Mimosa blossom

Thursday 27th February
On Thursday our friends invited us for a day out into the mountains that run along the north of the Algarve. The day started out warm and sunny and we admired the yellow mimosa blossom that adorned the foothills.

After a quick stop in Calde de Monchique, a spa village, we wound on up the zigzag road stopping at a few viewpoints on the way up to check out the view.


A cork man in Calde de Monchique

It was hazy but we could make out Portimao, Alvor and the grottoes along the coast by Lagos. We decided to keep on heading up and get to the highest point, a peak called Foia at 900m. As we switchbacked higher and higher the road became less maintained and the scenery changed from Portuguese to Alpine to windswept Scottish mountain.


On top of the mountain

By the time we got to the top we got a quick glimpse of the view over to the west coast before the clouds came down to join us and covered us in drizzle. It was also blowing a hoolie so we didn't stay long as it had turned into a 'no bad weather, just wrong clothing' day. There weren't many others up there braving the elements either, other than some sheep, their shepherd and his donkey. Then a coach arrived with tourists wearing shorts and t-shirts. I'm guessing they didn't stay long either.

Back down the mountain we found a grassy verge away from the main road for a picnic, with a soundtrack of all the local dogs barking at us from their backyards. The drizzle held off for us long enough to eat.


Picnic

We returned to the village of Monchique as I wanted to walk up to the ruined monestary. The drizzle did it's best to put us off but gave up long enough for us to get up there. Up steep, cobbled streets, then a track through cork trees and finally to the abandoned monestary. The walls were covered in 'keep out' and 'private' notices but a man beckoned us through. It looked like a few people had set up home here with a vegetable plot, chickens and living spaces set up within the walls. It looked like a damp, dank place to live but they were putting an abandoned building to use to provide a home for them. Inside, parts of the roof were shored up with tree branches, bricked up doorways had been broken through and the kingpin stone in an archway had a crack down it's whole length. Let's hope their makeshift home doesn't collapse on them.


Best not to get too close to the other end of the ruin

The cork trees are still harvested; where the cork has been stripped away it leaves the trees looking like someone has srolen their trousers. It doesn't look like the harvesting has done the trees any harm as they still growing tall.


Naked cork trees

We drove back via Aljezur but it was still raining and we didn't get to see much. Despite the weather it had been good to get up into the mountaind and see a different aspect of the Algarve.


Monestery in the mist