Jo’s Monday walk : Along the Guadiana

I’ve been acting tour guide for the past couple of weeks, so not a lot of time for serious walking, and it’s been too hot.  Still, I’d hate you to think I’m taking it easy.  The first of our Striders walks kicked off the season with a good stiff uphill, above the River Guadiana, to get the lungs working.  There was much puffing, panting and grumbling, but it was great to be back in this glorious scenery.  Catching up on the lives of our walking friends took some of the pain away, and soon we were looking back down again.

You’ll notice how dry it all looks.  It’s been a long summer and the reservoirs are low.  Almost every year the Algarve faces this problem and somehow the plants survive to burst forth in another glorious Spring.

There’s often a reward at the top of a hill, and so it was with this one.  I’m told it’s the oldest intact windmill in the Algarve.  I peered at it from every angle, even venturing cautiously inside this photographer’s dream.

I speculated on how it must have been on this hilltop the day the wind took the roof off, half expecting to see the witch’s red shoes peeping out from under the vivid rust.

There’s a pathos to the abandoned houses in these hills, wells and bread ovens on standby for better days.  Here and there a hint at occupancy, washing on the line and pomegranates ripe for picking.  Urns with a sense of humour.

A blaze of parched colour fills my vision, and then a gentle descent to the river.  No time to stop for food today.  Tour guide duties beckon.

But we do snatch a swift drink, with a lovely couple who are seldom far from an icecream.

walking logo

I hope you enjoyed our company this week.  I’m going to take a week off walking duties as my lovely daughter arrives soon and I need to give her full attention.  I’ll be back with a Jo’s Monday walk on 28th October.  Meanwhile I have some great shares for you.

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I love a lass who doesn’t let the weather put her off.  Thanks, Anabel!

Cowden Japanese Garden and Castle Campbell

You can count on having fun with Debbie :

A whirl around Oktoberfest

And funnily enough, Lady Lee was there this week too!

Oktoberfest 2019

While Eunice is in Limerick, and what a lovely place it looks!

A day in Limerick

But I’m afraid Drake has me wanting to escape!

Inside, so much inside

Some great street art, doors, windows, and food- of course!  It’s Jackie!

Cafe del Teatre

How closely do you look at your surrounds?  Meg doesn’t miss a detail :

Eurobodalla Beaches: Rosedale

And Suzanne is always aware of the beauty that surrounds her :

Hiking in Porcupine Gorge National Park

Let’s end with Cathy, smiling in the rain :

(Camino day 38) Cacabelos to Trabadelo

Bye for now!  Take care till the next time.

82 comments

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  4. Lovely light in these photos and not a cloud in sight! You have definitely landed on your feet here Jo. But please be careful exploring those ruins, we don’t want anything horrible falling on your head! 😨

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  6. This was a feast of textures! The old windmill, the pots, the window frames, boats, poles, walls … Nothing like crumbly old paint to make an intriguing photo or two, or more!

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  8. Pingback: Monday walk…in a French forest (again) | This, that and the other thing

  9. Thanks for venturing into the windmill, Jo, but it was worth it from a photographic POV. There certainly is a pathos about old, decaying buildings but also a beauty, again perhaps just for photos, but still there. I didn’t realize that you had a group of walkers. Dense of me, but I somehow never picked that up. 🙂 I hope you get the rain you need. The part of France I visited was in dire need of rain, too, but as it rained almost every day I was there, I feel I did my share. 🙂 In fact, you can take a walk with me right now if you have a moment:

    https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2019/10/14/monday-walk-in-a-french-forest-again/

    Cheers!

    janet

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    1. Hi Janet! Got here at last 🙂 🙂 We belong to a couple of groups of walkers . I think I’ve mentioned them a few times. We enjoy a bit of company on a walk, but sometimes we wander on our own. We did have a spattering of rain today but not enough to make much difference. Thanks, hon- be with you soon.

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  11. I love the “urns with a sense of humor” and the whole dereliction which reminds us there was life here once that now lives only in whispers. I love the windmill and that blue faded boat with the blue flowers. Thanks, once again, for the link! And enjoy your time with your girl! 🙂

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  12. You can be my tour guide any time Jo, I would love to do this walk for real 🙂 I love the old windmill, and I can just see myself sitting at the bottom of your last photo and gazing out across the water – missed my coffee and cake though 🙂 but I did indulge while I was in Dromineer – today’s post 🙂

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  15. Such a fabulous light in these pix, Jo. And love the village bread oven and the blown away windmill. But the stiff uphill walk is definitely too much of a stride-out this morning. Or at all. I’m a gently undulating hill sort at best.

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  17. Oh, this explains your comment the other day! A natural step (😀😀) for you, Jo! After years of being an excellent, fun and informative tour guide on your wonderful blog, you’re now giving them for real! So happy for you … and thank you for still bringing us along! It is indeed sad to see the empty villages, looking idyllic apart from the lack of people. The oven reminded me of the one my grandmother had, deep into the wall of the cellar and baked the best bread ever! Glad you got a quick break but no cake?! 🍰Happy Tour Guiding, my friend! 😀 🚶‍♀️

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    1. Hello, lovely Annika 🙂 🙂 I’ve been trying to make a return visit to your blog for days but time is scarce. I’m not a tour guide proper- it’s just that we’ve had back to back visits from friends, now that we’re ‘settled’ and I’m showing them ‘my’ Algarve. Sometimes they beg for mercy 🙂

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  20. Jo, I am not surprised you get to be a tour guide on a regular basis, since you live in such a beautiful place. Love your picture of the old windmill and in fact all your photos on this post. Rain is a rare commodity in the Algarve, but fingers crossed you get what is needed soon enough.

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    1. We actually have a forecast for thundery showers today, Gilda, and we’ve already had a brief one. The washing machine is whirring and I’m wondering if I dare leave the washing out. 🙂 🙂 So nice to see the flowers refreshed! Thanks for your company, hon.

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