Markadia

From Caceres we travelled East to Portugal.

There are some lovely tranquil places which, when the sun shines, are so

beautiful and unspoilt that time seems to stop and everyday concerns become trivialities.

These places demand not just your attention but your complete being. Markadia in the Beja region of Portugal is such a place.

You become immersed in the place itself, watching and listening.

We saw a hoopoe close by, jays gliding between the pine trees, rabbits hopping across the sandy dunes, cicadas showing a glimpse of exotic blue in their dull brown wings as they jump,

butterflies searching for the occasional late flower.

The lake may be man-made but there are few other marks made by people on this landscape.

You can just see our van at the top of the hill in between the trees!