
Isn’t it all about the mood?
I was asked this week if I never go anywhere that I don’t like. I’m usually pretty upbeat on my travels and can almost always find something beautiful to share. But not everywhere has the same appeal, and disappointments do arise.
A dramatic poster picture of Carrasqueira at sunset promised much. Built on stilts, over the mud flats of the Sado estuary, the fishing village enables access to their boats for the fisherfolk. But in the bright light of day, with the tide out and a sludge of malodorous ooze, I found it hard to love. I don’t think my camera felt the same way, do you?
Happy weekend, and don’t forget to play Six Word Saturday!



RJo – Nicely put. I wonder how much fun we all could have if we posted just the ugly-unfortunate-depressing parts of life. I feel a laugh coming on, but don’t think it will last 😉 – Cheers- Susan
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Don’t tempt me to try, Susan 😔💕
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Yes that sludge is not quite appealing is it.. 😉
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Good for the skin? 🤣💕
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The dock is beautiful. I’m glad photos aren’t a scratch and sniff item!
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Got to agree with you, hon 🤣💕
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Enjoyed these pics immensely, Jo. Then, I realized that actually being being there may change one’s perspective. 😊
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I think that can often be the case, Irene 😏💕 Thanks hon!
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Mud flats are never very attractive. Driving past Portsmouth when the tide is out is not pretty, but when it is in it has a very different mood. Maybe you should have visited this place at sunset? We once took a trip to a Malay village on stilts and although the village itself was rather charming, the stinky smell definitely was not and with the OH already not feeling very well it was pretty much a disaster! You win some, you lose some, but I’m actually rather happy that even you get it wrong sometimes! (Is that mean? 😨), but as always your photos are rather beautiful. And if I do ever get to the eastern Algarve I shall make a note not to go here.
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This was actually on the day of the anniversary, some of which was good and some not 🤣. We had been to a nice little town that I will feature a week on Monday and on the way back to the hotel headed out to the Alentejo coast, more or less passing this place, which is why our timing was wrong. Your chances of seeing it are remote, though we have plenty of ooze around the Ria Formosa because it is all tidal. And no, not mean, but you did ask the question 😉💕💕
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I did and glad it possibly prompted this post 😁
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Love the second image of the most decrepit pier structure, Jo, but you might have guessed that!!
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You would have loved this place, Sue! Maybe a little precarious for you 🤔💕
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😳😳
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Amazing. 🙂
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You see the similarities? 😉💕
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Yes, I do. 🙂
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LOL! I’m laughing at Denzil’s comment. That’s what I though! I do love the blue sky though. 🙂
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Actually they came out better than I expected, Jill, because I was feeling quite disgruntled 😔💕
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Not one for the tourism brochure!
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Oh, I don’t know… Just need a peg for your nose😉💕
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You have to love a bit of sludge and odorous ooze 😅😀💕
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You do? 🤣🤣🤣
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😂
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Had the same experience there. Your images are beautiful on their own right, though, as they show the true gritty and foul-smelling nature of this place. If I have seen these instead of those languid long exposures at sunset, I would had adjusted my expectations and enjoyed my visit more 🙂
– Verne
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That’s about right, Verne. A friend who had been there previously sent me a link too, but I found the village ‘proper’ far too touristy. Inevitable I suppose. Thanks for the vote of confidence 😉💕
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I didn’t like Estremoz, I think I told you that before.
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You did! 🤣🤣🤣
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I was really enjoying it, until you mentioned the smell, Jo. It looks wonderful and was reminding me of Vietnam! Anyway, I’ve now donned my mask, and am enjoying the pictures again 🙂
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It does have a lot in common with the floating markets, Debs, though I’ve never been there. I imagine they smell much better 🤔💕
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the first photo is actually charming, Jo. happy weekend! 🙂
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It looks cool and pleasant to my eyes, LolaWi, but it didn’t feel that way when I was there 😔💕
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Actually, I like these pictures very much, especially the first one!
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I like them on my laptop but on my phone they are harsh colours. Perhaps I need to find a way to adjust that 🤔💕
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Tidal marsh and mud flats are both areas that are not that exciting, or so it seems. At one point in the history of the San Francisco Bay, they decided to do something about this problem and called it land reclamation. They filled the mud flats and built on them. People came and bought the homes and businesses moved in. Then flooding started to occur during strong storms and high tides. They discovered that the tidal marsh and mud flats served a purpose in nature. It was also learned that the landfill liquefied during strong earthquakes. Makes perfect sense when the foundation is a mud flat. 🤔 I see a beautiful picture of fishing boats on a mud flat waiting for high tide. 🙂
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I wasn’t for a moment suggesting man interfere with nature, Patrick. Much too much of that goes on, with dire consequences. But I didn’t like the campervans and tourists much 🤗💕
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Sorry, Jo. I understand now. My mind just went on a different track. I was once accused of being an environmentalist and another person in the discussion laughed at the comment. I do enjoy your posts and did not mean to sound harsh. 🙂
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I was probably being over defensive, Patrick, so no need to apologise, hon. 🙂 🙂
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The colours are quite vibrant but there’s a lot of mud going on there! Can’t imagine it smelt too good?
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Absolutely not! And the colour is much more subtle on the laptop 🤣💕
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I love the pier on stilts although I agree photography in the middle of the day isn’t always the best light.
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It was harsh, and the smell was awful, but that probably wouldn’t change. Just happened to be the time of day we were passing 🙂 🙂
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Ah, well you didn’t mention the stink, Jo!
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I did! 🤣🤣
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I’ve often found that the camera sees things differently to my own eyes and scenes/views which I think are only mediocre look much better in a photo, especially when viewed at full screen on the pc. The bottom two shots remind me of Skippool Creek which I visited at the end of May, on the face of it run down and shabby but attractive in its own way. I like the top photo though, it looks lovely 🙂
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The colours on my laptop and on the phone vary hugely, Eunice, and I much prefer the softer version. I could see the charms of this place, but there’s a back story, as always 🙂 🙂
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I think this may be one of those occasions when your camera had a better time of it than your eyes. This looks quite shabby-chic, but I guess you didn’t feel the same way. 😦
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Just after I saw the poster in the TI a friend back in the UK sent me a link saying ‘this is a great place, if you’re going past that way’. She’d been there a number of years ago. We arrived at a very posy/artsy sort of village and walked out a dust track to these. The campervans were in residence and the tour groups. Afraid that always turns me off. Just the wrong time of day for us. Six words don’t really tell the whole story- how can they? 🙂 🙂
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Exactly – what a disappointment though. Still, you seem to have many more positive experiences on balance!
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