FARO PART 1 - I was up very bright and early for a very comfortable Jet2.com flight from Glasgow to Faro. I have been to Faro before, but never had the chance to visit the famous bone chapel. I made sure this time was different. I caught a dirty diesel rail car to Lagos, amazingly built as recently as 1999 (they appear a lot older) to witness the beautiful grotto at Praia dos Estudantes. After exploring the rock tunnel and scenic cliffs, I finish the day off with a superb seafood meal.
FARO PART 2 - After an afternoon in Lagos (see part 1), I returned to Faro in a noisy rail car. Why are these railcars always covered in graffiti? I've also noticed these railcars are always dirty. It may be due to the lack of rain during the summer months. When I return to Faro, the air is filled with music. There is a biker event in town, with their own heavy rock music tent. I managed to escape this and enjoyed a warm evening watching trains and planes.
FARO PART 3 - This is the final part of this quick Faro trilogy. I explore a town centre pavement (you'll understand when you watch the video), check out the 'artwork' which adorns most railcars in the region, make a quick trip by train to Tavira and back. At Faro I have time to inspect one of the impressive Alfa Pendular high speed trains which run to Lisbon, grab a bite to eat at Faro airport and return back to Glasgow on Easyjet.
VILA REAL de S.A. to LISBON - This is part 1 of the 16-part journey on the End-to-End world's longest continuous rail journey - Vila Real de Santo Antonio (Portugal) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). I have time for a quick exploration of the beautiful town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, including the stunning beach south of the town, and even manage to catch the ferry across the border to Ayamonte, Spain, for a quick look around.
LISBON-HENDAYE-PARIS: - The TGV from Hendaye to Paris was taken in 1st class because I spotted a deal where the 1st class fare was only around EUR20 more than the 2nd class fare - a bargain. The Paris Metro from Montparnasse to Gare du Nord was train 5 on this trip. I only included Metro services if the distance to be covered couldn't be done on foot.