Among the cork trees: a beautiful spot in the hills of Monchique

We found this gorgeous spot among the cork trees last week whilst driving around Monchique. Completely calm, quiet and totally serene, hubby and I were immediately taken with it. Surrounded by cork trees, it would be the most perfect location for a house – pity we’ve already bought a plot elsewhere 😉

Cork trees

Did you know that Portugal produces half of all harvested cork trees worldwide? Once they reach about 25 years old, they’re then stripped of cork every nine years. The trees live up to about 300 years old. Nowadays, you can buy a huge multitude of cork products, with the most common being wine bottle stoppers. Jewellery, handbags, shoes, umbrellas, flooring, bulletin boards, shuttlecocks, and much much more. I’ve just read that it has even been used to make postage stamps here in Portugal!

Inspiration

Cork trees are completely full of character. Gnarled and unique. I just love to be surrounded by them, they really inspire me in the creative process of writing, especially when I’m writing urban fantasy books like Raven (one of my young adults books which is free to download, btw).

Outfit details

It was a tad chilly whilst we were there, hence my denim jacket – one which certainly gets a lot of wear. I actually thought my darker denim jacket looked better with this outfit but the its dark colour made me think of wintery months and not the fact that it’s nearly June! Both denim jackets came from Primark, surprisingly. When I was on a mission for denim jackets (!), I literally tried on every one I could find. The ones that fitted, and looked, the best were the ones from Primark. They were the cheapest too so what a result!

I love these Converse All Stars! I bought them in a closing down sale a couple of weeks ago. At first I thought they were a bit weird looking but now I’ve worn them a couple of times, they’ve totally grown on me. They’re such a fun shoe to wear – and perfect in the rain due to their waterproof rubbery material!

You’ve seen the chinos a couple of times on the blog recently, here for instance, when I wore them out to dinner with friends in Lagos. They’re so comfortable and versatile. What isn’t so great is their tendency to crease like mad, but you can’t have everything, I suppose! I bought them from C&A (their online shops are only available in foreign languages like Spanish and German, unfortunately) a couple of months ago.

Although I’m quite fond of pink, I usually find that pale pinks don’t really suit me. But when I saw this vest in a slightly darker shade, I was delighted to discover it looked quite good against my skin tone. Again, it’s a Primark purchase, of which I have quite a few in almost every colour!

Accessories

I found this cream necklace online, years ago. It was from eBay I think, but I can’t be entirely sure it was so long ago. I haven’t worn it much though, for some reason. The handbag came from a leather shop in Portimao (my nearest city) quite a few years ago too. Although it’s quite versatile and comfortable to wear, I do think it’s a little boring lol.

Thank you for all your well wishes this past week, by the way. Although I’m still very snotty and have dodgy sinuses, I’m feeling much more human at last! <3