The shell seeker

I strolled along a wooden bridge spanning the natural wildlife preserve of Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal) towards sandy dunes and the winter afternoon sun. Cresting the hill, a pristine clay-coloured beach with waves crashing against the shore lay before me.

Aside from the waves and the occasional seagull’s cry diving into the Atlantic ocean to catch a fish, the beach was void of all other sound. I took a deep breath of the fresh air and followed footsteps in the sand: a medium-sized dog, a galloping horse, someone with a walking stick, little feet walking next to larger feet… They took me far along the beach, past broken shell piles in search of sea glass, driftwood and other unusual finds.

The ocean shore has always been a peaceful retreat for me on such picture perfect days. I can spend hours walking up and down the shore, thinking of really nothing at all. When my pockets are brimming with shells and it’s time to brush the sand off my feet, I leave the beach refreshed with a new view on life and my troubles carried out to sea.

Heading back across the bridge towards the car, sun setting behind me, a couple of Portuguese clam diggers and sandpipers dug through the low tide mud in search of elusive clams. I may have left the beach behind for today, but I look forward to more shell seeking in the future. One day, I will have a little beach house with an ocean view of the sunrise or sunset from the living room and will fill it with fishing floats, shells and sea glass from faraway lands.

A villa in the Algarve and golf lessons please

Crystal blue skies as far as the eye can see, radiant sunshine, birds chirping, yellow and red flowers timidly unfurling their petals in the shade of pine groves and scrub brush. With earth the colour of red clay, sandy beaches and warm sunshine (16C, 61F), the Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal is proving to be a perfect winter getaway from sub zero temperatures, snow and ice.

What a fantastic way to start 2009.  Sitting by the pool (albeit not IN it!), tipping back a couple of cool ‘Super Bock’ Portuguese beers, book in hand (Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road), I could not help but laugh at the beady-eyed sparrow hopping back and forth on the chair across from me, desperately in search of the crumb he was not going to get today.

To soak up more sunshine, I later took a long walk around the Quinta do Lago area we are staying in near Faro and was struck by how beautiful it is to be on vacation near a golf course.  There are at least four golf courses and a fair amount of retired Brits who have caught on to this winter secret.  Sun, golf, peace and quiet… what more could one ask for in January to beat the winter blues?  I am once again reminded how I really should take up golf, so I too can enjoy the beauty of the courses and share laughs about lost golf balls and surly iguanas.  In the meantime, at least I can still partake in the ‘apres-golf’ drinks and enjoy the scenery!

It occured to me as I wandered through palm shaded streets, and past immaculately manicured gardens of villas such as  ‘Casa Esmeralda’ ‘Casa Bella’ and Casa de Lobo’, (second holiday homes for seemingly wealthy English and Germans), that this would be a very nice place to have a ‘little’ getaway year-round indeed.