Jo’s Monday walk : Farms of Cacela

  An Algarve windmill

Phew!  Back to colour again!  For a person who hates grey skies, monochrome is very hard work. Fortunately for me, my recent visit to the Algarve had its fair share of blue sky.

We’re leaving the beach behind and heading inland a little way today, to Vila Nova da Cacela.  It’s quite an ordinary sort of place but I was inordinately pleased to be doing this walk.  It was a case of third time lucky, because twice before I’d attempted to find the start point for the walk, unsuccessfully!

Let me explain.  Often my Algarve walks are in the company of a group of walkers.  The meeting point is always a neighbourhood cafe, designated by email.  After all, who starts walking without a good cup of coffee first?  Vila Nova da Cacela is one of those small towns in the Eastern Algarve that you’d have to detour to visit.  The busy (by Algarve standards) E125 runs past it and many times I’ve whistled by without a care.  Except, of course, when trying to find the designated cafe.

The town is not big, but just big enough that you might have doubts.  The first time I and my husband tried to join the walk, ‘opposite the mercado’ seemed like clear instructions.  But there was no sign of the walkers that day.  I believe we gave up and went to the beach!  The second time was a different cafe, and once again, with time in hand, we combed the streets of Vila Nova but could not find the walkers.  It felt like some kind of conspiracy!  We set off to explore the neighbourhood, sure that we’d bump into them round some corner, but it was not to be.

When we arrived on the third occasion (nobody can call us ‘quitters’) we were dumbfounded to find a traffic diversion bang smack in the centre of town.  The directions we were carefully following were no longer valid, and worse, behind us were 2 cars containing walkers we recognised , following us with the conviction that we knew where we were going!  Well, all’s well that ends well and we had at least found some walkers and, eventually, the cafe.  I bet you need another cup of coffee before we set off, don’t you?  I know I do!

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As we left the town, the fields were a-tumble with yellow flowers, and an old well sat placidly looking on.  A left turn brought us onto a track and soon we were approaching a lofty windmill, it’s sails still intact- quite rare these days.

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The view from the top of the steps

The view from the top of the steps

Wild flowers growing carelessly by

Wild flowers growing carelessly by

The windmill up close

The windmill up close

The walk is nothing special.  Just a meander around the country lanes surrounding Vila Nova da Cacela.  Even Wikipedia has next to nothing to say about the town.  Still, it’s a pleasant place to be on a sunny February day, with the blossom tickling the trees.

A gentle tickle of blossom

A gentle flourish of blossom

Seen in the hedgerow
While the farmer goes about his work
One of the more prosperous looking farmsteads

I was sad to learn, from one of the walkers, that almond production is no longer profitable in the Algarve.  Few new almond trees are being planted and the nuts are now widely imported.  This in a country where sweet almond treats appear in the tiniest and humblest of cafes and on market stalls everywhere.  I find it hard to understand.

Another 'find' in the hedgerows

Another ‘find’ in the hedgerows

Horses and a donkey, at leisure
The road less traveled
Crops germinate in the polytunnels
Traditional blue and white
And a few plates on a wall

We pass a few houses and a cafe or two, then we’re heading back into town.  Little separates town from country, a flock of nosy sheep reminding us of that.

It's goodbye to the orange trees

It’s goodbye to the orange trees

And hello to an inquisitive sheep

And hello to an inquisitive sheep

We’re heading back to ‘Cacela Mar’, our meeting place this morning.  Tables are set out on the grass and for just 11 euros we enjoy a 3 course meal with wine.  Our attention is caught by the glimmer of fungi in the grass. The waiter is quick to assure us that they’re not edible.

A gold-topped fungi

A gold-topped fungi

But I expect you'd rather have cake!

But I expect you’d rather have cake!

The walk took a couple of hours at a steady pace (and with a coffee stop thrown in).  It wasn’t at all taxing but I felt a huge sense of achievement afterwards.  I’d finally walked the ‘Farms of Cacela’!  Triumph!  I hope you enjoyed it too.

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Next, it’s time to thank everybody for their kind contributions and to share this week’s walks.  If you’d like to join in, the details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page, or you can just click on the logo above.  More coffee, before we start?

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Jesh is first this week, with what sounds like my ideal wander.  Come and join us!

Tea Garden San Francisco

While Debbie has me California dreaming…

Walking the Grand Canal, California style

When you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go… to Esther!

Walk Downtown

Here’s Amy, talking to ducks again (smile)

Gotcha!

Drake is hoping they’ll soon be singing ‘We are the Champions’ :

Never walk alone!

Somebody else who doesn’t like to walk alone!  Thanks, Geoff :

You’ll never walk alone, part 3 

Gilly doesn’t mind a bit of solitude, especially if the surrounds are beautiful :

A Warren Walk

But if you visit Minou, you could indulge in some clog dancing!

Marken- a world away in 40 minutes

Finally, Jill sets the scene for a serene and mystical experience :

Tak Bat in Luang Prabang

Superb, weren’t they?  You can have a fine walk and never leave your armchair.  Many thanks for joining me.  I wish you a happy week, and some good walking.

 

134 comments

  1. Oh yes! I would love the cake for sure Jo! 😆 Such great landscape shots. It’s so beautiful and peaceful there. Love the cute sheep. 😀 ♥

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    1. The sun was so gentle and warm that day, Sonel. One of the nicest of the holiday. Are your temperatures getting back to comfortable yet? I know you don’t cope well with heat. Hugs, darlin’. 🙂

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      1. Glad to hear Jo and I can see you enjoyed it very much. 😀

        Still a bit hot during the day but cool in the mornings and sometimes at night. Yeah, I don’t. 😆

        Thanks for the hugs hon. Here’s lots of hugs for you as well. 😀 ♥

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  3. I love this walk, Jo. It gives me just enough spring colors and blue skies to cheer me up here in the dreary south of China. Thanks for the smile and the fun walk through the farms. It really is too bad about the almond production, isn’t it? That cake sure looks tasty. 🙂

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    1. It’s cheaper to produce them abroad, Cathy! I find that shocking when it’s part of their staple diet and there are almond trees everywhere.
      It’s grey and dreary here too. Walked this morning and just beat the rain home. 🙂 Booked another week in the Algarve next month just to remind me how it looks 🙂 (and in case Spring doesn’t come this far north!)

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      1. I’m sure you’ll get spring eventually, though it may be slow in coming. But I know you, any excuse to go to the Algarve. I can’t wait to be reminded once again of my lovely time there. 🙂

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  4. Such pretty spring scenes Jo! Love the long shot of the windmill with the flowering tree in the foreground and the inquisitive sheep. I can imagine how much you must miss this.

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  7. Glad you are back to color too. I liked the description of “Wild flowers growing carelessly by”. I like seeing or receiving a beautiful arrangement, but there is something special about a wild field of flowers.

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  9. The cake I’ll give a miss, but the coffee or tea is for me,before and after the walk in the sunshine picking an orange or two….

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  16. essendo più a sud della mia regione vedo che la primavera è già più avanzata, l’atmosfera campestre è sempre magnifica e camminare con te il lunedì è sempre piacevole 🙂

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    1. Yes, Spring is much slower here in the north east of England so I have to live on my memories 🙂 Have a lovely week, cara! Thank you for your wonderful visit this morning.

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