Faro - Jardim Manuel Bivar / Riding Portugal
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog :-)
You know those places where everything seems to fit together? The pace slows, the sun hits at just the right angle, and there's something in the air. Like a mix of history, salt, flowers, and coffee shop conversations? For me, in Faro, that place was Manuel Bivar Garden. It wasn't love at first sight. It was more, a fondness that grew, slowly, as if to say, "Just stay five more minutes." We stayed. And we stayed longer than that.
Faro was a visit I was very reticent about. We passed by once, and I wasn't thrilled with what we saw.
So I convinced myself to give it another chance.
PT
Sabem aqueles lugares onde parece que tudo encaixa? O ritmo abranda, o sol bate no ângulo certo, e há qualquer coisa no ar . Como um misto de história, sal, flores e conversas de café? Para mim, em Faro, esse lugar foi o Jardim Manuel Bivar. Não foi amor à primeira vista. Foi mais, uma simpatia que foi crescendo, lentamente, como quem diz para ficar só mais cinco minutos. Ficamos. E ficamos mais do que isso.
Faro foi uma visita onde fui muito reticente. Passamos lá uma vez e não morri de amores pelo que vimos.
Então convenci-me a dar mais uma oportunidade.
Manuel Bivar Garden is the heart of the city. But a peaceful heart. No hurried beats or nervous pulses. It's one of those places where people sit quietly, watch the world go by, read newspapers, and talk quietly. In the background, the marina, with the boats gently rocking, and that scent of the sea that comes with the breeze. The entire Algarve smells like this.
PT
O Jardim Manuel Bivar é, o coração da cidade. Mas um coração tranquilo. Nada de batidas apressadas ou pulsações nervosas. É um daqueles sítios onde as pessoas se sentam tranquilas, olham o movimento dos outros, leem jornais, falam baixinho. Ao fundo, a marina, com os barcos a balançar suavemente, e aquele cheirinho a mar que vem com a brisa.
Todo o Algarve tem este cheirinho.
We sat on a bench in the shade of the trees, surrounded by well-tended flowerbeds, and watched. Gentlemen in hats playing dominoes, tourists lost with paper maps (yes, someone still uses them), easily laughing teenagers, and opportunistic seagulls. I wondered how many cities still have gardens like this, in the center, where everything happens and, at the same time, nothing happens?
PT
Sentamo-nos num banco à sombra das árvores, rodeados de canteiros bem tratados, e ficamos ali a observar. Senhores de chapéu a jogar dominó, turistas perdidos com mapas em papel (sim, ainda há quem use), adolescentes de riso fácil e gaivotas oportunistas. Perguntei-me quantas cidades ainda têm jardins assim, no centro, onde tudo acontece e, ao mesmo tempo, nada acontece?
And it's here, right next to the garden, that Arco da Vila (Town Arch). It's become one of my favorite spots in Faro. Soaring yet elegant, it's one of the entrances to the Old Town, that walled part where time seems to slow down.
PT
E é aqui, mesmo ao lado do jardim, que se encontra o Arco da Vila . Passou a ser um dos meus cantinhos preferidos de Faro. Altivo, mas elegante, é uma das entradas da Cidade Velha, aquela parte muralhada onde o tempo parece andar mais devagar.
Now comes the cool part. The Arco da Vila isn't just beautiful, it has history, and a good one at that. It was built in the 19th century by order of Dom Francisco Gomes do Avelar, a bishop who apparently had great taste and wanted to give the entrance to the old town a more noble feel. But the most curious thing? As we pass under the arch, we're literally stepping back in time. There, embedded within, is a Moorish door dating back to the Muslim period. Yes, the modern arch holds within it a door over a thousand years old. Wonderful.
PT
Agora vem a parte gira. O Arco da Vila não é só bonito, tem história, e daquelas boas. Foi mandado construir no século XIX por ordem de Dom Francisco Gomes do Avelar, um bispo que, aparentemente, tinha muito bom gosto e queria dar um ar mais nobre à entrada da cidade antiga. Mas o mais curioso? Ao passarmos por baixo do arco, estamos literalmente a atravessar séculos. É que ali, embutida no interior, está uma porta mourisca que remonta ao período muçulmano. Sim, o arco moderno guarda dentro de si uma porta com mais de mil anos, Maravilhoso.
There's something symbolic about it. A new arch protecting an ancient door. A city that renews itself, but doesn't forget. And there I was, walking through it all with an ice cream in my hand, half-distracted, half-fascinated.
I passed by the Arco da Vila with the sun beating down on the warm stones. At night, the lights must give it another kind of mystery. And as I passed, I felt as if I were entering a place where stories aren't just in books. They're in the walls, the sidewalks, the silences.
PT
Há qualquer coisa de simbólico nisso. Um arco novo que protege uma porta antiga. Uma cidade que se renova, mas não esquece. E eu ali, a atravessar tudo isso com um gelado na mão, meio distraída, meio fascinada.
Passei pelo Arco da Vila com o sol a bater nas pedras quentes. À noite, as luzes devem dar-lhe outro tipo de mistério. E quando passei, senti que estava a entrar num lugar onde as histórias não estão apenas nos livros. Estão nas paredes, nas calçadas, nos silêncios.
The Manuel Bivar Garden and the Arco da Vila are those monuments that deserve to be appreciated. They are places where the city breathes, where we can simply be, unhurried, without plans, absorbing the life happening around us.
And that's what we seek when we travel. Not just to see, but to feel. Faro gave me that. And it all began with a garden and an arch.
PT
O Jardim Manuel Bivar e o Arco da Vila são daqueles monumentos que merecem ser apreciados. São lugares onde a cidade respira, onde podemos simplesmente estar, sem pressa, sem planos, a absorver a vida a acontecer à nossa volta.
E é isso que procuramos quando viajamos. Não apenas ver, mas sentir. Faro deu-me isso. E tudo começou com um jardim e um arco.
I hope you enjoyed.
See you around.
Wishing you much peace and health
Those who pass by us do not go alone. They leave a bit of themselves, taking a piece of us."
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince.
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Beautiful place, thank you for sharing such lovely photos.
Hello @chironga67. Thank U so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. It’s truly a special place! 😊✨
Thanks :-)
Cobblestone streets and houses with balconies—it seems like a dream location, where a stroll connects you with every corner of this town.
Hi @noalys! Exactly! This town has such a magical charm. Every street feels like it tells a story. A simple walk really does turn into a beautiful journey! 🌿🏡
The arch has a quiet majesty both grand and graceful. A landmark that holds so much character and invites you to pause and truly take in the moment.
Hi there @gretelarmfeg! Beautifully said! The arch really does have that timeless presence. It invites you to slow down and appreciate the beauty and history all around. ⛩️✨
Exactly! Thanks for sharing!😍
Hiya, @lauramica here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2714.
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Thank U so much 🌞
You are very welcome @onyfest! it was well deserved. ☀️
We are already looking forward to reading more about your adventures!
Thanks 😁
This was an amazing place, thanks for sharing it to us . Ai hope that someday I got to wonder on those gardens💚
Hello @john0928. Thank U! I'm so glad it spoke to U. I hope you get to wander through those gardens one day too, they’re even more magical in person! 💚🌿