Page 21 - Out of Contextos: The Magazine #1

A Tour of Faro, part I 20 21 TEXT: Angelika Jończyk
PHOTO: Alba Vallés

Once upon a time, Ossónoba, as to the passage of Muslims not
the Romans called it, was the only in the region but throughout
most important city in the re- the country. The Algarve prides
gion. Currently, Faro is the capi- itself on its informal, friendly,

tal of the entire Algarve region. and hospitable nature, welco-
Although the Algarve population ming outsiders and positively
is the result of the crossbreeding adapting to change. Much of the
of the different peoples who Algarve’s traditionally associated

colonized the region, the Moors with the sea is still devoted to
have the most striking influence, fishing and seafood harvesting.
which is why the Algarve people The differences in mentality are
are browner than the indigenous more pronounced between the

people of northern Portugal. The coast, modernized by intensive
Muslims also left traces of ar- tourism, and the interior, where
chitecture, with traditional white centuries-old traditions are pre-

houses in the Algarve, equipped served, whether in agriculture,
with roof terraces and distinctive crafts, gastronomy, or architec-
chimneys. Noras (water draw-off ture. Music that can be heard
devices) and agriculture (citrus all over the region is especially
and almonds), as well as many attractive.

words in Portuguese, also testify

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