The Magic of Almond Tree Blossoms
A true harbinger of the arrival of spring, the almond trees in bloom are present throughout the Algarve and cover the region in shades of white. A velvety pink and white color over the Algarve countryside, where many villages preserve the names of arabic origin and where it reminds us of the same flowers that once enchanted a certain princess from northern Europe, mentioned in the Moorish legend of almond trees in bloom.
An old legend says that in the region of Al-Gharb, which belonged to the Arabs, a young caliph Ibn-Almundim reigned in Silves, who fell in love with Gilda, the daughter of a great lord of the North, defeated in combat by the Moorish king. Love gave rise to a marriage, but the beautiful princess was saddened from day to day, without her husband pulling out a single smile. Wizards and sages came from all over the world, but no one could find a cure for that sadeness. .
That’s when a Nordic wiseman confessed to the king that Princess Gilda missed the whiteness of the snow-covered fields, existing in her country. Ibn-Almundim then had thousands of almond trees planted next to the palace, so that, when they bloomed, they would cover their lands with white petals, satisfying the princess’s longing and giving her back the joy of living and the desire to smile. Even today we can appreciate this magic moment!
