Horses – Travels with Ali

~ Discovering Comporta’s Hidden Gems: Vineyards, Villages and Cavalos ~

Over breakfast on Sunday, we chatted about what the itinerary would be for that day. Graham had been told there were some wineries in the area. I looked a few up and asked the receptionist to ring around to check which ones were open. I was surprised to find out there was only one open, being a Sunday. We booked a tour and lunch and off we went.

As we were approaching Comporta we saw huge birds sitting atop chimneys, lampposts and buildings. Moving closer we realised they were storks. A real treat seeing a stork in the wild.

I tried to get closer, but you can guess what happened.

Before we arrived we stopped and admired the ricefields. At the time not realising they were ricefields.

Flocks of glossy ibis feasting on the rice
with water water everywhere

The winery was called Adega da Herdade da Comporta. It lies with the sea on one side and rice fields on the other. The views around are absolutely stunning. We had arrived at the perfect place for our Sunday lunch. We were given a fascinating tour, visiting the wine cellars and learning about the history. The wine tasting was at our table and the measures were more than generous. We were served lunch with all the wine thankfully.

I was definitely looking forward to tasting this wine.

The view from our guide’s office window

**Enjoying a delicious charcuterie board with a variety of wines**

We all agreed that this place went above our expectations, although I think our lunch played a big part.

Our guide had mentioned a fishing village not far from the winery, she said we must go. So we did and what a fun find it was.

Cais Palafítico da Carrasqueira is a unique fishing village that sits on a multitude of wooden jetties on stilts. They zigzag along the muddy marshes with weathered huts standing on top. The huts are decorated in a myriad of ways all different. It is still a working village which was surprising, considering how rickety the small plankways looked. We spent quite a while here, all of us walking in different directions, daring each other to walk along the piers.

There was no-one around when we were here and I was wondering how the fisherman actually got to their boats.

A faded mural and some random numbers.

Let’s Pull Up a Seat and enjoy the view

Leaving just before sunset with the golden rays spreading slowly across the sea.

Before returning to our hotel we had another brief stop at an equestrian centre. It was just closing but the manager said we could still walk around. Being a horse lover Colleen was in her element. I’m happy there was fences between us.

I would have liked longer to long around as there were some fantastic memorabilia on display.

A fitting end to a perfect day. Back to the hotel for our last night in Porto Covo.

Real and Fake

This week Cee has asked for real and fake photos for her Fun Photo Challenge – CFFC . I had some fun with this one searching through the archives and wondering what to use.

Touring Tasmania – Richmond and Oatlands

After leaving Eaglehawk Neck we drove onto Richmond for the night, staying at Hatcher’s Manor. It sounds very glorious and also looked fabulous from the photos. The outside didn’t disappoint, but the rooms and restaurant could have done with a bit of renovation!

Arriving around 6.30 pm we had booked to have dinner in the restaurant there, so poor hubby didn’t have to drive anymore. A limited menu and wine list greeted us. I was invited to the kitchen to see what cold whites were on offer, sadly nothing Tasmanian, too expensive I was told.

Hubby choosing his after dinner drink behind the bar

Intriguing pieces around the property

The owner kept three horses on the property that he told us were just left there! He used to let them out of their field and have a wander around the property. Chomping and chewing their way around the flower beds.

The man of the manor and his horses

Leaving Hatcher’s after breakfast we made our way into Richmond for a quick wander and a coffee. We had a long drive ahead of us to reach Stanley that night, almost five hours not counting the stops.

This is the route we were taking today.

Richmond

This town has a population of just over 800 and is situated in the Coal River Region. It’s most famous structure is the Richmond Bridge which was built in 1823. It is the oldest stone span bridge in Australia.

Walking into Richmond itself we took a turn around the Gaol and had another history lesson. Richmond Gaol is Australia’s oldest colonial gaol, and has a great self guided tour on offer. It dates back to 1825. When you enter the different rooms the narrative starts. Sometimes it’s a bit startling hearing the screams, cries and pleas of the women prisoners. This was a mixed jail, where sleeping quarters were always overcrowded. There were also solitary cells for repeat offenders. Women were often repeat offenders attempting to escape harsh masters and preferred to live out their sentence inside a jail.

The local gingerbread house

Oatlands

I researched the drive over to Stanley to see where we could stop and what towns would be the most interesting. Oatlands was one such place and we had a quick stop here to see the windmill.

Callington Mill, a Georgian Mill built in 1837 and restored in 2010. This is still a working mill and produces quality flour.

A traditional stone wall cottage, I pretty much blend in!

We stopped at Ross for lunch, this was another very pretty historical town, but sadly not enough time to have a good look around. Next up was Sheffield, a town of murals. I took plenty of photos here, but that will be for another post!