20090114_2360, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
These diggings invariably fill with water during the winter and provide a haven for wildlife of many varieties – water is always in short supply this far south.
20090114_2349, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
The clay is then ground down to a finish paste inside a rock crusher and water added to produce a uniform but rough paste. This is put by hand into a simple mould, (coated with ashes to ease its leter extraction), and flattened with a wooden spatula.
20090114_2355, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
20090114_2337, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
20090114_2338, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
20090114_2359, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
It’s during this drying process that paw prints are sometimes added by various dogs and cats wandering over the tiles – I quite like them!
20090114_2341, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.
Having dried for a certain amount of time – depending upon the season this can be between 2 days or three weeks – it is then stacked inside a furnace, …
