Couldn’t you just lose yourself in this silence? The end of another hot day in the Algarve, and the sun sinking gracefully into the salt pans. The scene was so different when I walked out to Quatro Aguas earlier in the day.
A different quality of silence and not so easy to savour. Almost harsh. I like the gentler, reflective tones, when you can daydream a little.
How does silence look to you? We had a different silence again here in the UK this morning, with a soft blanket of snow.
My friend Jake has come up with the theme of Silence for this week’s Sunday Post challenge. Hush! I’m searching for the sound.
How rare is silence! At home, with the TV and radio turned off, still there’s that intermittent ping of the fridge, a gurgle from the central heating, or the steady breathing of my laptop. Walking down the street, my head buzzes with thoughts and words, never mind the rumbling of the traffic.
So where do you find silence? For me, the gentle Algarve countryside is peace and quiet itself. Bird song, or maybe the rustle of the eucalyptus, is all of the sound.
Rio Arade, with Silves in the far distance
Even the Algarve villages can be a place of refuge and silence.
Looking out from the village of Salir
A quiet corner in the village
Empty beaches on the Ria Formosa, with sandbars that stretch for miles, have no lapping tide to disturb the stillness.
Ria Formosa at Cacela Velha
Wide, open spaces characterise the west coast, but peace there can often be disturbed by the crash of the waves.
Still, there’s always an empty cove to be found, at the right time of the day.
The beach at Burgau
And as the day ends, sunlight, glinting on the water, carries no sound.
Algar Seco, near Carvoeira
Cliff tops have always held appeal for me. High above the water, I revel in the silence.
Clifftop near Staithes, North Yorks
Far from the Algarve, the North York moors owe their restorative powers to the stillness of their ridges and valleys.
Ruggedly beautiful, the Moors can be a bit of a scramble
But so worth it!
Roseberry Topping in the far distance
And when the colours roll in…
August’s riotous colours
…there’s no place like it. Even the bees hum quietly.
So where do you go to find your silence? It’s something to be treasured. Something that all of us need.
Jake has given so much pleasure in providing this opportunity to look at and experience our world. Many thanks to him. You will always be welcomed to Jakesprinter’s world. Please, just follow the link.
