The climate of Góis is affected by three main phenomena: the Atlantic ocean and North Atlantic Drift; continental high pressure over the Iberian peninsular; and the local mountain ranges.
The main weather pattern over the summer is controlled by the continental high pressure, which is predominantly dry, warm to hot, with occasional thunderstorms. The winter weather is influenced by the Atlantic ocean. Starting in the autumn, the moist Atlantic air finally overcomes the dry continental air, and around September/October the rains come, filling the rivers and raising the water levels in the village wells. This rain keeps the region green and fertile.
Around December/January the temperature can go down to -2 or 3°C at night. But unlike northern European countries, the sun is still high above the horizon and quickly warms the air. The growing season in Portugal is all year round, and what this webpage aims to do is record the progress of the seasons by updating regularly with pictures and text, showing how spring emerges and bursts over the landscape.
We always knew it would be difficult to know when to start posting on this page - for the past two weeks there have been bumble bees flying around in the warmth of the afternoon sun, and the large old camellia trees have started to show their crimson flowers. But is this spring? For three days now the temperature has been reaching 20°C on the south-facing slopes, and the blackbirds have changed their morning chorus to announce the new season. But the reason why we have started writing today, is that on a short walk into the hills I saw a newly-emerged Cleopatra butterfly flashing between yellow and acid-green as it flew along the path in front of me. 21/01/08
This morning I have been out researching the Legend of Candosa with the Góis historian, looking at the area where the two rivers - the Sotão and the Ceira - meet, before they flow into the Candosa gorge. I was delighted to see a kingfisher flying up the river, stopping momentarily on an overhanging branch. Then walking along an old irrigation channel I saw several painted frogs warming themselves in the sunshine before plopping into the water as I approached. The temperature has been about 19°C. The recent warm spell is bringing out the woodland plants - I saw the first violet today, and a woodland plant similar to shamrock is forming bright green patches on the woodland floor.
22/01/08
The weather over the past two days has stayed warm. We have been continuing the research into the Legend of Candosa, and finally today I put on a pair of chest waders and set off down the river to look for evidence of Roman activity. This is not the easiest thing to do while wearing a cumbersome pair of waders, but we did find large quartzite blocks built into the side of the gorge which may be Roman, and may have given rise to the Legend.
As for spring - from my office window I can see a robin, who has taken up residence in one of the olive trees and is chasing off any other bird who lands in its territory. We are also seeing bees and butterflies more frequently, particularly the peacock butterfly. 24/01/08
Another beautiful spring day – in the mid-afternoon the temperature reached 21°C. Below our house, in the olive grove, our neighbour was busy cutting the new grass with a sickle, to feed to his goats. On the drive to Lousã, the first of the yellow acacia flowers have appeared on the trees, and in an old garden in the centre of the town there were bright golden daffodils. In Góis, outside the May Tay café, the red table -umbrellas were blooming for the first time this year, offering shade for people sitting bare-armed to drink their lunch-time coffee.
Two more lovely spring days. Yesterday, we were moving our woodpile and having a bonfire. Today, I was working on the archaeology again, and was fortunate enough to visit three rivers - the Ceira, the Sotão and the Mondego - looking for signs of the salt trade. (The salt was brought up the rivers, then transported to the market in Spain.) All along the sides of the rivers, new green growth was showing, pushing through the fallen autumn leaves. The first of the flowers were tracking the sun as it moved across the sky. A warm 21°C this afternoon. We now have a vase full of acacia blossom on our kitchen table, the candytuft flowers radiating yellow light and leaving a fine layer of pollen on the table.
At the risk of sounding a bit boring, today has been another beautiful sunny, warm day at around 19°C. This morning I was out early taking photos in the village of Bordeiro, where down in the valley there had been a heavy frost overnight, and swirls of mist were rising from the river. Then in Caselhos, taking photos for the website, looking down the Sotão valley I could see mimosa trees coming into flower on the hillsides. In Portela, folk were out working busily on the land.
By midday, small lizards were to be seen basking on walls – the first this year. The recent warmth and sunshine has started to ripen the sweet oranges.
Yesterday the weather turned a little colder. As the sun rose it revealed a silver sheen on the grass in the bottom of the valley, where instead of dew, there was frost. Driving the children to school the car's thermometer read a chilly 3°C, but it quickly rose to 18°C by midday. Since moving to Portugal we have seen some fantastic wildlife, but today we were deliighted to see for the first time not a wild animal, but a working ox, standing patiently while its cart was loaded with bracken. Just a few years ago many oxen were still in use in this area, but today they are becoming increasingly rare. It has been a good day for taking photos with blue skies and a heat haze that turns the distant hills blue. Fortunately I had the camera with me when we met the ox -
31/01/08
Today, the skies are grey and it is cooler, at about 16°C. Looking out of my office window, I can see six of the local villagers digging one of the lower terraces, preparing to set the spring vegetables. Down in the town of Góis today, it has been the Carnival, where the schoolchildren from all the schools of the Góis region dress up in fancy dress, and walk through the town throwing handfuls of confetti. The streets are lined with folk smiling at the younger generation, particularly the nursery children, dressed as trees and suns.
Today has been a wet one. Really, really wet. We woke to the sound of the rain beating on the roof, and throughout the morning watched the clouds coming over the hills and then spilling down on us. Occasionally there was a brighter spell, and at one point the rain even stopped for 10 minutes and the sun came out. I foolishly hung out the washing. The next thing I knew, it had started to rain again, heavier than ever, and now it is steadily pouring. The consolation lies in knowing that this is what fills the rivers and keeps this part of Portugal so wonderfully verdant.
I am sorry we have not updated this page for the last few days but we have been working hard on translating the site into Portuguese. The weather since it rained has become warmer, rising to 21 C today. Down by the river this morning the old alder trees lining the bank were dropping their catkins - only a few days ago they hung yellow with pollen but are now floating down the river. It now really feels like spring. Yellow flowers are blooming everywhere and in the woods strange dark green leaves are pushing out of the ground. With the door to my office open I can see a bright green lizard crossing backwards and forwards across the doorway, occasionally stopping to stare in. It has been so dry for the last four days that the pine cones have now opened again, and below the blackbirds busy themselves turning over the leaf litter and making a noise which far exceeds their size.
Today has been the warmest and loveliest day so far this year. We have had all the windows and doors flung open, and the scent of the mimosa, out now in full all around, has come wafting in on the breeze. It feels such a treat to be able to wander around the house barefoot in February, and to go out in sandals and t-shirt. I have been delighted to find that daffodils do grow in Portugal – maybe not in the same profusion as in parts of the British Isles – but they are in many gardens and along the side of the road, and appear so fresh. The more exotic magnolia is flowering now in Coimbra, and camellias are everywhere. But the amazing thing is that the colour has never really left the landscape here, since all through the winter there have been oranges and lemons hanging on the trees, and always some flowers in bloom. 9/02/08
At dusk this evening, to the south, there was the slimmest of crescent moons - which prompted me to mention the sky. Because of the lack of pollution from light and industry the skies above this region are beautiful at night, (and early morning - if you are up to see it ) and just a few minutes ago I took this picture:
9/02/08
Every weekday during February sees me taking the little train into Coimbra and back to attend a course in Portuguese at the university. The train winds through the countryside, stopping at several little towns along the way, and is a wonderful way to view the landscape in a leisurely fashion. One thing that I have noticed over the last week is that the delicate pink almond blossom is now appearing on the trees, in fields and gardens and village squares. Around our house we are also watching the fresh green “fiddle-heads” of the bracken pushing up through the ground and starting to unfurl.
Last weekend we had a warm wind blowing the trees about, bringing with it a little rain and the promise of more to come – although in the event it turned out to be no more than a heavy shower and the odd rumble of thunder in the distance. The skies, however, have continued to be interesting over the last few days, as big cumulus clouds have gathered over the hills, with the occasional glimpse of a rainbow. But most impressive of all this week has been the moon, hanging huge and full over the Ceira valley as we look out of our bedroom window in the early morning.
Meanwhile, the hills are golden with mimosa – apparently this has been an exceptionally good year for the mimosa blossom, with little rain to bring it down - and the heady scent of it fills the air. In the valleys, the delicate peach blossom is now starting to appear on the trees. 22/02/08
It is amazing how time flies past and we are already nearly at Easter. The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy ones for us, as we have variously studied Portuguese intensively in Coimbra, set to germinating seeds for the vegetable garden, and been out and about in the villages gathering information from the local residents and building up our photo library as we develop the website.
The Portuguese study is coming along in fits and starts, but it feels good to be increasingly engaged with the language and those who speak it, and brings us ever closer to achieving our goal of attaining our property license.
Setting and germinating seeds has seemed nothing short of miraculous - having previously lived in extremely northerly climes – it seems there is nothing that will not grow here! So far we have started off aubergines, peppers and chillies of several varieties, squash, courgette and pumpkin, several kinds of tomatoes, sweet peas, basil and probably others I can’t remember. Some of the seeds are 6 years old, but everything so far has come up with a rush, and we are fast running out of windowsill space.
Outside it feels similar to late May in Britain. We continue to enjoy lovely warm sunshine throughout the days (apparently this has been one of the mildest winters on record), and everywhere you look there is the soft pink haze of peach, and snowy white plum blossom amongst the olive trees. The mimosa is just starting to fade now, although the scent is still in the air – this too has been exceptionally abundant this year, due to the lack of frost and little rain.
Visiting the villages, we find that everyone is busy digging the ground and planting for the next growing season. Beans and potatoes are now being set. Up high in the mountains, everything is a little behind, but the hills are now turning purple with the spring heather, and the bees are also busy taking advantage of the wild mountain flowers, producing one of the purest and richest-flavoured honeys in the world.
P.S. Perhaps we should now be calling this diary by a different name, as we have just realised that we have reached our defining limit of early spring - the arrival of the swallows. Down in Góis we have seen them darting under the eaves, and heard much cheeping coming from their nests. So are we now approaching the first signs of summer? But then again, we are still having the occasional night-time frost...and as they say, one swallow doesn't make a summer!
