Our First Picnic

A cloudy day, the occasional burst of brilliant sun, the best combination for a long hike. Marc is preparing for his upcoming participation in two gallery exhibitions and therefore opted to remain at home but Joanne and I headed off to meet up with Pat and Gary in Fuzeta in order to enjoy, what turned out to be a wonderful hike, from Fuzeta to Olhão In total 11, 07 km.

The Ria Formosa, how can one walk along it and not appreciate the tranquility and calmness of it all. I am a lover of the salty sea air and that, combined with the plethora of sea birds complaining about our presence, the storks circling over head and clacking their beaks (although they are mute they clack their bills as a means of communication, especially at or near the nest) made for a special first walk along the salt flats.

The beginning of the hike, in Fuzeta, takes us near a gypsy encampment and the animals are most definitely free range. Mr Cock-a doodle-do was quite vocal at our presence but kept his distance, the chickens scurrying away as fast as they could go.

Just look at, and appreciate, the size of that lantana hedge!!! Marc and I both love them and were delighted this past year to find them at home and use them in the outside flower pots. If only we could grow them like this.

This particular hike zigzags in and out of the salt flats, at times much closer to the sea than the land. It’s actually part of the bicycle route that goes across the Algarve, Via Algarviana, “a pedestrian long distance path (300km long), perfect for hiking and biking, that runs from Alcoutim, in the Eastern Algarve, all the way across the region to the western tip at Cape St. Vincent, near Sagres and crossing the Costa Vicentina Natural Park. We’ve completed many sections of it, the only part we haven’t is on the extreme west coast. That’s my dream, to go there, but you need the right weather for it as its’s mostly directly on and open to the Atlantic.

Part of the route went through a small hamlet of sorts and there were sheep, goats (one very vocal), and a large porco preto (black pig), asleep in the mud! Varied landscape for sure. It was just after this we stopped near the sea, close to a small sandy beach, and enjoyed our first picnic of the trip. What does food eaten outside like that always taste so good?

By the time we had finished the sky was darkening, (rain tomorrow), and we felt a few drops. Gary noticed a rainbow off in the distance which probably means it had rained already in the mountains however we managed to stay dry. Dieu Merci!

And from there a stop to pick up dinner then home sweet home……….where I’m always greeted with a smile and a hug! Lucky man am I.