Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

New Year’s Eve Day featured a return trip to the village of Alte and a visit to a cork forest on the way. Randy remarked that very little traffic was to be found on the tiny single lane road we travelled to reach the cork forest. He parked off to the side of the road and two minutes later two vehicles came barreling down the lane. Once they were gone, the tranquility of light through leaves, a light breeze and bird song returned. It was an amazing feeling. A mind-clearing prelude to the clear blue skies of Alte.

Randy caught up in the beauty and tranquility of the cork forest…

One of the fallen.

The harvest marks on the trees a disappearing under new growth bark.

Roadside respite.

Looking forward from inside…

Overhead canopy arching to the sky.

Harvesting cork is an integral part of the Algarve economy…

On the road to Alte

We stopped at this curve in the road to take photos..

Backdrop of ceramic tiles for the public water supply

Captivated by the loving detail…

of a simple window on the world.

And then there was Alte…

We parked the car not far from Batazar’s hang-out. He was in a fairly docile mood, no biting or kicking but it was time for a coffee so we moved on.

There was a well right next to Baltazar.

This lovely couple welcoming diners to the restaurant

I love these flowers

..and this young fellow welcoming everyone to the town.

A sample of the ceramic work in the town with more to follow..

Apparently, the Portuguese have six meals per day.

So it was time for a coffee and a pastry.

Caught this view from the balcony of the coffee shop.

A bit of the fading past…

There are nativity scenes everywhere. This one was next to the community centre.

One of Baltazar’s ancestors.

Swallows nests under the eaves of a house.

Church tower in the sunshine.

Imagine opening that door from the inside and stepping out into…

There was art work on every corner

and rosed in December.

Another turn, another corner, more to discover…

Randy is an amazing tour guide and incredibly patient.

This bloom is close to finished…

but the bees keep coming.

Amazingly, there was an orange tree in full bloom inside a walled garden. The scent was heavenly.

and more December blossoms.

The Portugal flag emblazoned on the opposite wall of the valley.

Madrone berries ripening in the sun. They are used to make a liqueur.

This sign describes the chapel in the next photo.

And behind the chapel is an extraordinary scene…

A nativity with the characters created out of used tires.

The river flowing through Alte is what drew mw back for another visit.

The sense of history and the here and now.

Flowers, sunlight and warmth.

This lovely statue, known as the muse, Naia, is considered a tribute to the washer women of the town.

A defunct water spout.

Bottle brush tree.

A water well and pumping system.

Bleeding heart plant.

Flowering succulent.

Another flowering succulent.

Ducks and heron on the river bank.

Heron in majestic isolation.