Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Friday January 31 2025

It was a perfect day for a hike over the hills and through the verdant valleys surrounding Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo about a half hour drive from Estoi. Two of my neighbours in the Quinta, Harald and Guido, elected to participate in this hike organized by Kim. Perhaps you remember her from last year as the organizer of the kayak trip i went on? The area around Santa Catarina is home to thick red clay soil that was once used in the local manufacture of tiles. As we walked, we came upon the abandoned remains of once productive tile factories. The recent rainfall was a Spring time encouragement for wildflowers and domestic plants along our route. We were a group of fourteen adults and approximately nine dogs of various races and ages. For me, the dogs were a constant source of entertainment, most of the crowd were Dutch speaking but the dogs all spoke their universal language and responded well to commands to sit for treats!

Saw my first Paperwhites, (Narcissus tazetta), of the season. There were bunches of them growing in all sorts of odd places.

The walk took about three hours in a loop pattern with a brief stop in the village of Santa Catarina for a bica or a beer followed by the final three kilometres to where the vehicles were parked. On our way back to Estoi, we decided to stop for a late lunch at a lovely restaurant in Horta. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a disappointment: the black pork was too tough to eat and no amount of cooking could change that much to the embarrassment of the chef. The chicken tagine, a traditional Moroccan dish and the sword fish steak were excellent as was the dessert.

It was a full and wonderful day filled with simple pleasures, of conversations with complete strangers, and renewing acquaintances from previous hikes. Until the next time!