Cliffs and Chimneys

Portugal is famous for it's plethora of chimneys.  Wherever you look, it seems, you are presented with a forest of the most ornate smoke-stacks.  Most service fireplaces below, in the house, but many are rooftop extensions of barbecues built in the yards.  Walking back from Albufeira, we were presented with several chimney-laden vistas.

Modern houses, villas and apartments are just as chimney-covered as the older properties.

The coastline of this part of the Algarve is punctuated by hundreds of tiny coves and miniature sandy beaches.  The crumbly nature of the cliffs which line this coast, are both picturesque and - in places - dangerous.

In some places you have to take care not to tumble down large 'blow-holes' which have been carved out by the crashing surf..

Some of the cliff-carving waves were in evidence during the middle weekend of our holiday as the warm wind picked up from the South-West sending the surf in to pick away at the base of the cliffs.  The piles of large boulders on the beach bore testament to the forces involved and the potential dangers of walking too close to the edge.

Even after the weekend, when the weather had mellowed a little and the wind had died down, the sea still had quite a swell for a couple of days sending waves crashing against the rocks.  We wondered how much of the coastline is lost to the sea each year, especially as it must be very exposed to the worst of the winter gales.

First day

Our first full day in Portugal saw us taking a long walk into Albufeira.  It was rather sunny and very warm, so the 10 mile round trip was a bit of a slog, but the coffee we had by the Marina, provided a most welcome break in the middle.  The approach the the modern marina area is dominated by a splendid fountain.

Walking down to the marina itself, it soon became clear that the developers had been given a hefty discount at the paint suppliers... very colourful!

Bobbing around in the water were hundreds of craft of all sizes and shapes.  Most were rather modest in size, but a few went to prove that even in these recessionary days, there is still 'some money about'.

Swimming around between the boats, small fish seemed oblivious to the comings and goings of the rest of us, but were more concerned when one of their larger cousins swam past looking for a meal.

Returning 'home' after our coffee and a well earned sit down, we were impressed by the Bougainvillea tumbling from almost every villa wall.  Most was of the usual purple, red and pink colour, but a few were brilliant white in the afternoon sunshine.  Gorgeous as it is, you do have to watch for the thorns as you walk past.  You could 'have you your eye out' if you're not careful.

Home again

Malcolm and I got back to Blighty yesterday at around 'tea-time'.  We have spent a very pleasant 9 days in Portugal and have had some lovely walks along the coast, exploring the cliffs, coves and wetlands.
Being close to a large area of coastal wetland, we have managed to see lots of wonderful wildlife and I have added several 'new' species to my life-list.
Rest assured, there will be lots of photos to bore you all with over the next few days, but for now, here's a small taster to be going on with while I sort through the 300-odd pictures I have taken.

Ratty

Once again, it was nice to get out for a walk again this morning. We didn't even step out of the door yesterday and we always get a bit 'twitchy' when we haven't been able to get out for a walk, so it was nice to see the sun shining again this morning.
It was very wet under foot as you might expect, so we had to stick to the 'proper' paths. Unfortunately, this meant we couldn't get away from the cyclists who seem to think they own the paths at the weekends and we walkers are a nuisance which must be pestered out of existence at every opportunity (enough of the bitching).
The pond at Straw's Bridge known locally as Swan Lake, is always popular with bread-throwing duck feeders. This glut of bread also attracts rats and we have often seen these little brown darlings running around on the water's edge, but I have never been quick enough to take a picture of them as they tend not stand still long enough. But today was different. I manged to capture one picture before it scampered off - and it turned out to be not too bad.

This is a young Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Named 'norvegicus' in the mistaken belief that they had originated in Norway and had migrated to England on Norwegian ships in the 18th century.
Brown Rats are the archetypal omnivore and will eat almost anything.  Cereals are their main food source in the wild, but human wastefulness and our habit of throwing food about (bread in this case) provides a welcome and easy meal.  Brown Rats have been reviled by almost everyone since time immemorial, especially since the days when the Black Death took it's toll on the population.  Once again, the blame for the Bubonic Plague, which has often been placed on the Brown Rat, was misplaced.  In fact, it is thought that the Brown Rat actually helped with the eradication of Plague by displacing the Black Rats which were the carriers of the fleas which really were responsible for the disease.
To end with today, here's another short video of some of my pictures, set to music.  These pictures are from our past holidays in Spain and a few from closer to home.  Hope you enjoy them.

Wet Again

Once again, we are confined to barracks. The rain is falling steadily, making a walk in the country a miserable prospect. So, some more pics from previous walks starting with a view across the lake which once formed an ornamental feature of Shipley Hall. Later, the lake was the scene of the Shipley Woodside Colliery and later still, it formed the central feature of the Britannia (later the American Adventure) theme park.

In 1896, the mine employed 591 people underground and a further 184 on the surface. Owned at that time by the Miller-Mundy family from the Hall, it mined coal for domestic and industrial use. Looks a bit different today thankfully.

One more picture for today. This one was taken yesterday on our rather misty walk around the lake mentioned above. The trees, shrubs and grass was almost covered with webs. Glistening in the struggling sunlight and coated in water droplets from the mist, they almost glowed white among the turning leaves of an Autumn morning. These 'hammock' shaped webs were particularly prevalent and in some cases, very large. I'm still working on what made them, I'll get back to you with that one....

Colour

Following our enforced lethargy over the past few days, it was nice to get out and about once again this morning. The sun shone brightly as I opened my eyes first thing, but by the time we had eaten breakfast and got ready to go out, it was misty, damp and dull again. The sun was still there (I think) but was having great difficulty trying to punch through the mist and low cloud.
When it did manage to find a way through, it illuminated the turning leaves beautifully.

It seems that the colours aren't quite as spectacular this year as they have previously been. I wonder if it is because we seem to have lurched straight from Summer into winter, thereby not giving the leaves time to develop their bright reds and yellows before they start to fall and rot. The line of Poplars around the old Theme Park lake, are one exception, almost glowing in the sunshine.

A reminder - if we needed one - that Christmas is only a few weeks away, is to be found in this large Holly tree, laden with berries.

The various members of the Acer family of trees, always give good value at this time of year. As the Chlorophyll begins to break down in the leaves, the other colours which are always present, begin to take over and show their true beauty.

It will not be long before the branches are bare and we are once again looking forward to seeing the first, pale shoots of Spring. But, lets get Christmas out of the way first! Now,    "Dear Santa....."

Miserable

What a miserable day! We got up this morning to find it was drizzling, grey and dull. Not conducive to a good walk in the countryside, so we decided to take a trip to Heanor to try to buy some 'fat-balls' for our little feathered friends. Getting a bit fed-up with this weather at the moment, but not as fed-up as the Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) who was eating the berries from our Pyracantha this morning.

Woodpigeons are splendidly beautiful birds. They are our largest pigeon species as well as our most common. I particularly like the 'warm' and homely 'cooing' which they do. It always sounds like a 'comfortable' sort of sound. It is thought that there are between 2,500,000 and 3,200,000 breeding pairs of Woodpigeons in the UK. It was first scientifically classified by Carl Linnaeus (known as the "Father of Taxonomy"), in 1758. They always seem to have a look of surprise on their face.

Raindrops were beginning to fall heavier by the time we had finished our breakfast and the Pyracantha was dripping with wet jewels.

Lets hope the weather is better tomorrow...!