But not as we know it!
Perhaps looking at this photograph you would be forgiven for thinking the shot was taken in the heart of the country, and not in a small town in the Western Algarve.
When I captured this moment it was if I’d stepped back in time to another era and a totally different way of life in Portugal. I wonder how he feels about the changes to his everyday life. Are they better or worse?
What changes he must have witnessed after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, yet his life, to an outsider, seems unchanged. Did he resist change or is he trapped by poverty?
This post was inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week’s theme is “Everyday Life”
Piglet in Portugal 
What a blast from the past, my sister and I used to ride in the baskets that are put over the donkeys back, one on each side when we lived as little girls in a little town near Obidos. Took a similiar pictures when I first brought my own children to Portugal back in 1992. Didn’t know they could still be seen in a touristy place like the Algarve though. Love your blog.
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It’s like stepping back in time…it would have been a little disconcerting when you happened upon the horse and cart. And as you note above, it’s refreshing as well as quaint.
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What a wonderful shot of the past nd present blending in one. Almost like a time portal crossing dimensions. There’s a quiet charm about it. 🙂
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Hi EC, Mr Piglet has just pointed out to me the cart has modern tyres. I thought there was something odd about the picture. So he is def blending the old with the new! As I pointed out to Mr Piglet…I don’t suppose there is anywhere which make the old wheels now!
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A scene of piece and calmness in a stressful world. Lovely, PiP.
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The Algarve does seem to have some of the old ways still remaining and I’m always surprised when I encounter one. Smashing Photos.
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Hi Gerty, it’s a refreshing change after looking at the concrete jungle of apartments and hotels along alot of the Algarve coastline.
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This man may be the richest man in the Algarve…..in more ways than one.
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It makes me wonder how he survives though.
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Beautifully observed!
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Lovely shots, PiP!
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great mood in these images. thanks for sharing.
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thanks pix!
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This is fantastic! Why not use the old ways? It’s very green!
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It certainly is!
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I think elderly country people like to do things the way they always did them, so no modern things for them!
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Hi Sami, looking at several of the older men who gather in a shelter to play games and chat, I bet they have some stories to share. I watch them tending their hortas and would love to ask them questions about their crops
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It’s nice to see some of the old ways are still there.
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Hi barb, yes…but as the old people go…so will the old ways.
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I think we all long for the simplier quieter life…I know we did so we moved to the country…
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Hi Jeanne, life in Portugal is certainly a far cry from the UK.
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Beautiful shots PiP! I love the idyllic setting. 😉
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I was so happy Mr Piglet spotted it and even happier when he stopped for me to take photographs
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Lovely photos PIP.
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Thanks Harry, it would be great to create a story around this guy
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Sometimes the simplest ways are sufficient to get the job done – thanks for visiting my blog.
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They certainly are!
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I think that in recession the simple things like this, are a great benefit, and probably cheaper to run…and when oil runs out in a few decades time the burro probably won’t be around but the cart will be even more useful!
We might be seeing more of this where ever we live! (I’d like that!)
If it’s for preference rather than necessity then excellent! bravo to someone “bucking” the trend and being ecologically friendly along the way !!!
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If we all had a burro and cart there would also be more organic matter for the garden and less carbon emissions
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Lovely captures, Pip. I wonder if that burro was even alive at that time, although I believe that they can live to a good age. I guess some rural people still prefer the old ways.
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I was puzzled by your comment about the burro being alive…then it clicked. I’d forgotten to post the pigging photograph of the old man!
I’ve since uploaded…
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I looked up ‘burro’ and it said that it was a ‘small donkey’. 🙂
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This is wonderful PiP. I always love images that contrast the past with the present.
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Hi Lisa,
We were driving through this old town, when Mr. Piglet spotted the burro and cart and he kindly stopped so I could take some “discreet” photographs. Perhaps he has not changed his way of life because he is happy, lives simply and has everything he needs. It is such a contrast to much of the Algarve
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