Coy cow

Delicious to awaken to the songs of wrens, thrushes and sanhaçus (Sayaca Tanager - Thraupis sayaca), with the river and the howler monkeys providing the bass line and raucous punctuation by bands of parakeets. Spent ages watching a pair of sanhaçus zipping between the goiaba and jabuticaba trees right by our verandah (jabuticaba is Myrciaria cauliflora – the black, cherry-sized fruit grows on the trunk and branches). The ground and upturned boat under the tree were carpeted with fruit, but it must have been rotten - the birds didn’t eat it. Sanhaçus also nest close to our house in the hills and I love their song, but never get such a close look at them.

The day was filled with further delights, starting with breakfast (home-made yoghurt, cheese and cakes, fresh farm eggs, bacon, the works), on to riding round the farm, by the river and up and down the hills. River quite full, and considerably more so by the time we left. It runs over small rapids in some parts, and is wide but fast-moving by the time it passes the house, red-brown with all the clayey earth it carries down. The farm yard is home to ducks, geese, chickens, guinea fowl – such appealing birds - cattle and puppies (there are always puppies). Missed the noble oxen and the ox cart this time, but I have some good shots from our previous visits. This cow, after performing a series of energetic and positively acrobatic contortions to inspect her nether regions, asked me to post this more demure shot of her best profile.

Back for caipirinhas, nibblies and barbecued sausages by the swimming pool – all too relaxed for swimming, croquet or tennis. We were trying to get decent shots of the humming birds, which were flocking round the flowering bushes, but my photos were indifferent at best – hope the others did better. Found a large moth hanging by its legs from a leaf stem, imitating a bat. It seemed dead at first, but every time I looked at it, I saw it had attached itself by another leg. Two to start with, then three, then four. It was rather battered and was probably the one that blundered out of the chimney when our host lit the barbecue – must have hung itself out to cool off.

Lunch was leitoa à pururuca - roast sucking pig with all the trimmings (and people in Minas go to town on the trimmings). Tried not to think too much about the poor little piglet – to my foreign ear, it sounds much less defenseless by the Brazilian name, leitoa. Needless to say, it was mouthwatering. It’s unbelievable how much we eat here, but the food's so wonderful that one’s appetite increases proportionally. And of course we managed to put away a pretty substantial supper as well.

This place is so beautiful, so peaceful and so superbly maintained (which involves a lot of dedication and organization on the part of our hosts). I wish I could stay forever. A real privilege to be here.