Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Invitations to participate in a variation on a theme are always welcome. In this case, my neighbours at the Quinta, Karim and Guido, invited me to join their weekly hiking group on Tuesday Jan 16 for an 8 km trek starting in Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo.It was a group of about 10 or 12 that gathered under cloudy skies for a wonderful tour of the valley led by Kim. We wound our way through orange groves and down tiny country lanes past ancient cork trees and over dried up river beds. We were slightly dampened by misty rain at about the half way point but the brunt of the wet weather held off until we were safely back in the town and installed under a canopy drinking warm and cold beverages while the rain came down.

There were other dogs besides Jackson. Most were off leash so I gave it a try with him. He was so good! He got along with all of the dogs and the humans. He kept close track of me and got tons of extra exercise running back and forth. Probably double the distance we walked. He was one tuckered out pup when we got home! So was I!

Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo is known for the production of red floor tiles. (There are some in my apartment at the Quinta) There were many small businesses producing the tiles from the local clay deposit. Currently, there are only three or four of them left. It’s also known for the production of olive oil and medronho brandy. Because of the weather, I didn’t spend a lot of time exploring. An adventure for another day!