Portugal's Southwest coast Sagres to Sines.

Yesterday's storms have abated, and the morning is bright. We take an early morning walk across the cliffs. The scrub bushes are full of Sardinian Warblers, as the breeding season is underway here. The male birds are busy attracting the attention of female species to possible nest sites.

With a good appetite, we breakfast and prepare for our journey up the coast.

A cheeky-looking male Sardinian warbler.

They perch on the tallest branches and call to females.

Further up the Atlantic coast, we stop at Praia de Monte Clerigo.

Above the Monte Clerigo village is a lovely track to drive along and admire the rock formations.

Along this section of coastline, the cliffs reflect the geological convulsions they have endured. The layers of schists, occasionally sloping steeply and then horizontally and here worn down by the sea, are forming interesting patterns at low tide.

Having a coffee, admiring the view.

The view and our route Northwards.

Pedra da Agulha ('Needle Rock") at Arrifana. A slim pinnacle of rock polished over time by the sea and pointing skywards.

At Almograve we drop down to the Praia Grande. The cliffs are much lower here. This will be our view for the evening.

There is still some time left to explore.
Linda heads out over the unspoiled sands.

The sand dunes behind the cliffs harbour many endemic plant species. You can observe the tracks of the ocellated lizard and the smaller spiny-footed lizard imprinted in the sand.

This shows the layers of the schists, which are course-grained rocks made of layers of
 different minerals and can be split into thin, irregular plates.

Another day is over.

From then on, we will reach the Rio Mira and Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Vila Nova de Milfontes is an attractive town and gives the impression of  being
"far from the madding crowd."
It is said that Hannibal and his Carthaginians sheltered in the little port here during a storm.

The natural park ends here, just to the north of Porto Covo. To the north are the deep-water ports and refineries of Sines.

Here, you feel the presence of man, massive container ships, and oil tankers. We will leave this corner of the park to the gulls and head for the cereal-growing steppe lands of the Alentejo and
Castro Verde.

Goodbye, Yellow-legged gulls and the coast.

Happy Days!

Storm watching on the Southwest coast of Portugal

We visited friends in Lagos on Portugal's Algarve coast but are now heading for Portugal's Southwest coast. The time spent with our friends was great, but now it is time to return to nature. We last visited the west coast of Portugal some years ago, making a quick stop at Cabo de Sao Vicente. The Romans called it Promontorium Sarum and believed the sun sank into the sea beyond here each night. Imagine the water temperature! That is not precisely what Linda said when testing her toes!

At the lighthouse, we feel the full power of those strong Atlantic winds,

 many tourists braving the gale.

For us, it is north, in the area that has been designated a natural park.

"Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina"

The first stop is "Portal," with limestone and marble cliffs. The coast here is markedly jagged.

Our lunchtime view is, in fact, such a good vista that we can stay the night and walk the beach.

The sea is windy and heavy, but the young gulls enjoy it.

On the sand dunes, the grasses blow in the wind.

Since entering the bay, the sky has taken little time to change.

As we eat our lunch, it certainly looks like rain!



We walk out onto the beach as the sky starts to darken.



The light is fantastic and extraordinary; one minute is here, and then it is gone.

The ocean seems to become panic-stricken with the darkness.

The dunes caught the last of the light, and the hills beyond were cast into blackness. Standing there, it was clear how the dunes were formed; the wind had become quite savage.

Now we have a squall.

We are getting wet, and I have to protect the camera. The aggression is hard to believe,
it's all happening so fast.

Then, as quickly as the squall started, the sun penetrated the cloud.



From a far corner of the bay, it all looks relatively calm!

As the early evening approaches, yet another mix of color appears. The sea also changes; it becomes oily and limp.

What a day!

All looks peaceful; those Romans would have been happy tonight as the sun sinks into the sea.

Night drawing down on the beautiful and wild West coast of Portugal
and a good night from us.

Happy Days!

Medieval Morella and the journey home

It is time to start the journey home. Our Autumn trip is nearly behind us, but we have such good memories of Switzerland, Italy, and Spain—not to be forgotten—and our journey through southern France, the country we will return home to in a few days. Having had breakfast with friends and said our goodbyes, we made a late start on the road.
Leaving the coast behind us at Benicarlo, we head inland. The N232 is an old road zig-zagging up the steep hillsides, offering lovely views across the now-changing surroundings.
The hilltop town of Morella is one of the most attractive towns in the Province of Castellon. A medieval fortress town rising out of the plain, with commanding views all around, recovered from the Moors in the thirteenth century. 

With the short days of winter, Morella will be our night stop. Our earlier travels had brought us this way, but we only stopped for a distant photograph. On this occasion, we will visit the town and watch the sunset.

In the morning, fog shrouds the town, but as the sun rises, it diminishes.

A fictional feel as the battlements appear, an El Sid moment!

We are further north now, leaving the sun behind us and entering the gloom. A murmuration of Starlings heads into their roost, as we should soon.

Across the border into France. Tarnos seems a good place for a lunch stop. I take a wind-blown walk out on the dyke, in anticipation of spotting the Lesser Crested Turn; it has been resident for some time. 

Alas, it is not to be. 

The Turnstones look bright for the camera.

How good is that! These are my first good photos of Purple Sandpipers. The Latin name Calidris maritima is fitting in this environment.

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima).

Now that is showing off! The Turnstone nudges the Purple Sandpiper out of the camera shot.
What a poseur! 

Having spent so long photographing the waders, it has become too late to continue the journey.
We head down to Tarnos-Plage for the night.
We arrive at the beach just in time to see the last rays of the sun go down behind the ferocious sea.

We both stand windswept as the darkness creeps over us and the beach, our thoughts with the seamen out there as we return to the cosy warmth of the camping car. 

Glad to be on dry land!

Happy Days!

African Monarch butterflies (Plain Tiger) & Mediterranean Slant-Faced Grasshopper.

The Gulf of Roses stretches from L'Escala to Roses. Halfway around, you find the Parc Natural Dels Aiguamolls de L'Emporda. This crucial wetland reserve was set up in 1983 to save what was left of the Emporda marshlands. It now attracts many birds and is especially important during migration periods. We have visited before, but it is always lovely to return.

Walking out onto the reserve, the weather could look better towards the Pyrenees.

It takes Linda no time to attract a little friend unknown to us. Then we realise it is a Mediterranean Slant-faced grasshopper.

During our picnic lunch, we spotted a distant Osprey some distance up the river Emporda. Then Linda spotted these stunning butterflies; she was sure they were of the Monarch species by their leisurely flight and colouration.

A correct presumption is that this is the Plain Tiger, also known as the African Monarch.
A milkwood butterfly.
Danaus chrysippus chrysippus.

The plain Tiger was the first butterfly used in art. In the Egyptian city of Luxor,
  Frescoes are featuring them, dating around 3500 years old.

They are lucky to be unpalatable to predators. They are full of alkaloids, which are digested during the larval period. Hence, they fly slowly, leisurely, and, sometimes, close to the ground. If they are digested by a predator, it causes vomiting, and they soon learn their lesson.

A mating pair on what we think is ragwort. Interestingly, this is also full of alkaloids.
They are supposed to favour dry terrain, but I need to find out, as we are on marshland, albeit very sandy.

Part of the reserve runs along a section of the beach here; we do a little sea-watching,
before cycling home.

A lovely Little Egret.

A lone Black-headed gull and that was it! Another great day out.

Tomorrow, we will go to the area around Les Talaies d' Alcala, further south.