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.

walking logo

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

………………………………………………………………………….

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. Pingback: Jo’s morning walk…bathing beauty | This, that and the other thing

    1. It’s a very lovely part of the world, Janet. The beauty of nature hasn’t been overrun by buildings yet but the popularity of the Algarve does worry me. One day we may have to move on. 😟 Thanks for the link. Be with you in a while 💕

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. The same paths have changing scenery with the changing of the season. Really pretty flowers. Folks are starting to move around more here, hoping it works out ok and they will follow the social distancing orders

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. How can one go wrong with flowers, blue sky and the river ! Bonus , a purple pokemon grinning underneath the bridge . It was a fantastic walk and I enjoyed it so much that I’m inspired to pen one pronto . Awesome post Jo !

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The Pokemon made me smile too, Sheetal, though I’m not always keen on graffiti. It’s a glorious time of year, even when the weather is changeable, as it is at the moment. Thanks so much for your company. You made me smile 🤗💕

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Pingback: Burnmouth to Eyemouth – The Glasgow Gallivanter
  12. Pingback: The guardian dog is a bird | Le Drake Noir

  13. Beautiful photos, Jo!!
    Well, maybe you’re walking the same path again and again… but the beautiful thing about spring is that there is always something new! The flowers are always changing, the green is never the same… 🙂 I’ve been walking around my little village for two months now (I’m getting to know it now, after three years living here!!) and I always bring my camera! I always find something worth a photo!
    Have a great week and take care!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. Gorgeous photos Jo, hard to pick a favourite with all those lovely flowers. My walks are becoming repetitive now but I’ve managed to combine a recent one with some local history and on Saturday I even found somewhere new 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    1. So much colour out there at the minute, Eunice. I’m sorry- I meant to include a link to yours. I’ll put one in next time. Have a good week 🙂 🙂

      Like

      Reply

      1. Have a good week yourself Jo 🙂 No problem missing me out, I don’t expect to be included anyway. I’ve done so many walks just recently it’s difficult to catch up with myself and many of them are repeats anyway but I’ve got a good one coming up in a couple of weeks. I’m hoping we can soon start going out properly again as there are so many places I want to explore.

        Like

      2. Yes, I think we’re all getting a bit restless. You’re lucky with where you live, Eunice, because I understand some parts of the UK still have serious problems.

        Like

  19. I love this walk, Jo, and its celebration of May’s wild flowers. We’re a little behind of course, but the explosion of colour’s about to happen. I’m looking forward to a relaxing time browsing through everyone else’s contributions later.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. I understand what you are saying about your walk seeming similar because you are staying close to home, I feel that way as well. Then the other day, I saw a wild turkey! I knew they were around but I’d never seen one myself on this particular walk.
    All the best for a beautiful week! Amy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to BeckyB Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.