it’s a wonder I get anything done at all.

The outdoor installations are at the botanical gardens. They are lit, and the gardens are staying open until ten p.m. so you can stroll the paths and be amazed. We and a thousand or so other folks took advantage of the relatively balmy evening to go have a look. I’m very glad we did.

I’ve been trying some new techniques too, trying to keep the creative boredom at bay. Apparently I was heavily influenced by the landscapes on our trip. Also, I have been reading The Sea Room,  an Island Life in the Hebrides. Perhaps that has something to do with what I’ve been sketching.

Last night I let the dogs out and the full moon was just rising above the trees. I haven’t shot the full moon in a while, so I ran back in grabbed the night camera, batteries and a tripod.

This shot makes me sick that I didn’t take the best night camera to Portugal, because it turned out that we were in a perfect spot for full moon photos but I had foolishly drawn the line at three cameras. So pretend that this shot is part of the vacation photos.

This adorable place was right up the road from us.

Watching the moon rise every night was magical.

This sunset shot was actually from our first night,

but I don’t think anyone will mind the lack of continuity.

We perhaps got the tiniest bit turned around, and wound up much farther away than we had intended, and I took increasingly blurry pictures of crumbly real estate, and speculated about renovation possibilities. The roof needs work, and we’d need a new door.

Ahh, back where we started.

Finally we got to the top of the hill, scratched by brambles and sweating like field hands. It was totally worth it. We discovered that we had taken the long way around, and up. That’s our lighthouse on the right, those dots in the middle are cows.

Almost there!

The village of Ginetes, seen through the door.

Ginetes in it’s entirety. We would not be the first visitors to chuck everything and move here.

On the other side of the windmill, we found the track the farmers use to get to the cattle. No less steep, but much less brambly. Later we convinced the guys to go up with us.

Shot of six foot plus husband provided for scale. Those are some tall weeds. After walking on paths

like these, the views seem even more spectacular.

If you like miles of sandy beach, keep moving. This is definitely not the place for you. If you look closely you can see tiny little people playing amongst the jagged rocks.

If you live to shop, you will seriously go into retail withdrawal. Right along the waterfront in Ponta there are some touristy jewelry and tchotchke shops, but otherwise it is a retail desert. Personally, I am just fine with that. If your vacation is about acquiring souvenirs, this will be a disappointing run for you.

However if you like standing in a spot and watching the light change across a scene like this, you will be in heaven.

If you like seeing flowers that we struggle to keep alive being used as roadside and pasture hedges, ditto.

If you like looking out your bedroom window and being slapped speechless by the sky…you will never be disappointed.

And for the squeamish…Fair Warning! Look Away! Delicious but Possibly Disturbing Food Ahead!!!

Consider yourself warned!

Roasted octopus with new potatoes. Mmmmmmm!

]]> http://wednesdaywandered.com/?feed=rss2&p=1133 3 http://wednesdaywandered.com/?p=1124 http://wednesdaywandered.com/?p=1124#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:18:46 +0000 carlarey http://wednesdaywandered.com/?p=1124 Did you miss me? Did you wonder where I was? Well, I was in the tiny town of Ginetes in Sao Miguel, Portugal. This was the view from the patio where we ate dinner every night and watched the moon rise. Actually this was the view to the left.

This was the view to the right.

The whole island is so stunningly gorgeous that everywhere you look is another astounding view. Our house was incredible, an old villa with just enough updates to keep you comfortable, but not so much that you could ever forget where you were. There was a crumbly stone barn out back, and on the hill above us, the remains of an ancient windmill.

The whole island is a geologist’s dream, pocked with volcanic calderas and hot springs. We hiked up to the windmill behind the house and were amazed to find ourselves standing on the rim of a crater and realizing that from below what looked like terraced hills were actually old lava flows, and the top of every mountain hides a caldera.

Don’t worry, there will be lots more pictures, I promise.

2. Tilda Swinton’s new movie I Am Love. She is fearless and fabulous.

3. Enough rainfall that I didn’t have to stand outside for the past few mornings with a garden hose attempting to keep my garden alive.

4. Having my kid come home from visiting his auxiliary family in Wahoo, Nebraska thrilled beyond belief about getting to do the sort of summer vacation things that we used to take for granted, like riding his bike with his friends to get ice cream all on their own, and watching a 4th of July parade and fireworks at the Wahoo Municipal Ball Field.

5. Packing for a vacation in Paradise.

6. This summer in particular.