When there's still no darkness

The title might seem strange, but if you check my last post you'll see it makes sense!

Although the fires took a heavy toll in one of my favorite places in Portugal, it's good to see some things stayed the same.

This natural swimming pool is the perfect place to relax in a warm Summer afternoon, just a couple kms from the village. The fire got pretty near, but fortunately left the greenery right next to the river untouched. So I can still admire settings like this:

The small river has tons of places to go for a swim, some more secluded, some better known. I used to hop between a few when I was a kid, but this time I only was able to visit this spot; at least I got an added bonus: not only the place remains as beautiful as it has been... I got it almost all to myself!!

This is highly unsual, especially in this time of the year. Can't really say why: maybe the fact most visitors had left, or the fires decreased the amount of visitors... whatever it was, I enjoyed being here all alone, apart from a couple of people having a drink in the little cafe that was installed a few years ago.

The water was still f^@^@ cold, but I do enjoy it this way! Just me, and the fishes!

Since the sun was still quite warm, best way to heat up was just to place the towel in the warm rocks around the water and enjoy the sunshine. There's a tiny "sandy" part near the water, but the warm rocks are my favorite.

Nothing like a cold dip to recharge your batteries and get those hormones pumping. In such a familiar place filled with good memories and with this natural beauty, even better!

Since I don't feel this little gem is a secret anymore, might as well share the location with you. Just don't tell anyone... I still want this almost all to myself! 😉