Day out | Postcards From Here and There

Travelling the Algarve by Train

For our recent trip to the Algarve we decided to forego hiring a car and see how much we could do just moving around using the local regional railway. We didn’t miss having a car but you do need to plan carefully how you will manage a visit and exactly what you want to see and do. I don’t suggest this option is for everyone but it does give a cheap option for those on a budget.

The Algarve Regional Railway runs from Vila Real De Santo António in the east to Lagos in the western Algarve. It is often necessary to change trains in Faro. The station at Faro can be somewhat confusing when catching a train as there are no departure boards. Even the locals can be unsure at times as to which platform to use. We found the staff to be most helpful in this regard. Most trains also have the destination on display at the front.
Trains to and from Lisbon connect with the regional railway at Faro, Loulé, Albufeira and Tunes. These trains have a different pricing structure and tickets can not be bought on the train.
Journey times are; Vila Real De Santo António to Faro is roughly an hour, from Faro to Lagos it takes 90 minutes. Trains are roughly hourly in each direction but not all trains run at weekends.
Tickets are relatively cheap compared to the UK. There are only two types of ticket, single and return. The cost of a return is double that of a single.
Tickets are not available in advance and must be purchased on the day. Not all stations on the line have a ticket office, in this case you simply purchase a ticket from the conductor on the train who come round after every stop. It’s worth noting that the conductor only deals in cash, he does not take card payments.
A tourist ticket is available. Called the Tourist Travelcard it can be bought as a two day or three day card. This allows you to use the Algarve line as often as you like but the days of use must be consecutive. A two day card costs 20.90 Euros and the tree day 31.90 Euros. It can only be purchased from a station with a ticket office, they are not available on the train. You may well want to check if it is actually a saving for you. Faro to Tavira is 6.40 Euros return and Faro to Lagos is 14.80 Euros for a return. We didn’t use a Travelcard for our visit.
It is worth checking in advance if the station of your chosen destination is actually close to where you want to go. The station at Albufeira is actually 3 miles from the old town, Lagos is much closer but it is still a reasonable walk to the old town though it is a very pleasant walk past the marina and along the river.

Liverpool and The Titanic

The first and fateful last voyage of The Titanic is well known. Having departed Southampton en route to New York she hit an iceberg south of Newfoundland in the early morning of 15th April 1912 and sank within a few hours. Over 1500 died in the disaster.

There was a plan for The Titanic to visit Liverpool on her delivery from the shipyards of Harland and Wolff in Belfast but was prevented by bad weather in the Irish Sea. Despite never visiting the city The Titanic had many links to Liverpool. The owners of Titanic were The White Star Line and her port of registry was Liverpool.

As a result she had this painted on the stern along with her name. The offices of The White Star line were in Albion House which stands on the corner of James Street and The Strand. Now a grade II listed building it was built in the late 1890s but needed some restoration following the bombings of Liverpool in the Second World War. This building became the source of news about the disaster and updates and casualty lists were read from the lower balcony to the masses gathered outside. The building today is a hotel.

The White Star public house on Rainford Gardens close to Mathew Street is named after the White Star Line and is an interesting place to visit as not only does it have this association with The Titanic but also with The Beatles. There is some interesting memorabilia to see on the walls.

Many of the crew of The Titanic were from Liverpool and its neighbouring towns including the captain, Edward John Smith, who lived for forty years in Waterloo, north of the city. His time here is commemorated by a blue plaque on Marine Crescent in the town. There is also a memorial to him in Liverpools’s Anglican Cathedral in the form of a stained glass window.

The Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street is home to a memorial plaque dedicated to the members of the ships band, including viola player John Frederick Preston Clarke, who carried on playing as the ship sank. Interestingly the plaque gives the date as 14th April 1912 even though the ship sank in the early hours of the 15th. The plaque can be viewed in the entrance hall.

Across the road from Albion House on St Nicholas Place at the Pier Head is the memorial to the 244 engine room heroes that died on The Titanic that night. Designed by Sir William Goscombe John it stands 48 feet tall and was unveiled in 1916.

Following loses at sea during the First World War it has been dedicated to all the marine engine room heroes.

It is a remarkable monument and is sadly often overlooked by visitors to the city as it is at the far end of the Pier Head.

The Maritime Museum at The Royal Albert Dock houses a small but fascinating exhibition about The Titanic and its links to Liverpool. Located on the second floor of the museum entry is free and it is a very informative and at times touching exhibition. It’s compact and can easily be visited if you have a spare hour or so or indeed as part of a more comprehensive visit to the museum.

The story of that fateful voyage of The Titanic continues to fascinate both young and old. A visit to the maritime museum along with some of the other Titanic related locations in the city is time well spent on a trip to Liverpool.

The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is perhaps Icelands premier tourist attraction. It consists of route that will take you to Pingvellir (Thingvellir), Geysir and Gullfoss and makes for an excellent day trip from Reykjavik. You can do a self drive or join one of the many coach tours that leave the capital each day. I chose a tour with Reykjavik Excursions which included a pick up and drop off at my hotel. Tours generally leave around 9am and return late afternoon. For me this is a must do activity while in the country as you see so much in so short a time.

Pingvellir. In an anglicised form it wound be Thingvellir. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site a National Park and the site of the first democratic parliament which was formed here in 930. It is a beautiful, place quiet and peaceful despite all the tourists.

It is also on a tectonic plate boundary. Here the Eurasian plate and North American plate are moving away from each other creating the Mid Atlantic Rift Valley which is where you find the lakes and great fissures which open up as the plates move.

They have created a short path that runs alongside the edge of the North American plate which takes only a short while to complete. It also passes the site of the first parliament which is marked by a flagpole flying the Icelandic flag.

Geysir. The Geyser that named them all is in the Haukadlur geothermal region. Geysir used to erupt and send boiling water up to a height of 80m. Sadly it is now very much dormant and hasn’t erupted since 2014. This could change in the future as the area is geologically very active and earth movements could activate it again. However Strokkur is close by and erupts every 10-15 minutes or so. Reaching a height of 20m it may not be as high as Geysir but it is still very impressive and draws a big crowd.

The whole area around the geysers is geothermically active with pools and lots of vented steam. The wind chill up here was severe, down at minus 12 Celsius, so it was quite a contrast to see so much boiling water. As you walk around the area you can not help but ponder on the awesome forces at work beneath your feet.

There are plenty of refreshment and shopping options here, located just across the road from the geysers. There is also a petrol station and ample parking for coaches and cars.

Gullfoss. Only a short 15 minute drive from Geysir is the spectacular waterfall of Gullfoss.The name translates as golden falls in English and it is from this that itinerary is called The Golden Circle. Nothing really prepares you for the majestic site of the falls, in winter the spectacle is enhanced by the ice and snow. Gullfoss is a double drop waterfall with the Hvitá river cascading down a total of 32m.

There is a choice of walking routes to view the falls. The lower path descends down to the level of the falls by means of a set of stairs. If you don’t fancy the climb back to the top you can take the upper path which has a fantastic panoramic view of the falls.

In 1907 there was an attempt to buy the falls so that hydroelectric power could be generated. The farmer that owned them, Tōmas Tōmasson, replied that “I will not sell my friend.” Much later the falls were leased to investors but the farmers daughter, Sigriour, fought this walking back and forth to Reykjavik to argue her case in court. She worked tirelessly to save the falls and eventually the lease was revoked. There is a memorial to her close to the upper viewing area. To many she is regarded as Icelands first environmentalist

There is a small shop and café here and both are well stocked with refreshments and souvenirs.

The Golden Circle was a wonderful experience and the low temperatures of the day didn’t seem to matter. It’s a great way to see some of the natural beauty of this wonderful country and only a short drive from the capital.