Prepare for Spring weather!

Spring is without a doubt the most beautiful and colorful season in Portugal. Especially in the mountainous areas of Castelo Branco, it is an enchanting time of year. The water streams flow, flowers are popping out everywhere and it seems that the birds chirp even louder than normal.Spring starts here from mid-March. This year it started with a sudden increase of temperature and we even had 25 degrees on some days. The first week of April we had maximum temperatures between 24 and 28 degrees! In the Netherlands they had to deal with temperatures 9 and 11 degrees and even snowfall in the week before. Jealous? Then you know what to do!

Some statistics about the weather in Castelo Branco, Portugal.

• The hot season lasts for almost 3 months, from June 20 to September 14, with an average daily maximum temperature above 28 °C.
• The hottest month of the year in Castelo Branco is August, with a maximum of 31 °C and a minimum of 16 °C, on average. 
• The cool season lasts for almost 4 months, from November 15 to March 6, with an average daily maximum temperature below 16 °C.
• The coldest month of the year in Castelo Branco is January, with a maximum of 12 °C and a minimum of 2 °C, on average.

Rain and sun statistics for Castelo Branco, Portugal:

• Castelo Branco has dry periods in June, July and August.
• On average, October is the wettest month with 97 mm (3.8 inches) of precipitation.
• On average, July is the driest month with 5 mm (0.2 inches) of precipitation.
• The average amount of annual precipitation is: 656 mm (25.8 inches)
• The average hours of sun annually is: 2799 hours

Information provided on https://pt.weatherspark.com 
https://weather-and-climate.com https://www.currentresults.com

One of the reasons that I moved to this part of Portugal was to be able to have my own horses and ride in this beautiful countryside around Castelo Branco. I´m living 25 kms West of Castelo Branco where we have the hills and pine forests, an ideal scenery to go for a nice ride. 

Watch the video on Youtube where me and my Dutch Frisian horse Aukje take you on a ride through the countryside to see all the beautiful Spring flowers.

The flowers that we spot during the video are:

1. Esteva (Rock Rose/Cistus) Cistus is known for its wound healing abilities.  Effective for chronic conditions like psoriasis & eczema.  Cistus acts fast to stop the bleeding from a fresh wound.  It increases lymph drainage, is beneficial for acne & oily skin, as well as wrinkles & mature skin.  (stillpointaromatics.com)
2. Urze (Calluna Vulgaris)Cares for the prostate Improves the functioning of the kidneysIt has a calming and anti-allergic action Helps to regenerate our body tissuesProtects the hair (infusoescomhistoria.pt)
3. Carqueja (Baccharis trimera)Carqueja tea has several health benefits, which include regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, strengthening your immune system and improving digestive problems.(tuasaude.com)
4. Rosmaninho (Wild/French Lavender) The flowers are used in aromatherapy to prepare infusions and essential oils. (gardenia.net)

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIEtO97i0Cc

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