Jo’s Monday walk : Dramatic skies over Querença

I’m taking you back to Fonte Filipe and the peace of the countryside this week.  This time we will head towards Querença, a small but lovely village, high in the Algarve hills.  I know it best for the Sausage Festival in January, and nearby Fonte de Benemola, a lovely oasis of green.  This was a warm day of beautiful skies, and good company.  We started out in shade and headed up through the trees, relishing the simple joy of being alive.

Almond blossom has dwindled and the nuts are on their way, but in these rolling Algarve seasons there’s always something to admire.

If you’re not fond of rust hued farm equipment, maybe a tumble down cottage or two will catch your eye?  It’s a great place to indulge your ‘house in the country’ fantasies.  With a few, stubborn roses clinging to a weathered wall, and perhaps a shady bench.

There are signs and markings to keep you on track, though dilly dawdling as I often do, it’s easy to get left behind.  Usually we’ll have a back marker, or good shepherd, tasked with keeping the flock together.

Today I’m transfixed by the cloud patterns overhead.  Just lately there have been very few of these loiterers, tracing patterns in the blue.  Gnarled trees snag my attention too.  It’s no wonder I so often get left behind.

Passing through a tiny hamlet, I’m further distracted by the harvesting of carobs.  The farm hand is only too happy to pause in his labours to smile and give a thumbs up.  We’re not far from Querença now.

At the heart of the village lies a magnificent square, the church looming over it protectively.  It’s a fine spot for a coffee, but the leaning pines suggest that you might sometimes need to huddle indoors.  It’s high and exposed here, the chapel nestled quietly, further down the hill.

Just past the chapel, if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll find a little turn off signed Beco dos Faiscas.  This leads down a lovely old cobbled path, beneath shady trees.  Just around a bend, something that looks like a small seat- what my mother would have called a ‘cracket’- to sit a spell.

A well maintained flagged path leads through the valley.  Beside some rushes, an abandoned mill wheel hints at former occupation.  A ‘for sale’ sign adorns an ornately topped post, and then the mill house appears, behind a hedge of extravagant crimson.

All too soon the walk is over, and you’re back at Fonte Filipe, no doubt wondering what’s to eat.  Can I tempt you with the ‘arroz doce’?

There are other choices, of course, but we’ll save them for another day.  Hope you enjoyed the walk!

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Just a word of warning!  I won’t be posting Jo’s Monday walk next week, but I’ll share any walks that arrive in the meantime the following week.  Meanwhile, please do read and enjoy these.

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Cheryl’s Skywalk takes walking to a whole new level.  You’ll love it!

A Walk Among the Clouds in Qingjing Farm

Something much gentler, and with a beautiful back story, from Suzanne :

The Waikareao Estuary Walk & Korero

Did you visit Delphi, with Debbie?  It looks phenomenal!

More dawdling in Delphi

Citrus Avenue!  How sweet does that sound?  Share it with Alice :

Citrus Avenue

Not everyone is so lucky with the weather, as Jackie will tell you!

Muy Buena Pizza

But it’s all relative.  It’s good to be happy with what you have :

Photo Challenges- South Jersey Spring has Sprung

A little grey in Denmark too, but there’s no place like home, is there, Drake?

Colors coming soon

She asks some daft questions, but Jude takes wonderful photographs.  Can you tell, the lady loves plants? :

Can you ever have too many Camellias?

Paris Focus: Jardin des Plantes

Share a little romance with Carol?

The Kissing Bridge

And follow ‘light spun with gold’ across northern Spain, with Cathy :

(Camino day 10) Torres del Rio to Logrono

Becky’s beaten me to it with this one!  I never thought I’d get to walk on water, but I did!

An unusual walk into Spain

I hope to post my take on the Smuggler’s Festival later this week, but I won’t be walking with you next Monday.  My son and partner are arriving soon, with a lively 6 year old, and I suspect I’ll have my hands full.  I’ll be back with a walk in 2 weeks time.  Take care till then!

121 comments

  1. “If you’re not fond of rust hued farm equipment, maybe a tumble down cottage or two will catch your eye?” 😄 I say what is the point of going out for a walk if not to dilly dawdle as much as one pleases over clouds, cottages, and anything else that distracts us? Thankfully, I’m always evading those shepherds to wander off.

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  2. Jo, you’ll have to share all your thoughts with your follower wanderers – that should ensure they will pause and take in the beauty around them!😀 The dilapidated houses are crying out for some TLC; set in such a beautiful landscape one would hope they find new owners soon. The views are glorious and the sky is a work of art, constantly changing, delighting! Hope you’re having a lovely week, my friend! 🌸🌺😀

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    1. It’s been a little crazy, Annika, and my husband is currently bashing his head against the wall of technology, but tomorrow evening we won’t care because our son is arriving. 🙂 🙂 Thanks, darlin!

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  4. ooh all these photos are SO lovely. I love the combination of nature ones with architectural details especially that large blue ceramic tiled work of the chapel. Ben was drooling at the mention of a sausage festival haha.

    Peta

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  6. Is that posh for rice pudding? You hooked me with the first Casa picture, this is a particularly lovely walk sweetheart, not tjat there’s been any I wouldn’t love x 🙂 x

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    1. Yep- posh rice pud! First time I’d had it cos I used to like my gran’s, with skin on top and condensed milk 🙂 🙂 You? This was a nice gentle walk apart from a couple of climbs. It’d be lovely to have you along. 🙂

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      1. No I didn’t like skin and I was the kid who got told off for giving my school milk away because I hated it so much. I could never drink it and now I’ve been dairy free for nearly 3 months and feel much better as a result, I think my instincts were right!

        All your walks are gorgeous, you’ll have to take me on your favourite as I will you when you come to Devon 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  7. The landscape is gorgeous as always, Jo, but I was very taken with the varying structures. There’s a beauty in the simplicity of the architecture. What an idyllic setting really. I’ve never seen carob harvested and it seems like everywhere you go there are many ways to tease the senses! Beautiful!

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  8. A lovely calm and peaceful place for a walk Jo. I’m sure you are tempting us all to want to visit such an idyllic place. We’ve just got back from NZ and I’m enjoying catching up with all my favourite bloggers. I will not be posting for a while as my computer died the second day we got home ☹️😢 I struggled doing one on the iPad, but it was quite difficult so will wait awhile now. Good to be back walking with you.

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    1. Hello darlin! I missed you but I knew you’d be having a good time with the family so I didn’t worry. 🙂 🙂 Thanks for letting me know about the computer. I’ll have to go into hibernation when my laptop dies 🙂

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  9. It’s good to take time off occasionally. Perhaps it’ll give me time to do some catch up! 😀 Love the way the old abandoned house has what looks like a road sign… how many miles to various places.

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  10. love the clouds, they are amazing. The almond blossom is lovely and fresh and a great counterpoint to all the great textures in the rust and older buildings. Thanks for sharing another great walk!

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  11. enjoyed this lovely walk Jo. love the quaint town, little squares, old chapel, sweet blooms, the trees, the clouds, cobbled-stone paths – the things you see and highlight, oftentime unnoticed and taken for granted, are real gems! thank you as always 🙂

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    1. When we walk as a group everyone is busy chattering, LolaWi, and lots of things are missed. If I can I like to hang back and capture a few lovely moments. Thank you for noticing with me. 🙂 🙂

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  12. Beautiful walk. I love those kind of skies where the clouds seem to form a frame over everything. I often get left behind, too. I stop to look at just about everything. 🙂

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  13. Pingback: Jo’s Monday Walk | A Day In The Life

    1. I’ve avoided the rice till recently, but it was sweet and delicious, Carol. My gran used to make the type with a skin on the top. And nutmeg! 🙂 🙂 When you do finally come, give me a bit of notice. I’ve managed to miss a few people lately because life has been so busy. 😦 Thanks so much!

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  17. Pingback: Roaming ’round Rabat – Travel with Intent
  19. Pingback: Monday walk…in the Franche-Comté | This, that and the other thing

  20. What a delightful walk as always, Jo! I just got back from a walk in the park, so this was just the frosting on the cake. I love the photo of the bit of house with the window with the broken panes and the rose bush and the flagged path bordered with the stone walls makes my heart sing. My walk today is from my September visit to the Franche-Comté and yes, there’s a little something to nosh on when we finish. 🙂

    https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/monday-walk-in-the-franche-comte/

    I think you forgot to link my Monday walk of last week in the Green Fairy Garden, so if it’s ok, I’ll share that link here, too:

    https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2019/03/25/monday-walk-the-green-fairy-garden/

    Cheers!

    janet

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    1. So sorry Janet! I usually check but if it was on the Monday walks page I forgot that this week. Too much going on! Just collected a new car from the garage and heading home. Thanks for the new walk 😣🌺🍰💕

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