Jo’s Monday walk : Alte and about

Fonte Pequena at Alte

One of the great things about our Algarve walking group is the knowledge we can share.  Walking one day in Spring I was talking to a lovely lady called Stephanie.  She mentioned a favourite walk which included an abandoned, ruined village, and later sent me an email with a map.  So it was that, heading west for a wine tasting, we decided to seek out the village.  Just one problem- I didn’t have the map with me.  But I did have some scribbled instructions, which I thought should do.  The start was in pretty as a picture Alte, which we know well.

I always want to linger by Fonte Pequena, the smaller of the two natural springs, but my notes said to cross over the bridge and follow the signs for Julia.  Not paying attention, as usual, I turned left instead of right.  When the track became perilous and tangled with scratchy shrubs, I realised my mistake.  Back down and turn right.  Boa Vista beckoned, from the top of a seriously steep hill.  Lovely views, and a stunning passion flower.

A sign at the hilltop indicated that it was just 1.6km to Julia.  Being June it was a little too hot for hiking and I was grateful for any shade I could find.  At the edge of the village I hesitated, unsure of which way, but a villager pointed us in the right direction.  So far so good!  Down through the small cluster of houses we went, scrambling a bit as we hit some loose rocks.  Just as I was beginning to get in a lather, we came to the main road, N124.  An accusing look from the other half!  ‘Couldn’t we have driven here?’  An all too familiar scenario.  ‘But where’s the fun in that?’

The road was empty, but shade was non-existent.  A cowardly decision was about to be made.  Or should I say, good sense prevailed?  The signpost indicated 4km down a dirt track to Esteval dos Mouros, the ruined village.  Neither of us fancied getting hotter and stickier, and we still had the wine tasting venue to find.  The ruins would have to keep for a cooler day.

Back into Alte, hugging the sidewalk for shade.  The spring gurgled down the hill, vivid lemon cactus flowers blinking in the sunlight.  A relief to enter the cheerful pastelaria.  There’s just time for a morsel of cake.

Back on the road, Quinta do Francês proved tricky to find and we arrived with minutes to spare.  A very pleasurable time was spent wine tasting, but I was reluctant to bring an end to such a lovely day.  Our route home took us through Silves, where a striking mural caught my eye.  A quiet stroll by the river and beneath the jacarandas brought the day to a perfect close.

Linking this to Sami’s Monday Murals, where a bunch of like-minded people love to share.  I hope she won’t mind.  I had hoped to see Stephanie when the Algarve walkers met at Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire this week, as she lives nearby.  If she’s reading this I can assure her that we’ll be back to complete her walk this Autumn.  In the meantime I shall be sharing some English walks.

Next weekend is our wedding anniversary and I’m dragging him off up the Northumberland coast.  I hope to schedule a walk for next Monday, but my response rate may not be great as I’ll be in transit.

Many thanks to all of you who contribute and comment to keep my Monday walks alive.  I appreciate your company so much.  How can I possibly quit with you folks to spur me on?  Join me here any time.  Kettle on now, and settle in for a read :

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How fascinating is this, our starter from Rupali?

Monday walk to “the Norwegian book town”

And these botanical gardens are rather special too.  Take a look with Miriam :

Jo’s Monday Walk : Huntington Library 

If I was looking for a piece of real estate, and I had lots of money in my pocket… I’d join Alice!

A walk on Queen Street

The things Janet gets up to in Wyoming!

Monday walk…to the phone booth

Lady Lee has been gadding about again!  🙂  🙂

Our long weekend in Cologne and Bonn

Time to write : Picture Prompt 19 (Creative Writing Prompt) – Gin, Rex and Niki

And as for Jackie, what’s on the menu this week?  Sounds good!

Jambalaya Crawfish Pie and File Gumbo

Melodie takes us hiking and then for a swim, in a quieter part of the English Lake District :

Orthwaite

Or you can enjoy a glorious splash of colour with Drake!

Color Inferno

Koalas and kangaroos!  This is a very cuddlesome post from Carol, though maybe not the echidna!

Feathers and Fur

Eunice is definitely an animal lover too, and she likes a good ramble :

Jumbles Reservoir – a long walk

‘Far from the madding crowd’ with Cathy, in the most beautiful scenery!

The Devil’s Garden Hike at Arches

I’ve watched TV coverage from the Algarve these past couple of days, and am horrified at the fires engulfing swathes of the countryside that I love.  What sad times for so many!

107 comments

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  8. Lovely photos Jo, been to the Algarve several times and are actively looking for a housesit or two there for next year. Such a beautiful area that doesn’t seem too commercial even though so many tourists visit every year.

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    1. Thanks a lot, Jonno. It is surprisingly uncommercial when you get away from the resorts and that’s one of many reasons we love it. 🙂 🙂 Take care choosing. The current fires around Monchique look horrendous.

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      1. They always get the worst fires up there, hope there’s a bit of rain soon but it doesn’t look like its coming. We were actually there a few years back when the whole area went up, very scary.

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      2. This is so close to the village! They’ve had to evacuate people. After last years deaths further north they can’t take any chances. It must be suffocating up there.

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  9. There’s just about everything in this walk, Jo – geese, landscape, wild flowers, architecture, fabulous art, that amazing piece of cake, but most of all, I love that thoughtful little girl at Number 12. Good on Mick for hanging in there. Happy week!

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  11. I chuckled about the wrong turnsJo, but sweated with you in that heat. OH is a champion to keep up with you. A lovely walk so much to see the little statues peering down at you, the decorated bikes and the beautiful jacaranda and Passion flower and that mural was stunning. But yes I think you made the right desicion to go to the wine tasting and leave the rest for another day. Hadn’t seen any mention of fires in the Algave on our tv. Hope all is ok in the area you are going to

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    1. The area around Monchique is ablaze, Pauline. It’s at the opposite end of the Algarve to us, but we did a walk there earlier this year- camelias and the incredible church ruins on the top. I dread to think what it’s like up there. The smoke was swirling down into the valley and winds fanning it. The temperatures have been in the 40s and that is impossible to handle. Alte is only half hour from there and also in the hills. It’s a lovely place!

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  13. Great photos again Jo, I love the first one with the ducks and the mural is fabulous – I’ve added a link to the end of my own walk. I don’t watch tv news or read the papers so know nothing about the forest fires, but having recently had something similar on the moorland near home I can understand what a devastating situation this will be for all those, and the wildlife, concerned 😦

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  14. Pingback: Jumbles Reservoir – a long walk – Life In The Mouse House

  15. Fabulous Moorish style mural Joanne, and of course the other smaller murals are very nice too.
    What a lovely walk, loved the passionfruit flower, never seen them with that colour.
    Hope the Algarve fires don’t destroy too much, it’s sad to hear those news again.

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    1. It’s looking really frightening on the news, Sami. I can hardly bear to watch. I put the wrong photo in your linky but I’ll do better next time. 🙂 🙂 Thanks for having me.

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    1. Which village? I probably only know Ripley. The weather is set to change but Harrogate is good for the odd spot of rain, and Yorkshire’s beautiful. 🙂 🙂 Yes, seriously hot and frightening in the Algarve, Tanya.

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  20. I’m guessing walking in the Algarve is not an option at the moment. The forest fires on the news last night looked truly frightening and the long-term impact on the area and its wildlife must be immense. It must be hard for you to watch, knowing the area so well.

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