I make no apologies for being back among the salt marshes today, for they always captivate me. Especially when powder puff clouds drift away to the horizon in a pure blue sky, or luxuriate in salty sand puddles. It’s a landscape that changes mood with the weather; sullen and drab, until the sun sweeps aside the muted colours, bathing them, and me, in warmth and light.
As with Changing Reality I’m heading for the sea, but this time in an easterly direction, towards the small resort, Cabanas. A cycle path renders this area a hazard to walkers in peak times, but today I’m breaking new ground for me and striking out into the marshes.
You probably don’t recognise the cyclist’s bridge over the River Almargem from this angle, dwarfed as it is by the railway bridge. I always hope to catch a train trundling across, but it never happens. Turning my back on the bridges, I follow the river. Far better than trains, I have the prospect of flamingos in this calm stretch of water. And sure enough, there they are! Tiny at first, in the distance.
I hope to startle them a little, for they are beautiful in flight, but they remain oblivious and eventually I tear myself away. The way ahead looks promising. Behind me, a shimmering lagoon of water. The flamingos, mere specks.
I follow the curve of the rough path, towards the open sea at first, but then curving back around the salt pans.
The sludge and caramel colours and soft reflections blend together with the azure sky.
As I near the salt mountain I wonder at the giant ‘needle’ suspended in the sand. We’re approaching my Hula ladies again, graceful in the breeze.
There are two choices now- a return via the Salinas estate, or to continue on towards Fort Rato and back into Tavira that way. I opt for the first, and am gratified to snatch a photo of the train hurtling along.
One last look from the cyclist’s bridge and home to put the kettle on, another 9 or 10km completed. I’m sure there must be cake as a reward. I’m linking again with Jude’s #2020 Photo Challenge. This week she’s looking at curved lines and I feel sure I have a number here. No squares for me today, but #SquareTops does share a strong connection with salt.
I’m very lucky to have some lovely people following this blog. Drake is assuredly one of them :
Skywalker holds the line (no, not Luke!)
And a quiet little lady can show you Korean cherry blossoms in all their glory :
Experience the beauty of her world with Rupali :
Staying close to her new home, Janet loves the morning too :
Monday walk…Yes, indeed, I’m walkin’
While Amanda is happy to introduce you to her Home by the Sea :
And Eunice has found a new walk, close by :
A circular walk from Barrow Bridge
Indra will very happily take you to Central Park :
While Colline is taking her books for a walk :
Chocolates, anyone? Sorry, there aren’t any, but Natalie has the recipe for staying fit and well :
Life is Like a Box of Chocolates
I always enjoy a stroll with Flavia. And this time I’m singing…Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen!
While Su tempted me into a fabulous garden with her beguiling title :
And Irene looks back at London as it once was, and will be again :
A feast of photography from Cathy this week :
Morocco: Essaouira to Marrakech’s Bahia Palace
And in a completely different style, but no less beautiful, Lynn shares her world :
Local Walks: Back to Washington Park
I hope you found something to enjoy here with me today. I’ll be back walking next Monday. Stay safe till then!
restlessjo 
It is nice to look at the places, or pictures of places, that we enjoy going out and seeing, and experiencing. I hope we get that back this summer sometime. I lived through the Mt. St. Helens eruption. We lost a whole summer that year. It might be that way with the virus too. Either way, thanks for the ride. I enjoyed being the passenger looking through your window.
LikeLike
It was good to have your company. My daughter, in England, is very pessimistic about the timescale we need to get over this virus. I hope she’s wrong. 😦
LikeLike
I can’t quite get over those blue skies and flamingos! Wow! The trail is so empty and perfect for a solitary walk. ❤
LikeLike
Some stretches can be busy with cyclists, but in general it’s possible to walk with very little company and I much prefer that. 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely photos Jo – thank goodness for fresh air and exercise! 🙂
LikeLike
We were out there again this morning, Rosemay. Glad to get back to shade 😎💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like it’s warming up then? Great for Vitamin D as long as you don’t get burnt! 😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those salt pans are amazingly beautiful, and flamingos, wow, I would never tire of walking around here. So quite and peaceful for you at the moment, I can imagine far more people in the past would be walking here. Well I don’t have much variety in my evening walks around the streets and along the beachside. So I thought I would give you a video look at the garden. https://wordpress.com/post/retiredfromgypsylife.wordpress.com/5332 enjoy…
LikeLike
It’s so different from anything I’d known before, Pauline, and it has a beauty all its own. Thanks so much for joining me 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Delightful photographs, quite uplifting in these trying times. I’m limited in my walks around here as I’m not too agile these days but we are still allowed to walk on the beach which seems to attract more oil daily due to the number of ships that are lying in our bay as they can’t unload at Portsmouth & Southampton. Your clouds are lovely and reminded me of our first long haul flight when my husband became so besotted with the clouds viewed from above that he wasted a whole slide film on them, a precious commodity in those days when you couldn’t easily pick up supplies abroad. Remember those days? Or are you too young!
LikeLike
Too young? I can’t remember what young feels like, Mari 🤣💕 Back then Mick took the photos with his Brownie and I posed or kept out of the way, whichever was required. 😏 I’m still capable of taking heaps of photos from a plane window in the hopes I’ll get a really good one 💕
LikeLike
Do composite walks count? I’ve been devising a menu of routes – over 20 and counting – to walk from the house, and do a different pick-and-mix every day. It’s been quite fun, but I’m running out of fresh combinations: https://margaret21.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/walking-every-single-day-during-lockdown/
LikeLike
Of course they do! You know how liberal I am with ‘rules’. Can’t go breaking other people’s and stamp your foot on your own patch 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the link, hon. We too are starting to feel restrained but I think heat will slow us down this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah. Hotting up for you as it cools down for us 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it IS a Bank Hol, Marg. All will soon be well? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
*shrugs*. I’ve given up knowing anything.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So wonderful colors. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, they work well together 🤗💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought perhaps there were never any trains, and then you catch one. Its graffiti is quite New York style. And what a lovely walk, Jo – I am so missing seeing some views like that – in fact, just something different would be good.
LikeLike
We are spoilt rotten, aren’t we? But still feeling the strait jacket 🙂 🙂 We went in search of pastures new today and overreached ourselves a bit. 12km of hilly and Mick got stung twice byy a bee. No wonder he’s happy to stay at home with cake 🙂
LikeLike
I love the flamingos and the dancing ladies. How I wish I had such a beautiful place to walk. It’s all forests here, and neighborhoods of big houses, not all that interesting. I told Mike we should go stay in an Airbnb somewhere in the mountains or at the beach, just so we’d have some change of scenery. But alas, he must work, and we are here to stay. Thanks for taking us along on this gorgeous walk, and for the link as well. Happy day, Jo!
LikeLike
I do know how lucky we are in choosing this place, Cathy. We’re just back from 12 km in the hills. A bit of a stretch but a beautiful day, till Mick got stung by a bee. Twice! 🙄💕
LikeLike
Oh no! I’m sorry about Mick getting stung. Ouch! But the 12 km walk sounds wonderful. I’m off to walk now, before it rains (again), but I must bundle up first. Enjoy the rest of your day! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an amazing path/walk.. would love that right now.. 😉
LikeLike
It’s beautiful out there, and another lovely day today 🤗💕
LikeLike
there is no way to tire of an area like that, natural beauty
LikeLike
I’d have to agree with you, Alice. 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the link!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can see why you’re mesmerized by this landscape, Jo – oh, those skies! That blue! And the endless space. 🙂
LikeLike
I’m a bit jealous of it, Lynn. On Sunday we touched on a small part of this walk and it was busy with walkers! Well… busy for this part of the world. I was a little bit cross 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
It’s such an interesting landscape Jo, especially on a sunny day. I’ve never seen flamingos in the wild. How nice for you to see them on your walks.
LikeLike
I feel like that about kangaroos and other native Australian species, Carol. Aren’t we lucky in the variety of our world? 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh what a lovely walk! I wish I could walk 9-10km per day. Don and I seem to be stuck at about 6-7. We need to step up our game!
Alison
LikeLike
I don’t think it matters, Alison, so long as you can stretch your legs a bit. Some days we only do 6/7. It depends on the weather and inclination. 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely way to spend some time, Jo, maintaining social isolation and getting some exercise. I’m trying to imagine you standing on the bank, waving your arms at those flamingoes. It’s easier to visualise you eating cake. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, don’t, Draco! Before all this started we used to walk 4 or 5 times a week, ending with cake. Now we walk 7 days a week. Can you see where this is leading? 😦 A rounder restless person.
LikeLike