Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Sunday began with a trip to the Estoi Gypsy Market. It only happens on a Sunday. Vendors and shoppers from near and far crowd into the open air market from about 7:30 a.m. until shortly after 12 noon. It’s a lot of fun and one could actually furnish a house from the goods on hand.

Fresh pineapple,

fruit trees,

orchids,

and pottery.

At this time of year, local music groups and choirs make an appearance giving performances and collecting money to support their community organizations.

The market was huge providing everything from knives, socks, scarves to live birds and everything in between. It was all so tempting for someone who loves to shop!

It cost 2 Euros to photograph this table…

…which the owners promptly refunded.

Birds of every description were available..

ùI was struck by an urge to set them all free…

but resisted.

Saddle up!

A quick coffee on the way back to the apartment – the cafe on the square is closed on Sundays, so we tried out another establishment – and we decided to head out into the hills for a Sunday drive.

A local choir on the square…

The tile mosaic on the outdoor wall fo the cafe.

Marc describe the origins of this ancient doorway, the oldest existing doorway in Estoi.

After exploring a couple of villages, we ended up at a mountain top restaurant that luckily was open on Sunday. The views were amazing and the home made food absolutely delicious.

The view over the restaurant roof from where we parked the car on a steep slope.

Looking down into the valley.

Jade plant in flower.

roast lamb dish…

pork with pineapple and chestnuts…

and then a short walk around the property.

Exterior of the restaurant.

More jade..

The name of the restaurant

The winding road…

the other side of the restaurant..

The way up and down..

The valley to the north

Farm roads

Towards the west

Tavira in the distance on the shores of the Atlantic.