Silver tops still wandering

As we are finding out, things are not very straight forward here in very rural Portugal. Hampered further by the very British thing of not having a scooby doo about the language. Shame on us. Mrs Google seems to be on some kind of French revolt! She hasn’t been the same since we crossed the border from Spain. Something to do with the time zone changing I think. Who knew Portugal was on British Summer Time? I am still confused, but then I will be the first to admit, that is a very low bar.

Any way we asked her to direct us to what we believed would be a local market. This may or may not have happened correctly. Suffice to say no market was found. So we carried on with one of our ‘make it up as you go along’ sort of experiences. If we thought yesterday was scenic and spectacular, then today was ditto but on steroids.

Intriguing and intresting, and once again packed with history. Difficult to see this as a place with the need for canons to repel any would be invaders. I find it very hard to imagine a more secure place … with or without the canons. The village nestles into the side of a mountain. The old buildings using the geology as building materials just as they are in situ. Great vantage point for keeping a look out.

The rock formations and random distribution of long since passed volcanic activity knocks Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire into a cocked hat!

The last photograph in this series is a house known as ‘one tile’ by locals as it has been built using the boulder above it as a roof. Smart thinking, no upkeep and re tiling required there.

We once again set off for the obligatory castle, always precariously perched at the top of the outcrop, and me in flip flops. In my defence, I was expecting to amble around a market not take a hike up into the stratosphere where I am sure breathing apparatus should be suppied.

Up we go…again.

And up, looking back longingly at the downhill.

Up and up.

And back down…

A victory roll and then a look for a short cut.

There was a ‘Rio – de – Janeiro’ moment…

A window that took my eye…

Then a drive back to our gaff for a very well earned cup of tea. For all who are wondering … I have now put a pair of walking sandals in the car, I will not be repeating that look of a silly person in flip flops ascending into the clouds. Plonker that I am!

Poor things!