Jo’s Monday walk : Sáo Bartholomeu de Messines

Don’t you just love the light through those clouds?  I was high above Sáo Bartholomeu de Messines, looking down on this small Algarve town.  Once again I had the opportunity to go hiking on the Via Algarviana with Grupo Coral Ossonoba.  You might remember the wonderful day we had together, ending with a concert in the church at Alte?  This time the performance was to take place in a local cinema, but first we needed to walk and earn our substantial lunch.

We started with a stiff uphill ascent, surrounded by cork trees, over slabs of rock worn smooth with age.  It was good to get the climb out of the way.  Already the first of the narcissi were in delicate bloom.

Back down into the valley, we skirted the edge of town and followed a dusty trail, for a short while bordering the railway lines.  It was something of a surprise to turn a corner and be confronted with stepping stones, surrounded by water.  I admit, I am far more adept at dry river beds.

This was not the last of the hazards, for the river ran beneath the railway lines and a sign pointed confidently towards the water.  No boat in sight, we had to scramble up the side of the embankment and cautiously cross the tracks to slither back down the far side.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way?  The trail led gently uphill, and we followed, wondering if it might be time to pause for refreshments.  And we did, in the perfect spot!

A picture of neglect, but what a picturesque place for a picnic… the ruins of Santa Ana church, on the site of a former battleground.  The poignancy of the pulpit and the faded altar, a compelling setting for a brief photo shoot.

From a height you could see the fullness of the river.  The trail wound gently down to meet it, sunlight brightening our path with each step.  The ruined church almost seemed to be restored by distance.

And then we reached my idea of the perfect day, walking by the river, wisps of cloud and purest blue reflected in the water.

Another poetic ruin observed us, silently, and we left the river behind, trading it for two starkly contrasting pools.

The deep ochre of the soil here always comes as a surprise, no matter how often I see it.  And then we’re headed through meadows lightly dusted with lemon flowers and youthful olive trees, towards the town.  A church looks down from the hilltop, and another beauty adorns the centre.

Ossonoba need to eat and get ready for the concert.  Having followed them through the town, we are pointed in the direction of Café do Largo da Pontinha, where we are treated to a fine array of food.  Platters of meat, cheese and bread, then black pasta with prawns and pork in fig sauce are heaped on the table, with fresh fruit and pastries to finish.  No, you don’t want to see!  It’s only a small place and they can’t fit you all in.  The venue for the concert is an old cinema, just around the corner.  Very different from the beautiful church at Alte, but the choir are happy to perform.

Spotlight on the choir!  A strange venue, but the same beautiful sound.  It’s a long way to walk for some January Light, but worth it.  Which leaves me to round off with a bit of street art.  I seem to find this in the most unlikely places.

Just another day in the Algarve.  I hope you enjoyed sharing it with me?

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More walks for you!  I’m always glad of a bit of company on Jo’s Monday walk.  Join me here any time.

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It’s rather a gloomy outlook with Drake :

Abandoned of colors

But I think he’d enjoy hanging out with Alice :

Riding the Waves on a Bulldozer

Snow in the Grand Canyon is always going to be special.  Thanks, Terri :

Winter Road Trip Preview: Walking in the Desert Light

Janet’s indoors, escaping the weather, but she has some lovely distractions :

Let me spin you a yarn

I think Colline will tell you that she’s won the jackpot with her Winter holiday :

A Walk on the Beach

It’s a little late (or early  🙂  )  but I do love these Moorish (as in Yorkshire) colours :

Autumn colours on a crisp November morning

And, by coincidence, Cathy is autumnal too!

Ushering in November at Meadowlark

Many thanks for your lovely presence!  Wishing you all a great week ahead.

115 comments

  4. The place looks stunning! I particularly enjoyed the ruins of Santa Ana church anche the ochre lake… I’ve never seen such a thing!

    PS
    I don’t know if I understood correctly how it works, but I would love to share with you my walk in Alberobello, Italy. It is a really special place, worth visiting at least once in a lifetime! The article is both in italian (my mother tongue) and english: https://thegrowingupchronicle.com/2020/01/17/alberobello-fascino-trulli-puglia-valleditria/
    Sorry If I made a mistake!

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    1. The day worked out well in the end, Gunta. 🙂 🙂 Cork trees here are usually numbered after they have been stripped as there is an optimum period for the bark to be removed.

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      1. All is good Jo 🙂 Had a bit of a blackout with my satellite so off line plus had other stuff to do. Back is on the mend thankfully 🙂

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  7. Thanks for taking us along on the walk. I haven’t walked more than two miles on any given day in the past two months so it was fun and great to be included in your walk. I particularly like the photo with the houses.

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  11. What a lovely little stroll and the weather looked perfect, not too hot. Street art was a bit odd but that makes it even more interesting doesn’t it? Concert was a great way to finish the day too.

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      1. You are most welcome, Jo. My son turned 30 almost a month ago, and he didn’t want any kind of celebration or marking of the event. A simple Italian dinner was the most we could get him to do. Was your son planning a big party?

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    1. Always! One of the best days of my life when i walked away from work, Karen 🙂 🙂 I used to ache to glide through that window and off…. But tragedy has befallen me. It’s the Australian Open and I don’t have the right TV channel to watch it! 😦

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      2. Not sure about a vpn? My laptop is a bit of an antique and won’t tolerate too much excitement but I’m used to it. I descend on my neighbour Marie for some games, but not at 2 in the morning 🙂 🙂

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      3. VPNs are often part of the antivirus/security software. I use Kasperky at home, and it has one, tho I’ve never bothered with it as I have no need to watch live streaming from foreign countries (that’s an advantage of a vpn, it masks your geo-location).
        You’re really keen if you want to watch sport at 2am!

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  18. What a magnificent walk Jo, I loved the rugged character of the cork trees and oh that delightful street art, followed by the meal and concert. What a perfect place you live in

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  19. I thought as I neared the end that I would need my sunglasses to view the pictures as the light was so intense and I swear I could feel the heat of the sun. Lovely walk, and thank you, but I’d have had to leave you at the stepping-stones as my balance is really bad now. But hey ho, I could sit and wait for your return.

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    1. That’s you and Jude both stopping at the stepping stones, so you’re in good company. 🤗💕 I cheated and Mick held my hand but it was shallow enough to plodge through at that point, Mari.

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