Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

From Wednesday to Friday, January 17 to 19, has been a constant game of avoiding rain squalls and thunderstorms. Not totally unusual for this time of year in the Algarve and the water is desperately needed to replenish seriously depleted reservoirs. It does, however, hamper hiking in a serious way. Trails become muddy and very slippery almost instantly. The effect of all this moisture, is the verdant greenery and a plethora of small plants popping up everywhere. My walks with Jackson have been closer to home base and a rediscovery of some favourite spots in Estoi.

On Thursday, we took a tour of the Pousada Park. The orange trees were laden with last season’s fruit and were surrounded by an abundance of undergrowth. A flock of rock doves were flitting about in one corner and a Great Tit (I think) was singing and preening in the misty rain in the top of a tree.

The Pousada used to be a private estate that was converted to a bespoke hotel. The park is open to the public and one can tour the inside without having to pay for a room. I’m always impressed by the detail of the ceramic tiles and mosaics that decorate the exterior of the formal entry to the palace. Here are some examples and keep in mind, they were hand painted and designed for this specific location.

Today, Friday, the sun is managing to break through the cloud cover. Early this morning, it was sunshine and rain at the same time producing a magnificent rainbow. No photo, unfortunately. The phone camera was safely inside staying dry!

And so the days pass in wondrous splendour!