Strawberry tree

This is the arbutus bush, also known as the strawberry tree. It produces small fruit which you can eat but I don't think it particularly tastes of anything, and even the birds don't tend to bother!

The fruit are used in Portugal to produce medronho (pronounced meh-dron-yoo) which as far as I can tell is supposed to be a sort of brandy but to me tastes & smells like paint-stripper. I'm no judge though, and making medronho is a traditional thing which I'm sure is appreciated by many. The livelihoods of many medronho producers has been affected recently, not least by fires, and I believe there are efforts by local authorities to help them re-establish their businesses so they don't lose this tradition.

When it rains..

Boy does it rain! It really means it too, and even though I'm British and used to seeing clouds and rain, I find it fascinating to watch as it rolls in over the hills. Sadly, they desperately need the rain now as it's been a very dry summer and autumn, and boreholes for water are starting to get low. Fingers crossed.