My blog week begins on a Saturday and my Saturday begins with Slavic's prompt arrival at 8. Once again, hopefully for the last time this year, we burned off cuttings. (The period in which burning is permitted ends in a fortnight.) Then we swept the paths and cobbles in preparation for the arrival of guests that afternoon. Jones likes the place to look its best. I tell her that it gives people a false impression but she doesn't seem to mind.
THE START OF THE ROCHA DE PENA CIRCUIT
The guests were my South African cousin, Kenneth, and his wife Angie. Note that they are clutching binoculars. Both are eagle-eyed and owl-eared with a special interest in birds - of which more shortly. Twice, as we returned home along quiet agricultural roads in the evening, looking for nightjars, they spotted a young fox in the distance. On one occasion it had just caught its supper.
ROCHA DE PENA MOUNTAIN
Sunday morning we set off on the circuit that takes one up, across and down the mountain that looms up on our northern horizon, known as Rocha de Pena (the Rock of Suffering). It's a fairly demanding two-hour-plus hike that has grown a lot longer and more demanding since last I did it.
In fact Jones had expressed her doubts as to whether I was in sufficient shape. Happily my shape proved to be adequate - just!. The weather, cool and cloudy, was on our side; the circuit is definitely not a high-summer excursion. Hikers start out either from the village of Penina or from the cafe at "A" (Rocha). At the bottom there's a trek along the road back to the car.
TREATS AT THE DAILY WALK MIDPOINT
Apart from this excursion, our guests joined us and the dogs on several daily walks. In spite of their protestations about being slow walkers, it didn't take us long to figure out that this was in comparison to Olympians.
In-between times we lunched and dined at favourite places, including a restaurant that does the world's best kebabs. That was their verdict, by the way - one we heartily endorse. Ken was pleasantly surprised by the deep green countryside, still sporting its (wet) winter colours. Many of the trees and bushes will hang on to their green leaves over summer but the grasses will be toasted to a tired brown.
On Monday we teamed up with a local bird guide, Georg Schreier, whose services we had found advertised on the internet. He had agreed to conduct us around the estuaries, ponds and pans along the coast where birds congregate at this time of year. (http://www.birdwatching-algarve.com/) He proved to be excellent, as easily able to distinguish and describe birds by their calls as their appearance, whether in flight or stationary.
He had downloaded a (Collins Birds) app on to his phone, featuring both images and bird calls. He used the audio to attract a response from concealed birds. Like our guests, Georg showed himself possessed of lazer-sharp eyes. At one point, while he was describing a bird perched beside a horse, I spent my time trying to find the horse.
We listened in as he, Ken and Angie discussed the finer points of sub-species, migration and breeding plumage, learning as we went along how to distinguish terns from avocets, stilts and grebes - and a great deal more besides. As I recall, Angie counted some 40 species that day.
The picture above was taken in one of the many salt pans laid out in the coastal reserve along much of Portugal's southern coast. Repeated flows of sea water are allowed to evaporate in the pan until a thick salty crust forms. You'll recognise the flamingos and, if I remember correctly, that's a black- winged stilt up front.
On Tuesday morning we dropped in on Armenio's little gallery and museum. Like most visitors, ours were impressed by its combination of artistry, simplicity and authenticity. I snapped their picture to add to the collection gradually spreading around the walls.
It's been a bad year for the wine harvest. The barrels pictured below are empty. As Armenio explained, unseasonal rains have played havoc with the grape crop. After examining and admiring his collection of tree-root sculptures and artifacts, we approved the local liquor and added our names to his expanding guest book.
That afternoon, after a visit to the Milreu (Roman) ruins at Estoi, we dropped our guests back at Faro airport. They were bound for Germany and then Norway on the final legs of their European tour.
Wednesday we shopped while Natasha set about the house. One stop was at the Continente supermarket where, clutching bags of bird seed, we joined the shortest cash-desk queue we could find. It was a mistake. An elderly woman in front was trying to paying for several bundles of nappies with a card (or cards) and not getting anywhere.
LAST OF THE POPPIES
She talked without pause as she struggled, either muttering to herself or addressing the cashier, who displayed more understanding than the waiting shoppers. Eventually I made my way to the front, paid for the old girl's shopping, declined her few proferred coins and advised her to return the favour to some other needy soul. Jones has active trolley-dumping genes; I'm ready to wait but only for a limited time.
CONVEYING THE SHOPPING FROM THE CAR TO THE HOUSE
Thursday morning the season unfurled its summer colours, having lingered uncertainly for some time in the drapes. Temperatures that bobbed around for weeks in the 20s have broken through into the low 30s. After our morning walk I stripped Russ whose coat is more suited to Arctic climes. There's no sign of further rain. Three months of heat and irrigation lie ahead - my least favourite time of year.
Thursday we lunched in Loule with old friends. We discussed the death of a local restaurateur (a man we knew), who'd been shot and had his car set on fire on the outskirts of the city - possibly over some dispute. It's a reminder that even in our pastoral retreat we are not immune to the real world.
LEAVE A BIT FOR ME
Finally we topped up our baggy and olive oil supplies at the Adega in Sao Bras. My engine was making the most awful racket again after behaving itself impeccably during our visitors' stay. The car goes back to the garage for further examination on Tuesday.
GOTTA SLIM DOWN, THE PAIR OF US!
