It’s difficult to believe that an entire week has passed by since Randy, Patricia, Gary and myself headed off to Monchique for the longest hike I’ve been on, to date. It was Sunday March 27 and the weather forecast was promising sunshine, cloud and warm temperatures. There was also a breeze, thankfully! The hike starts and Monchique and loops around through the mountains and valleys for a distance of slightly more than 9 kms. We packed and carried our individual picnic lunches and things to drink for our adventure.
Monchique is situated west of Estoi and north of Portimão in the mountains where there have been forest fires over the past few years. The forest is a mix of eucalyptus, acacia, several types of pine and we were on a particular outlook for an ancient Norfolk pine and an equally old Sycamore tree. (Did a song just come to mind?) There are also a wide variety of birds including Green Woodpeckers – didn’t see them!
There were thousands of photo opportunities and I admit, I did take a few.
And a very little man was he
He climbed up into a sycamore tree
For the Saviour he wanted to see
And when the Saviour passed that way
He looked into the tree
And said, “Now, Zacchaeus, you come down
For I’m coming to your house for tea”
This particular tree is thought to be about 125 years old.
And so, another wonderful adventure came to a close as we travelled back to Estoi.
Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground 
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