Hi All --- started my annual travels again & just come across a guy with an internet connection out here at Perina before setting off up into the Caldeira hills.
Someone just got bitten by a spider so we`re taking an enforced break.
Its very hot but lovely. Surrounded by all sorts of fruit trees -- orange,tangerine,almonds,banana,fig,pomegranite etc. Also a strange local fruit I`ve just been picking which tastes delicious . I`ve never seen nor heard of it & cant even understand the locals for its name. It starts with "C" -- I`ll suss the name before I move on. Just been watching turtles diving (well belly-flopping) into a pond & now sampling the local fire-water ( whose name I also cant get my tongue round).
Here`s a pic :-
And an interesting one of the local community`s equivalent of Northumbrian Water :-
I`d never realised that the orange tree was a perpetual producer. These groves show the same trees to be bearing buds,new blossom,fresh fruit & windfalls all at once.
[/img]
Someone just got bitten by a spider so we`re taking an enforced break.
Its very hot but lovely. Surrounded by all sorts of fruit trees -- orange,tangerine,almonds,banana,fig,pomegranite etc. Also a strange local fruit I`ve just been picking which tastes delicious . I`ve never seen nor heard of it & cant even understand the locals for its name. It starts with "C" -- I`ll suss the name before I move on. Just been watching turtles diving (well belly-flopping) into a pond & now sampling the local fire-water ( whose name I also cant get my tongue round).
Here`s a pic :-
And an interesting one of the local community`s equivalent of Northumbrian Water :-
I`d never realised that the orange tree was a perpetual producer. These groves show the same trees to be bearing buds,new blossom,fresh fruit & windfalls all at once.
[/img]
Last edited by Ken on 12 May 2007 01:33 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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by Michelle » 30 Apr 2007 08:41 amThought the forum had been quiet for the past week ! 
Nice pics though Ken. Keep us updated.
Michelle.
Nice pics though Ken. Keep us updated.
Michelle.
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by Chel » 02 May 2007 01:19 pmMore pic's please, I must say how well you are looking to after all that has happened to you 
Chel
Chel
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by Ken » 03 May 2007 08:34 amWell thank you, kind lady. Yes-- I`m a lot better now. I`ve gone quite brown since that last pic but a bit wider round the waist I`m afraid ! 
Here`s a pic of the local laundry :-
Ken.
Here`s a pic of the local laundry :-
Ken.
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by Daffy » 03 May 2007 11:38 amThanks once again Ken for sharing your photos with us, its certainly an interesting trip. Daff 
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by Ken » 05 May 2007 10:53 amDown from the mountains to sea level now.
This is the rugged but beautiful coastline of the westerly part of the Algarve :-
Ken.
This is the rugged but beautiful coastline of the westerly part of the Algarve :-
Ken.
Last edited by Ken on 12 May 2007 01:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by Ken » 05 May 2007 10:57 amAnd here`s one of Ken enjoying the sun at the country`s more touristy eastern coast :-
Off home soon for a while so that`s all folks.
Ken.
Off home soon for a while so that`s all folks.
Ken.
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by Firefly » 06 May 2007 10:24 amDaffy wrote:Thanks once again Ken for sharing your photos with us, its certainly an interesting trip, do we know where you are yet? Daff
I quite agree ! luv seeing pics of your travels ken . i cant travel but i enjoy so much reading about yours.
Babs
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by Ken » 09 May 2007 10:55 amThanks folks. Glad you enjoyed them.Portugal is the world`s No.1 producer of cork.
I took this in a cork plantation :-
The climate is so hot & dry that the tree develops a thick coat of cork to help keep the heat out & the moisture in.
All the trees are numbered & recorded. They must be 23 years old before harvesting the cork is allowed and then its only allowed to be taken once every nine years.
Ken.
I took this in a cork plantation :-
The climate is so hot & dry that the tree develops a thick coat of cork to help keep the heat out & the moisture in.
All the trees are numbered & recorded. They must be 23 years old before harvesting the cork is allowed and then its only allowed to be taken once every nine years.
Ken.
Last edited by Ken on 12 May 2007 01:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by Ken » 11 May 2007 12:00 amI`ve been asked for more pics on Portugal so I`ll edit this topic & transfer it to "Photographs". Before I do , I wonder if anyone can help me identify this fruit. It tastes delicious & grows in abundance all over Portugal but I cant find any trace on the internet.
Ken.
Ken.
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by Wiccan woman » 11 May 2007 09:08 amThey look a little like apricots or maybe plums.....did you try any while you were there? what did they taste like?
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by Ken » 11 May 2007 09:32 amYes. They were delicious. They were everywhere -- old ladies were selling them by the bag full for a few cents to visitors who hadn`t yet realised you could pick them vitually anywhere for free !
I was told by a local that they couldn`t market them within the EEC because of the lack of uniformity of the fruit and also the black blemishes which most had.
Ken.
I was told by a local that they couldn`t market them within the EEC because of the lack of uniformity of the fruit and also the black blemishes which most had.
Ken.
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by Wiccan woman » 11 May 2007 10:59 amThey also look a bit like those yellow tomatoes too. If they were not being sold for very much you dont really mind paying, it helps the local people live.
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by Ken » 12 May 2007 06:53 pmBack to the cork production , here`s a stack of harvested cork bark :-
Whilst many producers of cheaper wines are now using synthetic bottle stoppers, this has had a detrimental effect on the Spanish cork market but very little effect on the Portugese market.
The reason being that Portugese cork is of a much higher quality than Spanish. Its the cheaper , more open-grained & crumbly cork which is being replaced.
Finer wines need to "breathe" at just the right rate when they are laid down to mature over long periods. Only the better quality, higher density Portugese cork is suitable for this.
Ken
Whilst many producers of cheaper wines are now using synthetic bottle stoppers, this has had a detrimental effect on the Spanish cork market but very little effect on the Portugese market.
The reason being that Portugese cork is of a much higher quality than Spanish. Its the cheaper , more open-grained & crumbly cork which is being replaced.
Finer wines need to "breathe" at just the right rate when they are laid down to mature over long periods. Only the better quality, higher density Portugese cork is suitable for this.
Ken
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by Chiana » 13 May 2007 06:55 pmGreat photos Ken, love that one from the mountains to the sea, so tranquill. Don't know what the fruit is though.
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by Ken » 27 May 2007 12:05 amOn a sadder note , I took this at Lagos only a few days before little Madeleine disappeared :-
I was hoping that I`d read some positive news on my return from Provence but sadly it doesn`t look too good now. However , any publicity must be better than none & there`s a website worth a look at :-
http://www.findmadeleine.com/
Ken.
I was hoping that I`d read some positive news on my return from Provence but sadly it doesn`t look too good now. However , any publicity must be better than none & there`s a website worth a look at :-
http://www.findmadeleine.com/
Ken.
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