Medronheiro at the Gameiro

Breakfast in Cabeção at Paulo's café, and then a walk alongside the river at the Gameiro - seems like no time at all that we were swimming there; today it was fleeces and boots. Though warm enough in the sun, it was 4 degrees when I went to bed last night. Then pizza at Bia's, and now M has taken Val to the prehistory museum across the road, while I catch up on a few things - like Blip!

This is a medronho berry, from the so called strawberry tree, otherwise known as arbutus unedo; the unedo bit is attributed to Pliny the Elder, who allegedly claimed that "unum tantum edo", meaning "I eat only one", presumably because they're not that tasty. So what the Alentejanos (and Algarvians)do with it is make a spirit, usually in illegal homemade stills.

(Added bit for BarrioBoy - this is the tree on the Madrid emblem, being eaten by a bear - the berries become alcoholic if left on the tree, which bears appreciate.)

This is a much better photo of the medronho by a fellow blipper, thanks for commenting, Crispin, as I couldn't remember your name!