After the rain showers, out came the flowers.

Sunday was a wonderfully wet day -a downpour of rain, thunder and some wind. Monday, the cloud cover began to break up and I took the risk to head out toward Bordeira. It rained a wee bit but not enough to make me uncomfortably wet. One of the gravel roads I followed trickled down to a clay footpath that was deceptively slippery on its downward trajectory and there were the usual guard dogs. I had no intention of becoming their mid morning snack!

Leaving Estoi, I caught a glimpse of these well from another angle.

The poppies along the road

were radiant after the rain.

I love the transition in the road surface.

This little flower was smaller than a dime.

Exploring new territory on foot always gives me a sense of excitement. I wasn’t worried about “getting lost” and there was a gravel lane that beckoned. As a friend said recently, “I’m not lost, I just happen to be here, unexpectedly.”

Speaking of dogs…

A bower of bougainvillea

The path wound across the hillside and past several homes to a secluded spot where I discovered the following flowers just as it started to rain.

Peruvian scylla…

were everywhere.

This might a purple wild iris. Will have to return when it opens!

There was a stork at the end of the path

where my uphill trek began.

A view of the opposite hills.

Look back from where I came.

I love the colour…

The main road at last and I head towards Estoi. Didn’t use the fountain.

Growing along the side of the road…

A flowering succulent?

These flowers remind me of sweet peas or snapdragons

Abandoned snail shells.

This plant smells like a mixture of mint and oranges.

A close up of the flowers and leaves.

Wild iris

Garden iris.

Bougainvillea at the gate.

The weather improved at the end of the day. It was a great time to take some shots from my rooftop patio. Incidentally, the rain had washed away the red clay dust that covered everything. It was amazing to watch the swallows swoop and dive and see a local flock of pigeons put through their paces by their owner and listen to the multitude of birds singing their final songs of the day as the sun headed for the sea.