Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Hiking in the Algarve is regarded as a highly rewarding experience. Not an experienced hiker in the best sense of the world myself, I rather tentatively asked my friends next door if I could join them for their Wednesday morning saunter down the Ludo Hiking Trail. Randy and Harald

have been hiking together for several years in the Algarve. They have their own rhythm and speed and I know from experience it isn’t mine. That means i can’t keep up with them.

Happily, they agreed to let me join them and off we went.The trail begins not far from the Faro airport and strikes a line through the salt flats past the San Lorenzo Golf Course towards the towns of Quarteira and Vilamour. One has the distinct sensation that with enough time, energy and determination. it might be possible to walk along the coastline to Lisbon.The rule for me is that I quite cheerfully maintain my speed and they zoom on ahead of me. An added advantage was the terrain is relatively flat – a boon for everyone.

Wednesday was a clear , warm sunshiny day with a cool breeze that was welcome as the sun climbed the sky toward its zenith. On the left was the enormous sandbar that protects the shoreline from the Atlantic and on the right was a wide, wet, swampy expanse filled with a wide variety of shore birds and flowering plants. This could be a birder’s dream.Thus today’s photos. Nothing for the foodies but lots to interest the bird watchers and gardeners in the crowd and possibly the golfers. As a side note, there are lots of golf courses in the Algarve.

Birds from sparrows to ducks, to what might be guinea fowl to azure jays and flamingos were to be found. All that and two great heaps of salt, one with the Portugal flag proudly planted at the top. It was a loop that I followed that took me n=back to where we’d parked the car. In all, about two and a half hours of walking and taking photos. Found my first wild poppy of the season. And then we headed to Wax Restaurant for lunch on the outside deck by the ocean. It was totally grand.