This and That on Hot Days!

As much as I am trying not to get into an official countdown of leaving, I can’t seem to avoid the thoughts of…”this time next week”, or “this is the last time I will do this this trip”.  The important thing is I am doing it only as a point of reference and not in any kind of morose or sad fashion.

The days continue to be quite warm, which in a way is good as at times it feels almost overwhelming and it reminds me that it’s only getting hotter and that I’m not certain I could take.

Yesterday morning Marc and I had to head into Faro for a quick rendezvous with the Immigration office,  and then once home, the three of us headed off to the square for a lazy lunch on the patio.  We wound our way through the Pousada grounds on the way back to the house and as usual, found a few wonderful photo opportunities.

You can see the purple of the jacaranda trees as they are bursting these days.

The original gates to the Pousada, which are now usually closed.

Some of the tile work near the fountain.

I enjoy this particular tilework.

This gorgeous plant is tiny, very tiny. Each flower is about 1.4 inch long at best.

Last evening Pat and I walked up to the recycle and then decided to take the circuitous route home just to enjoy the evening.

This stood about five feet tall and was quite a distance from us through a fence!!

This old tree trunk very near our parking always reminds me of a lovely sculpture. Note the bird on the very top?

The blackbird on the very top of the stump seemed to be enjoying the sunset.b

The prickly pear cactus are starting to bloom, mostly orange flowers but the occasional yellow.

I never tired of the pomegranate blooms. Such detail.

The tiny flower on the ornamental fig trees.

This morning we had the neighbours in for breakfast, fabulous buckwheat crepes with apple/pear compote, strawberries, cheeses, yogurt, maple syrup, and haskap syrup.  Very pleasant and a great way to start the day.   Marc had a few things he needed to take care of regarding his art and storing it here in Estoi which allowed Pat and I free time to head off for a hike at Fonte de Benemola, a place Pat had yet to explore and walk.  Turned out to be a perfect day for this as a lovely breeze accompanied us.

There is always something new to look at and try to figure out what it is. This is about the size of a strawberry.

Heading out on what turned out to be 6.1 kms. a

Another gorgeous creation by Mother Nature. I nearly fell off the edge of the embankment taking this one!

These tall willowy clusters are such a pretty yellow.

A close up of one of the tiny clusters from the last photo.

What an absolute treat to find the hills alive with bee orchids. I thought they would be long finished but not at all. We kept seeing them throughout the entire hike!

The purple cistus for JoAnn.

The lavender is such rich colour right now.

This is about an inch tall and peppers the ground in places.

This is about the size of a side plate, a beautiful golden colour and the bug on top blends in nicely.

This seemed to be some sort of lily, about five feet tall and getting ready to bloom.

I enjoyed a little sit down on an old bench near an abandoned house.

The purple in this caught my eye as most of this plant has faded yet this particular one stood out still.

More bee orchids.

OK, so Patricia had just portaged this lengthy (unexpected) waterway!!….Well no watercraft was involved but it looked like portaging!!

The thistles danced in the breeze.

And a final cluster of bee orchids.

We both enjoyed the hike immensely and practically had the trail to ourselves.  As we headed back into Estoi I reminded myself of a huge cluster of flowers I had seen on the way up the mountain.  I was determined to find them and get a shot.

As we parked at home Patricia reminded me of the cactus flower I had taken the night before.  I was fairly confident it was going to open and decided to check it out.  Yahoo!!

Marc had accomplished his list and after a quick lunch we decided to head down to the square for a bica and perhaps a cold beer.  Delighted to find that our friends Susie, Gus, Marion and David were there.  Needless to say, what was intended to be a short visit was extended!!

And finally, on the way home I noticed this large cluster of what had once been brilliant yellow blooms finally gone to seed.  It reminded me that beauty is not only for the young.