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The streets of Lagos decorated for Christmas |
Perched at the mouth of the Bensafrim River along the Atlantic
Ocean lies the pretty town of Lagos in the Algarve region of Portugal. It is an
ancient maritime town with more than 2000 years of history. The city was
colonized by the Romans, Byzantines, and Moors at different periods of history. The place is also associated with one of the greatest voyages Christopher Columbus, Magellan, Bartolomeu
Dias and Vasco da Gama set sail under the stewardship of Henry the
Navigator to discover the different parts of the world such as America, The
Cape of Good Hope and India. On a sunny day in December, closer to Christmas, we set off from Faro
for a 90 km drive to this little town, The scenic lush green orchards of
Oranges were overflowing with fruit on either side of the highway. In less than
two hours we landed in the quaint silent town which was decked up for Christmas
with buntings, and hundreds of small illuminating lights shimmering from the small
houses and shops.
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The pretty cobbled streets of Lagos |
The town is endowed with a rich history in form of towering
forts, cathedrals and churches, a Slave Museum (Yes! You read it right- The
Slave Museum!) beside sparkling beaches, grottos, limestone formations and
much more. A special mention needs to be made about this unique Slave Museum
which is one of its kind.
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A toiling slave at Mercado de Escravos or the Slave Market |
It is called Mercado de Escravos or the Slave
Market. The market is dated 1444 but the present building has stood the test of
time since the 17
th century. This emphasizes the connection of Lagos to
the idea of the first sale of Slaves in Europe. This was the place where the slaves acquired from adjoining Africa were sold. The stories of the gruesome
lives led by the slaves are so well depicted that it sends a chill down the spine.
The exhibits of chains, ropes and wristbands make the horror alive even after
the ages. Currently, this monument has been used as a Museum but has been a
Customs House and a military administrative centre in other periods. The Slave
routes from where the slaves were brought to Lagos to be sold include Africa, Goa, Malaca and Macau. One has to be strong-hearted to read the heart-wrenching narratives and view the atrocities inflicted.
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The Potato beach at Lagos
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There are endless options to admire the natural beauty including
beaches such as Praia de Camilo, and Potato Beach right in the middle of
the town offering some lovely views and the turquoise blue sea covered with bobbing
boats tethered alongside or tied to buoys. We were blessed to see a white rainbow appear over the sky when we were strolling at the Potato beach
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A White Rainbow |
Colourful buildings, cobblestone streets, seafood
restaurants, laid back cafeterias are good reasons to explore the beauty of
this town. The city centre is really charming. A nice place to stretch tired
legs is Jardinm da Constituciao which offers a green shade and a whiff of
beautiful flowers. The park is bordered by the stone walls of Fort Ponta da
Banderia across the street with a picturesque setting of the sea in the
backdrop. A tour of the waterfront along the fort walls is a ‘must’ when in
Lagos.
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Igrejia de Santa Antonio |
Among other top attractions are the Igrejia de Santa Antonio
(the church), a dolphin-watching cruise and rock tunnels. According to a fable King Sebastian granted the title of city to Lagos in 1573. He disappeared in 1578 when he was on a military mission to Morocco. Some locals believe that he would return one day. The statute of the king is located at the main city centre at Plaza Gil Eannes opposite the Town Hall.
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The statue of King Sebastian
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We had to give miss the Dolphin watching and visiting the rock tunnels due to the paucity of time and we had to set the course to see Sagris a place where Europe begins in the latter part of the day. I will narrate more about Sagris in the next post
PS- All pics are mine
White rainbow is like an oxymoron :) anything to do with slave history is so sad and gut wrenching .... to think that humans could be so heartless and self centred !
ReplyDeleteHa! ha Jaish. Indeed a white rainbow is an oxymoron. A peek into the slave history was something I had read in school but all the memoriess came alive there. Thanks for reading and good to see you again here after a while:)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully captured in pictures and words.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for your kind words!
DeleteBeautiful pictures
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DeleteMany thanks for liking, Pooja!
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Ashok!
DeleteWhat an interesting town. I couldn’t visit the slave museum though... so painful to read about all that...
ReplyDeleteA very interesting place for sure
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