Fifty years ago it would have been windmills that dominated the hills, when more than 3,000 were still in working use across Portugal. These days it is the wind turbines. Both harness the energy of the wind, but it is the windmills which evoke the senses. Turbines are just too clinical for me. Although I admit their ‘humming’ is evocative and I welcome the impact they have on the world. Portugal is one of the shining lights in Europe for renewable energy, with more than 50% of its power coming from renewable sources. I just wish their windmills were as valued, instead they are fast disappearing. There is 18months difference between the two photographs below. Can you spot what has changed?!
This time last year we felt it wouldn’t take much effort to bring the mill at Corte das Donas back into working order. This year, with the loss of the roof we were left with the impression of abandonment. It won’t be long before the machinery collapses too.
We decided we wouldn’t risk going inside on this visit, but if would like to see inside visit my 2017 post and/or Robert’s. And should you wish to experience the beauty of a Portuguese windmill in working order, check out this second one by Robert which includes two wonderful films. There are restored windmills in Portugal including ones you can stay in for a holiday or look around but from what I have gathered there are very few which are working mills and even fewer which are still singing.
Yes I did say singing windmills! Apparently mills in the south west of Portugal once sang thanks to the placement of ‘sound jars’ to the bars of the sails. The reason was part aesthetic (like the bells attached to the goats and sheep) and part practical. The varying sounds informing the miller of how well his mill was working, and also alerting him to changes in the weather. Intrigued? So am I! I think I am going to have to make sure we are here for the open mills festival next year, and hope that one of the mills which opens is a singing one. In the meanwhile here are thirty seconds of a Portuguese windmill singing (and creaking).
Credit: windmühle portugal” by uli wahl. Released: 2009. Genre: eolian Music from the Wind Musik website.
I live in the SW and had no idea about the history of windmills. I now feel inspired to look at the one at Odexiece. BTW the soundtrack sounds eerie.
Yay! Do let me know if you do go. And yes I agree about the eerieness , ok during the day but so sure if I heard it at night or in fog!!
I love seeing wind turbines and appreciate their impact on our power usage. I also wonder what Don Quixote would think if he rode over a hill and saw them all lined up. It’s interesting to learn that Portugal is leading the way in clean energy production. Here we have so much sunshine, yet our government refuses to take advantage of it and insists on approving new coal mines. It’s very frustrating.
And there are many here in Portugal who don’t think the Portuguese government is doing enough!
We all need to nag our governments.
Wonderful photos! No more knight errants by the looks of it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, and unfortunately not or maybe that should be fortunate given how some of them behaved!!
🙂
Beautiful…and sad! Will there be no windmills to swing at for today’s Quixotes????
Think they’ll have to go after the turbines instead!!
Wow, I love the sound of the windmill. I love how Europe has so much renewable energy, and I love the modern windmills. But I love these ruins too; it’s too bad no one saved this one.
It’s such a marvelous sound isn’t it 😊 I wish we had more renewable resources but we’re slowly making progress.
I love windmills, both restored ones and abandoned ones, I find them fascinating and I like the idea of singing ones 🙂
If I find a singing one I’ll be sending you the film 😁
What a lovely post! Can’t follow links too well on my phone -what time of year is the festival? Sounds magical 😃😃 xx
This year was early April, so hoping be the same next . I’ll keep an eye on the website and let you know as soon as the 2019dates are posted 😁
A great shame that things are not restored, but I can see why. And you were sensible not to look inside the roofless mill…the timbers holding the machinery would be steadily rotting when exposed to the elements!
Exactly what we thought, plus of course we’d been in when there was a roof. A dramatic change though from our last visit!
And in a short space of time!
That’s what surprised us. We guess must have been a huge gust of wind.
….and presumably pretty relentless wind
It’s a windy spot!
😀
It really is a shame but I guess if there is no use for them they are just going to fall down. I’m guessing that as in Spain a number of them are kept restored and maintained.
Hardly any here seem to be maintained, but as you say it’s not surprising. I just wish that progress didn’t mean we lost things from the past!
What a shame, but I suppose there are so many of them that it would be expensive to restore them all. A bit like our derelict tin mines / engine houses.
Yeah, that’s true. Also it doesn’t help the Portuguese don’t seem to have the historical interest or passion in conservation and preservation as we do.