It isn't all work here. Our very first evening here we went with Lucia, Rolf, and a couple of their friends to a concert by an Arab-African group in the city of Loulé. Although we were tired after traveling all day we managed to stay awake and very much enjoyed the concert. The performance included dancing by a young woman who could somehow spin whirling dervish-like for a dizzying number of revolutions and afterward walk in a perfectly straight line off stage without staggering into the orchestra pit. She was also well practiced at rhythmically flinging her long black hair back and forth with brain scrambling intensity. The drummer offered his own visual accompaniment to the music by swinging the very long tassel to his hat in a circle with small movements of his neck. He was maybe a little too pleased with himself and his little hat trick but he was also a talented drummer.
Sunday was our day off, which Deborah took advantage of by....... doing more weeding. As I said, a strange woman. I on the other hand accepted Lucia and Wolfgang's invitation to join them on a hike in the countryside. Also joining us were a Portuguese couple, a Swiss man, and another German (I think) woman, all of whose names I have forgotten. We also had three dogs join our little international group. It was a pleasant walk on a beautiful day, but our planned 9km (5.4 mi) walk was cut short by a too daunting river crossing, which forced us to turn back.
That evening Wolfgang fired up his sauna and invited us and some friends over to take part. I declined but Deborah, who was suffering from a severe case of clogged nasal passages thought it might clear her head. After donning her bathing suit and entering the sauna she was somewhat surprised to find that everyone else was naked. The Europeans are of course much more relaxed about nudity than us prudish Americans. So Deborah did her best to carry on conversations without letting her eyes wander, but she may have seen more of our hosts and their friends than she expected.
Cork harvested from Cork Oak - a big product in Portugal, mostly used for wine corks.
Cork Oak with it's trunk stripped. It takes 9 years to grow back.
Pretty valley as seen from our hike.
Interesting plant life near the river we couldn't cross.
Wolfgang and Lucia's sauna - clothing optional.
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