A little math to start us off.  I will be using feet and inches.  We are going to determine how many pieces of stone go into a 7` wide by 1,320` long, stretch of walk.  There are two sizes of stone, one is 2”X2”X2” and the other is 4”X4”X4”.  The 2” stone fills a space that is 6` wide and the 4” stone takes up another 1` in space.  The width of the space is slightly wider than the 7` due to the slim space separating each of the stones.  In a width of 6` there will be 36 pieces of 2” stone and in 1`, there will be 3 pieces of 4” stone.  If my math is correct, there will be 285,120 pieces of 2” stone and 11,880 pieces of 4” stone used to blanket an area 1,320` long by 7` wide.

 

There are miles of streets in and around Albufeira that are bordered by these stone walkways.  Had asphalt not become the material of choice for building and patching existing roadways today, then the stone count would be astronomical.  The remarkable aspect of this, these stones are hand placed. A framed bedding is created and then each stone is set and tapped into place.  Meticulous care is made to ensure the bedding is firm and each stone is sized or modified to fit neatly into the puzzle that expands for miles.  Many of the walkways have small little `Fishermen boats` outlined approximately 10` apart throughout the length of these paths.  4”X4” stones are used to form these boats, requiring resizing and angular cuts to accommodate the proper fit into the puzzle.  And they`re perfectly centered within the walkway.

 

While traveling in the Ukraine, I stood and watched a mason work his chiseling magic placing similar sized stones repairing a stretch of a city path disrupted due to construction.  Tap, tap, tap was the rhythm of his chisel and then a `smooth and place` would be an action repeated over and over again; all the while bent over or in a squatting position.  I was envisioning this same routine in Albufeira.  Let`s add one more element.

 

If you`re not walking the beautiful beaches in Albufeira then you are scaling its streets.  That`s correct, one is either walking up or down.  The only thing level in Albufeira is the sea.  Rent a car, scooter or ebike, to enjoy your scenic adventures.  I was fortunate to have access to a 10-speed bicycle.  Low gear allowed me to ride the steep slopes up and then zoom with my butt puckered down the other side.  These streets and walkways with their irregular flow remained consistently smooth.  A testament to the engineering and architectural expertise of the Portuguese stone mason.

 

 

I have worked with stone, on a significantly smaller scale.  The work is tedious, tiring and dangerous.  Smashed fingertips, scrapes and other annoyances are always possible. However, when you are finished, it feels fantastic.  There is an element of pride that comes with stonework, especially when the mason can use his artistic talents to create work lasting lifetimes.

 

fashion`s lifetime monuments-
stone mason`s promise