Market Day in Olhão

These last few days have simply flown by for us.  We’ve been heading out right after breakfast for a lovely long walk.  Yesterday we took a favourite route from last year, just to see if anything was new.  With being here a bit earlier this year we are fortunate enough to see a few things that we normally miss.  One of those is the harvesting of the olives.

All along our route we continued to see people, mostly elderly couples, out with their nets and their rakes gently shaking the olives from the trees then packing them in large bags probably to take to market and have pressed into their own supply of olive oil for the year ahead.  We both continue to derive great pleasure from seeing the trees, bending in an array of multicoloured olives.  To our eye, it seems to be quite the crop with the olives much larger than we’ve noticed in other years.

Many of the houses seem to have been recently whitewashed. The contrast with the deep colours of the bougainvillea is stunning.

The medronho are covered in flowers and still some fruit, which I think has to be from last year.

My very favourite, and not very frequently found, white bougainvillea.

This is a blossom from the Silk Floss Tree. The tree loses most of it’s leaves before it blooms.

Tried to capture a side view to show the detail. Each blossom is about the size of a large open palm.

These are the silk floss pods. They will burst eventually and are like huge cotton balls. We notice each year they disappear before opening. I think someone is harvesting them for the seeds.

One of the benefits of our lengthy walks, aside from the obvious exercise, is the building up of appetite!  By the time we return home we are usually very close to lunch time, which means we simply wander over to the square, find the sunny spot and sit to enjoy a fabulous meal that feels as if it’s been prepared just for us!

The bacalhau con natas……salt cod baked in cream……is one of Marc’s favourites. He promised me he will learn to cook it then make it for me with lactose free cream. Can’t wait to try it.

I opted for a pizza, delicious with the perfect crunchie crust.

Yes, we actually sat here to take our bica after the meal. Ana spoils us!

The face of happiness.

After lunch I decided to hop in the car and go visit old friends, Sarah and Henrique, they are the owners of the farm I used to rent the first few years I came to Portugal.  Happily they were home and we had a marvelous visit for a couple of hours, catching up, sharing stories and afterwards I filled my bag with lemons, grapefruit, a large ripe breadfruit and returned home again.   Marc had been enjoying the roof top patio with his art work.

Today, being Saturday, we woke excited to know we would be heading off to Olhão for our first market.  We had been anxious to go as we like to support the local farmers with our purchase of fresh honey, olives, and of course, produce.   We took our time and wandered, chatting with some of the vendors, checking out what was available today, slowing down to breath in the lovely salt air, it was high tide and the gulls were having a heyday!  I would be remiss if I didn’t say that the only thing missing at the market for us today was the presence of our friend Gwen McCauley!  We looked forward to seeing her here each Saturday morning.  Hopefully again next year….hey Gwen!

There weren’t a lot of people at the market, I think the threat of rain, which has not actually arrived, deterred folks. All the better for us to wander.

Goiaba fruit…..Guava fruit……the scent was amazing….I was literally drooling.

The previously mentioned olive harvest. Many bushels being sold at market today.

WE shopped at this vendor quite a bit last year and she seemed to have the best produce again today.

We discovered a brand new Continente grocery store very near the market and stopped in as we needed to stock up on some vino before heading home.   I of course, was totally tempted by other things……but I resisted….

On our way back from the store we spotted something I haven’t seen in a couple of years, and Marc had not seen before…..

These are a type of fish that are split, a tiny stick is inserted to keep them open then they are hung on poles to dry. When I first started coming here there was a neighbour who dried them each year on the clothesline, right beside the clothes blowing in the wind

You can see the tiny stick used to keep them open.

We had pre-ordered our lunch today and were salivating thinking of the oven roasted pork.

Ana and Simão are both very happy as their daughter, Joana, is home for the weekend.  Big hugs and greetings were our appetizer!!

Joana….Ana and Simão’s daughter

Migue……Joana’s chum

Jad….the family dog

And now, it’s 17h00, I just hung up a load of laundry, we have a fire on even though it’s not cold, more for ambience.  I see wine in my future and later, a lovely stirfry with turkey for dinner.   The Canadian Boys are very happy.

A gorgeous finely carved brass handle on our laundry room door.