White broom and a salt mountain
Better late than never! Debbie is supporting a great cause this week. Join her with six words?
D
Portugal
Jo’s Monday walk : Remember Culatra?
Some weeks I have no idea where to take you. After all, there are only so many hills I can drag you up and down in search of cake, aren’t there? So, I thought we’d take it fairly easy this week and hop on a boat. Always my default setting. You might recognise the marina at Olhão, above.
With 20 minutes of smooth calm sailing, you just about have time to say goodbye to the mainland before you’re approaching Culatra, one of the Algarve’s barrier islands. You can leap off at the first stop, or continue along the shoreline towards the lean white lighthouse at Farol. There’s a small village at either end of the island and, after a meander through the cluster of villas and shacks, you can slip off your shoes for a paddle.
It looks like somebody’s been shipwrecked here! Still, with a ferry every couple of hours, rescue is pretty certain. It’s a long swim to Fuzeta!
Paddling done it’s time to cross over the boardwalk and pootle about with boats. I’ll not spend time lingering among the narrow alleyways, charming though they are. If you remember, we had a good look around last time I brought you here. A lot of work is going on, laying new paths on the island, so maybe change is afoot. Hopefully nothing too drastic!
It doesn’t always pay to nose around. I almost fell foul of this little creature. He was sitting innocently beside a boat, when I unwittingly invaded his territory. Leaping and snarling, he made quite sure that I wasn’t up to no good. I beat a hasty retreat, making what I hoped were soothing noises.
The seagulls were completely indifferent but a couple of small boys playing football were highly amused. I raised a cheer when I lobbed their ball back to them, over a fence. Kids here lead a simple life. In warmer weather they become water babies, diving off the pier again and again, to the cheers of their mates, and swimming like gleeful fish.
On board again, we chug back across the water. Entertainment is provided by some fellow passengers feeding the gulls, which swoop and perform aerobatics to snatch the bread. In no time we’re ashore and strolling along the quayside, seeking refreshment.
We find it down an inviting passageway. Such a nice reward for a minimum of effort. Healthy, too? I hope you enjoyed sharing.
More great walks this week. Do find time to read them, please. You might make some new friends. And if you can, join me next week on Jo’s Monday walk? You know I like a bit of company.
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Cathy honoured me with a link to her Camino walk last week, but I missed it. Please don’t!
(Camino: day 4) Zubiri to Pamplona
And sometimes she takes me places I’ve never even heard of! Who says blogging isn’t educational?
Great Sand Dunes National Park
I’m always in awe of her photography, and jealous of the places she’s been. Thanks so much, Debs!
You can share anything on my walks… and Drake often does! 🙂
Denzil is right on my wavelength. A peaceful riverside walk with a castle or two :
Walking around Westerlo: river, castles and an abbey!
When she’s not eating, she’s shopping! Always good fun with Jackie :
All the way to Guatemala next, with Natalie :
Postcard from Antigua, Guatemala
Lisa’s taking us on one of her favourite walks, by the Hudson river :
A short walk with a stroller sometimes suits Alice :
While Irene cheers us with ice blue (and a warm coat and scarf!) :
Snow can look so pretty, but I’m keeping a safe distance! 🙂 Thanks, Eunice :
A snowy walk to Smithills Hall
Ending with Susan, and some fascinating memories of her time in the Peace Corps, and a very different world :
Have a great week, everybody! Me? I have another week of walking, t’ai chi, stuttering along in Portuguese and hopefully more lovely sunrises.
Jo’s Monday walk : Furnazhinas to Odeleite Dam
I’ve been wanting to go back to Furnazhinas ever since I discovered this lovely village last year. It sits up in the hills, at the eastern end of the Via Algarviana, a 300km inland walk which crosses the whole of the Algarve. The good news for me is that there are 2 much shorter walks which pass through the village, and on a gloriously sunny January day we decided to sample one. It was an easy choice. PR9 leads south of the village, signed Mina e Albufeira (not the popular one!) in the direction of the dam at Odeleite. It promised views over the water, and I was sold!
Scarcely were we out of the village when we encountered solid looking stepping stones, beside an ancient well. Not a trace of water- so far this has been a dry winter. The path started out on schist, the rockbed of much of the Algarvian hills. I was enchanted with the vibrant green grass, growing over and around the boulders, and dotted with a myriad daisies. An old stone wall accompanied us much of the way, till we crossed a road and left it behind. The blossoms were nodding, everywhere. We tiptoed past a row of beehives, anxious not to disturb the inhabitants.
As we crested a hill, I caught my first glimpse of the dam. Just a snippet of blue in the distance, but it put a spring in my step. As we descended, the blue changed from heart shape to an azure oval, softly lapping a small island.
Amongst all that blue, suddenly a flash of white caught my eye. I could hardly believe it! My first cistus of the year. Incredibly early! And then, a few metres away, a second. They are the most beautiful plants, and soon the hills will be full of them.
I turned full circle to look at the dam, almost surrounding me at shore level. A lone boat sat, it’s nose in the water. I wondered if I might set it adrift, and glide smoothly into the silence, holding my breath as I counted the ripples.
Even on this arid shoreline the daisies were flourishing, and I was astounded to find, nestling in shade, a clump or two of wild lavender. The bugs must have been busy, because next day I had a wonderfully itchy large red lump. Serves me right for messing with nature!
Reluctantly I set off back along the trail, pausing again to admire the cistus. It was mostly uphill going back so I was amused to note the inappropriate footwear dangling from a tree. The blossom spurred me on and eventually we were back to the road.
The direction? Inevitably up, to the trig point, where late afternoon sun bathed the surrounding hills. Our target, Furnazhinas, there below.
All downhill, we returned to the sleepy village. 7.8km in total according to the sign, but it had taken us a good couple of hours. Next time we’d walk north. As we returned to the car, a couple of old lads in the fields paused in their work to smile and wave at us. And a donkey brayed scornfully. Perhaps he knew something we didn’t? No cake! But lots of lovely walks to share…
Shall we get the cold stuff out of the way first? Lisa is joining us this week :
Crunch through the fields with Margaret :
Ragtag Saturday : Frosted fields
A full-on attack on the ski-slopes with Drake!
Irene can almost compete, with -4F 😦 but oh, so beautiful!
The damp stuff can still be beautiful, as Xenia shows :
Geoff labours on, but he’s in good company and the scenery is superb :
Walking With The Wind At My Back : Part Three
Speaking of beauty, I’ve really enjoyed hopping around the Hebrides with Anabel :
Hebridean Hop 20: Craigston, Cleit and Eoligarry
Life is always colourful (and filling!) with Jackie :
Sandra is joining us, all the way from Texas. Please say ‘hello!’
Ruston Way, #Tacoma #Saturday Snapshot
Alice takes us back in time, past troubled times to serenity :
Historical Site on St. Helena Island
While Indra proves that life can be more than a beach :
And Rupali captures high drama in the city :
Dramatic cityscapes of Hong Kong
And talking of cities, don’t miss my lovely friend Carol’s take on Toronto!
That’s your reading matter for another week. Come walking next time? You’ll be very welcome here at Jo’s Monday walk. See you soon!
Six word Saturday
Not warm enough for a swim
But I did see someone in the water. Cacela Velha is a lovely spot to just sit and daydream. Debbie’s sharing blue sky too. Don’t forget it’s Six Word Saturday! Have a good one 🙂
Jo’s Monday walk : Fuseta at Blossom time
As promised, almond blossom in the Algarve this week. This is a variation on a walk we’ve done previously, this time starting in the small seaside town of Fuseta. It’s just a few stops west of Tavira by train. Wave your passport at the conductor and you’ll get half fare if you’re a pensioner. Well, there have to be some advantages to being over the hill!
Not too many hills this near to the coast, but it’s up and over the railway tracks and out into the countryside. We’ve barely taken a few steps when we’re in a field, surrounded by almond blossom. I stand and stare! Blossom is opening up in trees all along the roadside, but this is the first time I’ve seen the flowers out in such force.
I can’t understand how my walking friends can be so oblivious of their surroundings, and I linger far behind. Maybe it’s the lure of a coffee stop up ahead. On they go, following a path through the fields, a glimpse of sea shimmering on the horizon.
Soon we’re on a paved lane, leading to the E125- a busy road which stretches almost end to end of the Algarve. We are making a stop at Tianica, a pottery workshop with a cafe and terrace at the rear.
Avoiding temptation in order to have space for lunch, it’s back to the lane after coffee. A track leads down to the edge of the salt marshes and we follow it back in the direction of Fuseta. The tide is low, and boats sit silently in the sludge, waiting to be rescued when it turns.
It’s not a long walk, though you can extend it further through the marshes, which continue on the far side of town. We thread between the fishermen’s cottages and the apartment blocks, and I’m delighted to find remnants of Christmas in the yarn bombed trees.
Go on, admit it! You’re more interested in lunch. A leisurely affair at La Plage, on the front at Fuseta, culminating in cake, of course. I stood in line at the cabinet, hopeful that there’d be a morsel of tiramisu left. I must have looked desperate, because the waiter served me the last slice and then added a scoop of profiterole to my plate. Lucky, or what?
Totally replete, I sat by the waterside afterwards, keeping a lazy eye on life. Finally I persuaded myself to stir in the direction of home.
Short but sweet, I hope? I bet you enjoyed the cake. Got a walk you’d like to share? Join me here on Jo’s Monday walk for a warm welcome.
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Shall we start with a good clamber? I think Debbie wrote this one just for Sue :
Clambering through an old Omani village
Anabel is realistic about Scottish weather, but it doesn’t stop her enjoying the beauty :
I never saw a prettier lighthouse than this one. Thanks, Alice :
What do you like in your soup? Can I have Coconut Shrimp for mains please, Jackie :
The ‘Australian Outback’ on her doorstep is giving Suzanne lots of pleasure :
Geoff continues the saga of walking with his Dad :
Walking With The Wind At My Back : Part Two
I know it can be beautiful, but I’m not missing this at all, Drake :
Brian takes us to subtropical community gardens for a little heat. Want to join him?
Lismore Rainforest Botanical Gardens – the paths
Much nearer to my new home, some beautiful Algarve clifftops :
A cliff walk from Carvoeiro to Ferragudo : the ‘Trail of the Headlands’
While Susan takes us back to a place where she once lived. The lady has a fascinating past :
Walking Back Home – Pasto, Colombia
And Cathy explores a house not many of us would venture into :
That’s it for another week. Please find time to read them. I shall be out and about, as usual. Hope the weather’s kind, wherever you are.
Six word Saturday
The ending to another perfect day
And then I came home and watched Rafa. 🙂 Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to have fun with Debbie’s Six Word Saturday.
Jo’s Monday walk : Lagar da Mesquita
Better late than never? It’s still Monday in my part of the world, in my ‘new’ home in the Algarve, and I’ve just about got time to share a short walk with you. I’m going to be deliberately vague because this walk was about 8 weeks ago, an outing with the Striders, and I was too busy chatting and catching up with everybody to pay much attention to the route. A common fault when I’m walking in a group. Our start point was a little way inland from Tavira, at Lagar da Mesquita, on route PR1.
We followed country lanes and narrow tracks out of the village, with the promise that there wouldn’t be too many inclines. Villas nestle among groves of olives and oranges, some with quirky touches, like the pair of legs protruding from a cement mixer. One of them is serenaded by a profusion of pink flowers, while everywhere the vines have developed a beautiful rosy hue.
A crossroads is signed Desbarato but we carry on, beneath spreading holm oaks and over a carpet mulch of leaves and acorns. I cannot take my eyes off an ancient cottage, tenderly wrapped around with the softest, creamy pink bougainvillea. Petals litter the floor like a rag rug, the ornate metal door knob, set into marble, something of a mystery.
We loop back to the start, a little gentle exertion for the inevitable reward. Short, but sweet, I hope you’ll agree.
So much has happened in the last couple of weeks that I’ve hardly had time to draw breath. Yet here I find myself, living the dream. I hope you’ll come along with me. This is just the beginning.
Thanks to all of you who’ve waited patiently, and for your generous support. If I’ve missed anybody out, do give me a nudge. Meantime I’d love you to join me on Jo’s Monday walk. Please read and share the following walks.
You’d best tackle Debbie’s walk when you’ve got plenty of stamina, but you’ll be encouraged by lots of smiling faces :
A steep climb accompanied by Buddha
Geoff and Dog take to those London streets again :
A Wander Across the Far North #capitalring #walking
Mondays are murals day with Cactus Catz. I know you’ll enjoy these :
Monday Mural : Trashcan Mural, Downtown Tucson, Arizona
Mural : Joe Pagac’s Harboring Beauty
Drake shares the warm colours of North Africa :
And Jackie goes adventuring in Spain :
Wilderness as far as the eye can see, with indefatigable Cathy :
The Blue Mesa Trail at Petrified Forest National Park
The Painted Desert Rim Trail at Petrified Forest National Park
And Miriam is clearly on top of the world!
While Carol comes up with the most stunning views!
Life in a Sussex backwater ? Many thanks to Mari :
It’s so nice to be back! In every sense. I arrived ‘home’ to Tavira last night. Today I met a lovely new neighbour, walked on my favourite beach and caught up with friends. I hope your week is as good as mine promises to be.
Jo’s ‘not a Monday walk’
Hi folks! Normal service is far from being resumed, but I’m aware of collecting lots of walks which I really ought to share, so here I am today. Could I perhaps ask that you don’t send me any more links for the moment? I have family arriving at the weekend and they have first call on my time. I shall have a sixth birthday to celebrate, Halloween to avoid (my daughter more than makes up for me), and then the weight of numbers will come crashing down on my head. A big one!
As if that’s not enough, I have a cat to feed. One that hisses at me. (I do understand, I’m not the patient mistress of the house 🙂 ). Actually, the mistress explained to me how I should place a doorstop to prevent me being locked out in the garden with said cat. And then the door blew shut, as she was explaining, and both of us were marooned in the garden. Life, huh? Her on tiptoe, looking over the wall for a neighbour. Balanced on the back of a chair. “Christina?” Nothing! I holler too, but my husband is painting, in blissful ignorance. Finally a workman a few doors down comes to see what the matter is. ‘Er, could you open my back door and let us in, please?’ The front door is wide open. Hopefully I won’t repeat the incident in her absence.
So, what else? Todos a caminhar, the free walks programme aimed at encouraging a healthy population, has resumed. On a sunkissed Sunday morning we lined up on the boardwalk at Cabanas, with music to enhance the enthusiastic warm up. Good for a giggle if you’re an observer. And then we’re off! Out of the village on a back lane, past orange and olive groves. Some of us chattering, some striding out determinedly. At the halfway point, a bottle of water, an apple and a breakfast bar, thoughtfully provided by the council. And afterwards, an invitation to lunch with a lovely couple. Sunday became a celebration of life, as we boated across the narrow channel to the ilha, and strolled on the finest of sand.
I’m still dipping into the archives for today’s photos, but you can keep track of most of my doings on Instagram or Facebook. It’s much easier to share to them straight from the phone.
Please read and enjoy these, if you haven’t already. I won’t be sharing any more for a while. Many thanks to everybody.
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Seems ages since I shared a walk of Becky’s. She’s back in Portugal later this week. Whoop-e-doop!
A palace fit for an English Queen
A glass of wine with Drake? It would be an honour :
Rupali shares some wonderful colours too :
Was September beautiful for you? It certainly was for Lady Lee :
The Changing Seasons, September
Alastair managed to find his way to my walks. Please do visit and say hello :
My Walk this Week 127 – Autumn Morning
It’s never boring at Jesh’s place, no matter what she’s up to :
Janaline has seen the world, and there’s nothing like the beauty of Ireland :
Why I walk to explore places like Rathmullen in Ireland
Raspberry heaven with Irene :
Someone who’s always living the good life- join Jackie for a slice or two :
Let’s hear it for Cathy! She’s completed the Camino- loud fanfare!- and still shared some beautiful walks with me. This is just one of many:
I’m back in the UK on 9th November. I should just make it to a Girl’s Night and then it’ll be crazy while we finish packing and handing over our home. Catch up with you when I can. Take care till then!
Starting over
Did you notice the John Lennon title link to my last post? I’m thinking it’s probably easier to write here than to try to keep up with each of you individually, lovely as you all are. Yes, I wanted to come back with a brand new blog, full of the pure exuberance of life and the beauty of the Algarve, but it’s not practical at the moment, for a variety of reasons. So, simply an update.
You know those Indian Summers we sometimes talk about in the UK? We’ve definitely been experiencing one here in the Algarve. Temperatures have just started to dip a little, which is good news for my walking friends. The first Striders walk of the season, on 2nd October, was kept to a miserly 10km in the Algarvian hills, but nobody was sorry when the walk was over. A long table was set up beneath an awning but, by the time we’d finished eating, the sun was avidly gobbling up the shade. It was time to down the wine and move on. But not before coffee and cake, of course.
The Strollers walk on the following Friday fared a little better. We were near the salt marshes, with a hint of a breeze now and again. A different mix of people, some of whom we hadn’t seen in a long while, and another wonderful accompaniment of hugs, smiles and traded stories. Does it feel different now that we’re to become a permanent part of the community? Not yet, but I have noticed subtle differences. At one time I couldn’t bear to be out of the sun, and would feel myself twitching if I was in the shade a fraction longer than was absolutely necessary. Now that sunshine has more or less become a constant, I can seek shade with equanimity. Maybe Winter will change that, but for now we find ourselves adopting the Portuguese custom of pulling down the blinds in our house to keep out excessive heat.
Our third walk included a train ride with a ticket collector who was greatly amused by 27 Brits, smiling and brandishing passports at him at 8.30 in the morning. Our discounted fare was 80 cents for the 10km, two stops, ride. We then walked back, a loop of town, pine forest, beach and countryside totalling 14km, all on the flat. More reunions and friendships renewed, and lots more hugs and smiles. We are all so appreciative of what we have here. Not just the wonderful climate, but the lasting warmth of companionship. Few of us have been unscathed by anxiety or illness, but a sympathetic shoulder is never hard to find.
Since coming here, I’ve cast a fresh look around our home. Aside from outstanding DIY (phew, Mick’s department!) there are a few issues about storage and how we use the space we have. Cupboards and wardrobes have been given a stern looking at. We’ve joined the local library and a small army of English language books will be making their way to a new and worthwhile home. An antique television set, weighing a ton but producing not a single programme, in any language, has made it’s way to the refuse collection, located down an exceedingly pretty back lane.
The negatives? Knee deep in photo albums prior to departure, I forgot a couple of things I normally regard as essential to my Algarve life. The cable to download photos from my camera and my memory stick, so I’ve had to improvise for photos. And my diary! Unheard of, this last, so I’ve taken to recording events online on the notepad. Not entirely satisfactory. 🙂 Still to do? Partly due to a wretched cough I’ve not yet joined an exercise class, nor a language class, but I will!
You’d laugh! As I finish writing this, rain is bouncing off the table on the patio. But I’m smiling indulgently and enjoying the sound. Good thing we finished that painting! And tomorrow is set to be dry for another walk. Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch up with you when I can. Our Internet is feeble, but we’ll fix that too.
Anticipation…
Hard to know exactly when the dream began. Sometimes it feels like it was always with me. Bored with my job, which nevertheless paid the bills, I watched season after season of ‘A Place in the Sun’, each week convinced that this was the place for me. Perhaps not Benidorm, and never, ever a do-er upper, but almost anything else was fair game. There was so much world to choose from!
Early on, I discounted Florida. Too far from family, I rejected the notion of becoming a snowbird and, silly as it sounds, I hate alligators. I am thoroughly European and, though I might want to wander further, my natural habitat was always going to be on our continent. Italy was a front runner. With all those delicious miles of coastline and inspiring culture, how could ‘La Dolce Vita’ be wrong? There was the allure of Croatia and its island jewels. Greece with its ancient history and azure seas. France seemed logical. I had A level GCE in the language, and that whole unknown country, almost on my doorstep. The Canary Islands, a contender too. A nomadic life between islands and an agreeable climate would always appeal. One place I didn’t consider was Poland, though in retrospect it could have been an interesting choice.
Halkidiki, long years ago
Learning chess, in Austria
Studying icecream at Lake Garda
Madeira, a 60th birthday celebration
Wild waters at Porto Moniz, Madeira
Tiles as I knew them, before Portugal
Granada, of course
Portugal was quite low on the radar. I’d never been, and knew little of it. A week’s holiday swiftly changed that, and I came home the joint owner of a house. Fortunately my husband loved it too. The adventure of furnishing our home began. Our first visit, 4 frantic days, was spent buying beds, a boiler and light fittings, and arranging for the fitment of a fireplace. Two bright yellow, folding chairs doubled as indoor and outdoor seating. The bare essentials of life. We gazed in wonder at our ‘place in the sun’. Tavira filled us with pleasure each and every time we ventured out.
Cacela Velha- if this isn’t heaven…?
Azulejos rule!
Ponte Romana, the iconic Tavira bridge
Further afield, red cliffs dominate
The years ticked by, and holidays came and went. The love affair didn’t wane, and we began to hope for the day when we could make the Algarve our permanent home. Dad died, and there were no longer any serious impediments. The youngsters would be able to visit us whenever they chose. Time to put the English house on the market. Much scrubbing in corners (having first emptied those corners!) ensued. No doubt about it- the house needed decorating. Should we strip everything for that blank canvas look? Or go out and enjoy a ravishing English summer, potentially our last. I bet you know the answer!
Silly question, wasn’t it? As summer wanes, we now have some choices to make. With a few viewings but no serious offers at the moment, at the end of September we will fly out to Faro. No point yet in emptying the house and driving down, with as many memories stowed in the car as we can manage. We will need to come back, for at least a week or two, to keep an eye on the house, our old friend of 29 years. The family are already booked to join us to celebrate another significant birthday in early November. It would be rude of us not to be there, wouldn’t it? Until then, we’ll keep on anticipating… and preparing.
All set to see Cathy off on her next great adventure, ours has yet to begin, but it’s getting closer. Join her at Wander.essence for Anticipation & Preparation. I hope you will love the path she has chosen as much as I do. Wishing you safe and happy travels, Cathy!
restlessjo 
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