TWO DAYS IN A RURAL AREA #2 ... SLIDE-SHOW

The morning was gorgeous, yet a bit hot. However, I didn't give up going hiking at the Royal Hunting Reserve, a few kilometers away from Mafra town.

The Reserve  was created by king João V as a leisure park for the royal family, between 1744 and 1748: with an extension of 819 hectares (2050 acres), it is encircled by a 12-kilometre long wall (eight miles); it was the ideal space for the Court to hunt, with woods occupying almost all the area.

With the proclamation of the Republic (1910), its name was changed to National Hunting Reserve.
It was open to the public in 1975, and has passed through some hard times, namely with the great bush fires of 1981 and 2004.
The park displays a rich flora, with cork oak trees, eucalyptus and willows, among many others, and fauna: deer, wild boars, foxes, wolves, eagles, owls, etc. I was disappointed as I didn't encounter any of these but deers and fallows, only. It's still summer and perhaps they were hidden somewhere far from the humans' sight.

A stream crosses the reserve but it was almost dried up. I saw beautiful vegetation along its banks. A plastic bin hung from a tree caught my attention. Later I was told that was an automatic feeding trough that spreads cereals during the summer months. Interesting to see a lime-stone kiln that was very well restored. I didn't see anyone else than me, probably people don't go hiking under hot sunshine. I admit, it was not very comfortable, yet I did enjoy the day but returned back home feeling some disappointment. I had been told that deers in the mating season were easier to photograph as they don't care much about humans: we do not groan as they do!   

 

   

~~ HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND ~~