Neighborhood nature

One of our goals for this year was to start walking around our local world on a regular basis as a means of getting more exercise in our too sedentary life (raking rocks is good for the shoulders but not the legs). 

As we live on a crest, there's not a whole lot of variety.  Thus, the activity has evolved into searching a more aggressive hike around the local hills on Sunday afternoons.  I thought I'd show you what the lower Alps can look like in springtime.

Parking allowed

Excellent spot, don't want to leave and lose it

For this trek, we took the car so we could get a little bit away from home.  We don't have to go far to find interesting paths, but it is easier to drive the roads and save the legs for the trails.  Once we found a bona fide parking place, we parked the car and continued the route on foot.

Doc Leo checking out the terrain

As we started down (everything around here starts downward) the route, Doc Leo found a great vantage point to survey the surroundings.

The Alpine Queen presiding

What isn't so obvious is how there's no way to get to what you can see thanks to the alpine fingers so prevalent around here.  We are actually on the edge of our road.

Delicate yellow everywhere

As we traveled along, we were greeted with a spectacular flush of color everywhere among the typically green scrub.  There was this yellow bush all over really brightening up the surroundings.  It's pretty common; it might be a variety of rockrose, although it looks totally different from the also common pink rockrose, called cistus in these parts.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time trying to capture the rich coloring, as the beautiful sunshine wiped out the photographic quality.

Papery flower

Cistus bushes in bloom

We also came across a lot of the pink variety of cistus.  It was really pretty scattered all over; but again, I had a hard time capturing it. The flower is really papery.

I think it's a pretty enough wild bush that I've deliberately planted some in my newly designed parking garden, as I want plants that are happy enough being neglected!  The gray woolly leaves are also nice all on their own once the flowers are gone.

View from the road

Garden side view

Suddenly, we came across our dream house!  A lovely terra cotta tiled roof stucco two-story country home nestled in a beautiful woodland surrounding.  

What more could any couple want?

The ground floor entry has a lovely wood lintel, the upper floor window is grated against giant prowlers and shows the the skylight through the roof, and the side entry is discretely located behind a large bush, with access designed to discourage prowlers.

Charming entry

Handy side entry

Visible skylight

Garden decor

Aging and waiting to provide warmth

Some clearing has already been done, and the wood has been left for the next inhabitant's convenience for burning during those chilly alpine evenings.

An herb garden is also quite handy for those delicious Mediterranean recipes, also providing natural landscaping beauty.

Thyme for flavor

A wild artichoke?

Blue for a cuppa?

An isolated garden on the edge of the world, with seating comfort

The neighborhood is also quite nice.  At the end of the road, out in the middle of absolutely nowhere, somebody has a more cultivated garden planted under the olive trees. 

I think there are stalls for some kind of animal life, but they seemed to be a bit vacant at the moment.

Colorful roadside weeds

White, pink, gold, and yellow flowers

As we found our way back to our car to return to our own humble abode, we continued to find more color along the route. 

In my yard, I would probably consider most of these weeds, preferring to beautify my personal world with more refined vegetation. 

On the other hand, I have deliberately planted thyme and the white sweet alyssum found naturally (whether I want it or not).

I'll wind up our little venture with the view we had on much of the route.  The crane in the upper left is in our village, building the new activity center where we have our weekly dance class.  If you could see beyond the crane, you'd see the Mediterranean Sea.  This river we see from our house and leads directly to the airport on the Med.  The hills on the right are what we see looking out our front windows.  You can't get to anywhere without driving seemingly forever, but you don't need Google Earth to see it all.

View of our surroundings

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of local color, more rustic than I want for my own property, but fun to traipse around in.