so often the doorman walks by, solemnly bearing a single log and lays it on the fire. We establish ourselves on the patterned velvet sofa to read our paper for a while and glance around for the staff to order some lunch. They appear to all be preoccupied in the kitchen, or moving chairs around in the adjoining dining room, but eventually we catch someone’s eye and order sandwiches from the menu – prawn salad for me and beef with horseradish for dearly beloved. After the wait to order, the service is friendly and prompt, but by this time we’re feeling the heat of the fire so we move to a table by the window with leather wing chairs where we eat our sandwiches, served club style with some crisps and coleslaw on the side.

I eye up the other guests trying to judge the type of person who comes to the  Menzies Welcombe hotel – it seems popular with groups of friends and couples getting together, and there are a few that I notice being greeted as regulars by the staff. Judging by the room we pass being set up for an evening dinner dance, it’s a popular spot for the business bash too – with golf for the men and the spa for the ladies. There are a couple of folders on display with press clippings about the hotel and photos from some of the weddings that have been held here.

Pannelled hall at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

Sandwich lunch at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

My husband, who is suffering from a heavy cold decides to spend the afternoon relaxing at the hotel, while I pop into Stratford-upon-Avon just 5 minutes down the road. I spend a happy hour or two exploring the Royal Shakespeare Theatre that has just re-opened after a 4 year building project, looking around the free exhibitions, browsing the shop in the foyer for interesting gifts and take a tour up to the Tower for a view over the town. The theatre opened to visitors in the autumn of 2010 but the new season of Shakespeare productions opens in Spring 2011 and I’m very tempted to come back another time and see Romeo and Juliet.

Having spent the evening in town, we missed out on dining in the hotel, but get the opportunity to enjoy the grand dining room overlooking the formal gardens at breakfast. There’s plenty with a choice of all the usual hot dishes, cereals and pastries laid out and we get a table by the window to enjoy the view.

The one thing we haven’t tried yet is the hotel spa and pool complex and now we wish we had more time to linger there. The entrance looks as if it was an old coach house but behind it is a modern building with water sculpture and a high glass roof. My husband is still suffering so decides to chill out with a coffee and the Sunday papers in the light and airy cafe and reception area, while I try out the pool.

Pool at Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

Spa at Welcombe Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

The changing areas are lovely and I try out one of the foot spas with bubbles tickling my toes before swimming a few lengths in the turquoise mosaic tiled pool. There are heated tiled recliners and plenty of loungers to stretch out on. I share the pool with a couple of dads having fun with their young children, splashing around in the circular bubbling jacuzzi at one end. If dearly beloved had been up to it I wouldn’t have minded spending the best part of a day in here, trying out all the steam rooms and saunas and perhaps treating myself to a massage or facial. In another section through the glass doors there’s an adults only larger jacuzzi and also a small gym and exercise room if you’re feeling really energetic. It’s a fabulous venue for groups of ladies or anyone looking for some pampering me-time.

We’ve easily spent the best part of the weekend enjoying what the Welcombe Hotel has to offer, but there’s plenty more to explore in Stratford-upon-Avon, with the attractive river-side areas, picturesque half-timbered houses from Shakespeare’s day and the different houses associated with Shakespeare to visit in and around the town. Until next time….

The Menzies Welcombe Hotel is great for…

The Menzies Welcombe hotel is especially suitable for groups of friends and extended family and for celebration get togethers. It’s also popular for corporate events and weddings in summer. If you enjoy a round of golf or are looking for a spa break the Welcombe hotel is an ideal choice. The hotel is a short distance outside Stratford-upon-Avon town centre, so ideal for those who want to combine relaxing in parkland surroundings with some sightseeing. We especially enjoyed the attractive formal gardens, relaxing in front of the open fire in the panelled drawing room and the delightful modern spa and pool.

More things to do in the area

Seasonal and Wild – The Waterside Brasserie at the Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Tower and other transformations at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
A winter walk on Edge Hill near Banbury

We stayed as a guest of the Menzies Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon – many thanks to them for accommodating us.

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www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Stratford-upon-Avon photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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