A walk in the Serra de Montejunto
Spring has arrived! There is a joyful sun in the sky and the pools of water are rapidly diminishing. Dark spots become lighter and lighter, and soon the clay ground bursts open. This means that the start of building is coming closer and closer!
In the meantime we are treating ourselves with long walks in the country. And we go secretly to the mountain whenever we feel like it. Because officially we are not allowed to drive from one township to another. Luckily there are more little roads than police cars. During the week no cyclists, bikers and other nature thugs. We drive our car all the way up the mountain and park next to the abandoned house of the mountain rangers. Several trails lead up and around the top of the Serra. Sometimes they are hard to find. They are often covered with weeds or avalanches of small stones. A digital map is also a safety help to avoid the deep cliffs that may be hidden behind bushes or big rocks.
Feet
We find trails of animals, wild boar root in the ground. Little footsteps in the mud, and droppings. But of course they hide from us, a couple of weirdos carelessly passing by during daytime. A bunch of stray dogs try to scare us off with their angry bark, but Luís is extremely good at throwing stones. Exit dogs.
As usual I forgot to bring my walking sticks. They would come in very handy in this rocky and uneven terrain. Especially for a person like me with an inexplicable strange sense of balance… So from time to time I grab a hold in the bushes when I am about to slip or stumble, hoping there are no prickly plants among them. From time to time we stop to catch our breath on the steep slope. But finally there is the reward: stunning sights into the far distance. You can even see a silver line at the horizon: the ocean! Modern windmills on the hills further away, luckily we are in a protected area. Close to us there are still a lot of the very old windmills to be found, diligent workers from the past. Some are still working, there is an eternal wind blowing up here.
Hungry
In between and protected by the sturdy rocks we find her: spring! Fresh greens in a fresh wind, little buds ready to burst. Hungry for warmth and space. Delicate leaves in all shades of green, interlaced with subtle young colors of their flowers.
