Algarve, Day 12 - into the countryside

 The forecast today was to be mostly sunny, cloudy later and cooler. The next couple of days call for rain. We decided to walk, back from the coast and find some countryside as that was one of the things we had loved about the jeep trip.

I looked on Google Earth Satellite and identified a possible loop into the country. Although the roads/tracks had names I was not sure they would actually be identified out in the real world. I was also not sure that the lines on the satellite pictures were roads, tracks, dried river beds......

It didn't take long, the coastal development is pretty narrow here.

Wildflowers,

pine trees, a dirt track and lots of bird song. We were happy.

Cork trees.

Portugal is the biggest cork producer in the world. Cork trees don't start producing until they are 25 years old.

That first harvest, which is known as virgin cork, isn’t actually good enough to be used in the production of wine bottle stoppers. Wine cork makers have traditionally been the target buyer for most cork producers as 75% of all cork produced is made into wine bottle stoppers. Corks, particularly champagne bottle corks, can command some of the highest prices of any cork product and often fetch several Euro per cork.

Even the next harvest, which takes place 9 years later, isn’t good enough to be used for cork bottle stoppers. It actually takes another 9 years, 43 years from planting, before the tree produces cork that’s of a high enough quality to be used as corks. This cork is known as ‘amadia’ cork. 

The good news is that a tree can live to between 270 and 300 years so, with a harvest every 9 years, the owners can expect another 20 or more harvests – although the tree does stop producing as much amadia cork over time: the amadia cork period lasts for around 50 years after it begins producing amadia cork at around year 43. 

Although the cork that’s harvested in years 25 and 34 won’t get used for wine bottle corks, it does get ground down and used to make building materials, in fishing products, and in fashion products, so there’s no wastage.From Portugalist.com

Aimee and I both bought cork purses this trip.

Back to the walk...An Almond tree

We missed the almond blossoms, happens in late February and early March, but the fruit is progressing well.

 
Legend has it that when the Algarve was still called Al-Gharb and ruled by the Moors, a young king, Ibn-Almundim, fell in love with a Nordic princess, Gilda. They got married and the king loved her very much. So when he noticed the princess was growing sadder with each passing day, he resolved to find out what was causing this melancholia and to cure it. According to the tale, an elder told him that the Nordic princess missed seeing the snow she was so used to in her home country. The king ordered that thousands of almond trees be planted outside the palace so that when they were in bloom, she would look out her window and see the landscape covered in white flowers, giving the appearance of freshly fallen snow. The princess was cured of her sadness almost immediately. From aportugueseaffair.com

There were sporadic farms and houses along the trail

Beware of the dog.

Orange and lemon orchards and bags of oranges for sale at the end of driveways. We are only here for 2 more days and the bags were too big.

More flowers

beside the track

and some impressive backyard vegetable plots.

At one point the scent of orange blossom wafted beautifully up from the orchard. Club Med, the tall hotel in the background is on the coast.

At another point the scent was lavender.

We came out onto a busier road, past an agriculture co-op and a couple of restaurants (without an English menu in sight)

then we turned off onto another small road and back into the countryside

with some huge Prickly Pear Cactus growing wild.

Avocado

and orange groves ended at apartment blocks and we were back into Olhos do Agua.

Funny little three wheeled truck..

We felt we had earned a trip to the bakery

So many choices.

Cafe con leite and I had a coconut slice and Aimee had an apple strudel.

 Back at the hotel, Aimee went down to the pool to read and I read on the balcony. I then went down to the indoor pool and swam for a while. We didn't feel like cheese and crackers so went in search of supper.

The Thai restaurant was open. Endemame, chicken satay and spring rolls. Aimee had Chicken dim sum and Pad Thai. We were very impressed and plan to go back for another dinner.