Regardless of where my travels may take me, I am always drawn to the plants and flowers typical of the area I’m visiting. A few special ones from my recent trip to Portugal:
High above the Atlantic Ocean at Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point in Europe) I found a feathery yellow flower blooming among its succulent-like leaves, probably a Delosperma (Ice Plant).
In a seaside town, lining the street, the striking red bottlebrush flowers of the Pohutukawa metrosideros excelsa trees (New Zealand Christmas Tree) were putting on quite a show.
Bougainvillea could be found everywhere, draped over walls, fences and buildings and covered in masses of papery magenta flower bracts.
A day trip to the Douro Valley was a wonderful experience; the hillsides of this World Heritage designated area are covered in grapevines as far as the eye can see. The harvest will begin in September followed by the production of the world famous Port wines of Portugal.
