Hopefully today’s heritage post will draw calmer reactions than yesterday’s finds in the museum. I thought I’d start by asking you if you know what these circles are?

When we first explored mainland Portugal it took us a while to figure them out. Partly because although they are regularly seen in many of the villages in the Algarvian hills, they are usually just stones jutting out of the walls. Sometimes without even a hole.

A pedra de amarrar do burro

A few years ago I found a rather lovely poem about them, you can read it here on my Portuguese blog where you will also find an example of what I meant about stones jutting out. There’s another example here and it is surrounded by some rather lovely orchids and spring flowers. Some of you may have already determined what they are from my Portuguese caption, but if not do visit my other two posts to discover what they are.

102 thoughts

  1. Great post. I thought it was one of your old squares from the past, but I see from the comments it isn’t. How often do you see donkeys nowadays?

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    1. Very rarely see them sadly. There are a couple of farmers in the hills who still have one or two, but nearly everyone is in mechanised transport now. Guess only the donkeys are grateful for that!

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  4. I was thinking tying stones, but had horses in mind not donkeys – not in the Portuguese frame of mind obviously.
    Your mention of ones without holes put me off – but I see what you mean from the Portuguese post. A fascinating odd post, Becky

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    1. ah yes horses were far too expensive for the farmers in the Algarve. The ones without holes are the ones we mostly see which is why we like you were put off working them out originally.

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    1. Thanks 🙂 was so glad I spotted them. An upside of sitting in the same cafe again and again is that you really begin to notice what is around you!

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  8. I remember when we had “round squares” for a whole month. This photo would have been perfect. I haven’t read any of the other guesses (yet) but the holes remind me of the bars in front of saloons in the Western films.

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