"Down Alte's alleyways...." Alte by justbecks

If you ever happen to get saddled with RCI resort accomodation,travelling out is a must if you want to explore further than sun and sand in Southern Portugal.With maps and a full tank of petrol,we drove out to Alte where we stumbled along hidden alleyways and climbed numerous stone steps.It was in this eerie and deserted stillness that we found an art gallery.It was manned by a friendly girl whose dog had just coughed up fishbones on her doorstep...we heard a rapid flow of Portugese and poked our heads in.I'm glad we did!She eventually led to an underground theatre that served as a basic set-up used by a group of theatre enthusiasts to entertain the local children."It is our duty coming from a big city like Lisbon to introduce the arts to our children in the form of educational entertainment.."she tells me in heavily accented,but pleasant English.

creating magic!

If not for this chance meeting,Alte would not have left much of an impression on me......Here we are being told and dramatized to from an excerpt out of one of the group's plays!They were very proud of their humble beginnings and showed off their skill with great finesse.This was a treat.

• Pros:Several art galleries that are like needles in a haystack!
• Cons:check what's on before making the trip out...unless you don't mind a walk.
• In a nutshell:Always Alte...