This is the picturesque village of Salema, in the Algarve of Portugal. It is a quiet fishing village that Rick Steves said was a “must-see”. I was going to rent a car, as it’s only 30 min or so from Lagos. But since I’d never really looked into renting a car before, I had no idea it would cost €200 (this is for an automatic transmission…of course I was cursing myself for never learning manual). The €5 bus ride was a bit more attractive, even though it meant I’d be stuck in the town for 4 hours.

When I got off the bus, I was able to make my way through the town in less than an hour, and quickly realized everyone had “gone fishin'” for the winter.

I came across some attractive real estate on my self-guided tour.

Three restaurants (and I use the term restaurant loosely…maybe eating establishment would be a better moniker) and a small mini market were open. There wasn’t even a place to buy touristy magnets or postcards.

The town did have two things, though: old people and cats.

I call this “portrait of an old man”

But there were many more cats than there were old people. There were lots and lots of cats. I guess because it’s a fishing town and cats are smart. So, to alleviate my boredom I started taking pictures of all the cats. And I will share them with you now: