After the fire - Spring brings renewal

And it really does..........

Having just returned from the UK after a week of teaching soap making and visiting my family I have really seen the difference that a week of spring and rain can make.  The Quinta is green and luxurious, the new fruit trees (a very welcome gift from my parents) are flowering and, against all odds, our old apple trees that were engulfed in flames are showing small signs of new growth!  Nature is incredible.

I can remember the first walk the morning after the fire, I took lots of photos, it was still hot and smokey and totally shocking.  The landscape had changed beyond recognition.  There were still little fires and smoking roots everywhere, it was difficult to breathe and it was so very sad - "muito triste".

However, now it is beginning to look so much better.  Our fields are green again, The rain is falling and, although it is a bit too much and a bit too strong, it is so very welcome.  Our river is filled up once more, in fact it is now raging.  Our flood defences that we built 3 years ago around our animal house are holding up, we have even brought new chickens today.  Everywhere we walk there are streams and floods of water, its great!

We are now surrounded by still blackened and fire ravaged scenery but each day we get a little bit of our beautiful Portugal back and we are refreshed and regenerated by that.  Its a bit of a miracle that unfolds each day.  It still makes me aware of how lucky we were, we have solar power and our own bore hole for water, and that meant that Rik was able to fight the fire, and fight it he did, he stayed put and used all the 3 hoses that we had, pumping water until late into the night even though we had no choice of escaping and were surrounded.  As a result our Quinta has been a little oasis in the midst of devastation.  It is just so good to see everything else around us coming back to life.  In fact I have never seen as many wild daffodils and other lovely wild flowers as we now have on our land.

This is just a little snap shot of how much things have changed.  A view from our Rock looking down to the pool terrace and veg garden.  Here is the day after the fire....

And now after 4 months.....

Bring it on!  We are looking forward to this year of growing, making, creating and improving our much loved little farm.  It's all looking good for 2018, and we are really looking forward to welcoming lots of new (and old) visitors.

Please leave a comment below, especially if you have any photos to share.  I almost wish that the above photo shows how wonderful and snowy the Serra da Estrella is right now.  I am hoping to go up there and ski this week........  More photos and reports to follow

This is how good things are, I have just cut our first asparagus this year, I started it from seed 4 years ago and now we have our first proper harvest, yummm.