Jo’s Monday walk : The long way to the River

My current walks from home can be repetitious, but there are many ways to add variety.  Let’s see how much you recognise as we wander through a few lanes and back along the river.  We’ve looked over this wall together, though I don’t remember the horses.  And how about that rock, shaped like a bottle-nosed dolphin?  I very nearly missed the cairn, nestling among the boulders.

My husband is an avid litter picker, a practise I find tedious, though sadly necessary, so I have developed a keen eye for distracting details.  Passing motorists must wonder what I’m staring at, while he scours the roadsides.  A minute flower, shy in grassy surrounds, or a fragile cluster of froth, swaying to tantalise with the slightest puff of breeze.  A straying guinea fowl.  Though two’s company.  If I’m really lucky, a butterfly to follow, hopefully, as it flits from nectar to nectar.

I develop new enthusiasms as the season ticks over, forsaking poppies reluctantly, but delighted by thistles and their many lilac hues.  Morning glory has such a pretty name.  Solagnum, not so much.  Small, pure white cistus, I love, and the ever faithful rose.

At the Ermida da Nossa Senhora de Saude we carry on towards the river.  In the bright sunlight I imagine the spikey agave leaves as a dinosaur, stalking its prey.  Suddenly a shower hits, and we scamper for the scant shelter.

Minutes later the sun is beaming again, and it’s on down the road to Tavira, the wildflowers making cheerful company.

But it’s not all as pretty as a picture.  Beneath the railway bridge, graffiti lurks.

And then you’re welcomed by the riverside walk, with its feast of flowers, and a view I’ve come to love.

Increasingly Tavira has become a tourist town.  It’s easy to see why, but I have to admit to preferring it without them, so this little sojourn has its advantages.  I can’t help smiling with pride, though, when someone stands by ‘my’ river, admiring.

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Time to share some of your walks.  Many thanks for continuing to walk with me.  I love your company!

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Leading off with Debbie, and a place that I know rather well :

Walking the banks of the Rio Tejo

Cheryl shows us a little more of enchanting South Korea :

A Walk in Daewangam Park & Ilsan Beach

It comes in all shapes and sizes.  Drake shares his from Denmark :

Spring variations

And Colline from her home in Montreal

An Array of Spring Flowers

While the woods are greening up nicely for Margaret :

One More Walk in the Woods

And Jude swirls us into a lesson on beautiful Bluebells :

Wild landscapes

Karen shows us a seriously empty Sydney!

Familiar but strange

And Janet takes us on a postcard walk  🙂  :

Monday walk…Le Grand Ballon

Denzil is as informative as ever.  He’s my Belgium expert :

How to walk or cycle the Promenade Verte in Brussels

Always worth climbing a hill for a glimpse of water.  Thanks, Irene!

Up to the Top

And Sandra is so glad to be back!

#Hike Deprivation

It’s always worth following Cathy, to see what colourful thing her eye has found this time :

A day in the Marrakech Medina

I’ll have another walk for you next week, and then we’ll see how it goes.  Around the world we are starting to look beyond the grip of this virus.  I look forward to a day when we can walk without restraint.  Till then, stay safe!

126 comments

    1. I’m trying to remember! Once we hit July everything gets a bit faded and singed looking, but there’s still colour if you go looking. Thanks, Lisa! 🙂 🙂

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  4. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : The long way to the River — restlessjo – Site Title

  6. Repetition is never wrong when it allows you to explore such beauty more deeply. The details come through in your excellent picture framing (the flowers leading to the trees in IMG 6327 is a perfect example). I oohed and ahhed as I walked along with you, delighting in the wildflowers, village rooftops, and winding waterways. I don’t think I could ever tire of your backyard. I hope you are doing well. I downloaded your post to read on our limited internet passage. I am enjoying this walking tour immensely while resting at anchor. I will post this comment when we sail past a cell tower.

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  7. I have been looking forward to this walk! I enjoy seeing what you come across. The pretty flowers and views. This time you even came across some cool street art. SO LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! As always, thank you for taking us along with you!

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  10. I wish more people were as conscientious as your husband and picked up just one piece of litter when they were out walking. I think it is too much to wish that others weren’t so lazy with their garbage and cigarette butts. I do appreciate your eye to the small flowers and petals. So often we walk by and miss the treasure beside the path.

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  12. Well this was a lovely surprise – so many wonderful flowers! The Gazanias (or are they Gaillardia ?) are so bright. But I think you have an extra ‘g’ in solanum, and I don’t know what you dislike about it, a lovely blue flower. I am however a little concerned at your hubby (and you I guess trailing behind) walking on that road – no pavement there I see. That’s one reason why we won’t walk to the train station, for fear of being run over on the blind bend! I do like the river walk though.

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    1. I like the blue flower, just not its name. I thought it was called a ‘something’ vine but my expert gave me solanum, wrongly spelt. None of the roads around us have a footpath, once you leave town, and for many years there wasn’t one from ours into the centre either. You just walk towards oncoming traffic and keep your wits about you. There’s not a lot of traffic and you can hear it coming. I prefer walking on trails, of course, as it’s more relaxed but sometimes we need to use short stretches of road to get to them. And the litter bug is kept busy 😦 . Just missed you last night. I was fiddling about with a tablet I’ve had since I left the UK and never used. I need to see if I can write posts on there as old faithful here keeps locking up. It’s the photo aspect I’ll struggle with. So if I disappear without a trace you know it’s turned its toes up in the night. 🙂 🙂

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