Algarve Beach Life Diaries

The wildfires in northern Portugal remind me once more that, however much people in the UK complain about the weather (and we do whinge quite a lot!) we rarely have to put up with the extremes that others suffer...

Prolonged dry weather does carry the 'tinder-box' effect, and these raging fires take an inordinate amount of time and effort to quench.

I was glad that the Portuguese government had shown the good sense to ask for international help in dealing with the present conflagrations.

I hope that nothing like this happens in Algarve, as that would be cruel for a region that is only just recovering from its fiery afflictions in 2003!

It was pleasing to see how quickly the landscape recovered, when I visited in April 2004 (see my Algarve Fires update page). But that rather discounts the trauma experienced by those who lose homes, possessions and - worst of all - loved ones, when human carelessness starts one of these fearsome events.

I'm praying that nothing happens before or during our upcoming September 2005 Algarve vacation. And that's terribly selfish, as I freely admit. But, of course, I'm also praying that Algarve is spared any such horror even after I've returned home. I love the area and feel it quite keenly when anything awful happens there.

Fingers crossed...