Eco Surf Camp . . .

Since it appears to be still winter here, the Eco Surf Camp is quiet . . . only me in the beautiful four bed chalet, Mari anna and Romain, Breton friends of Susana and Felipe sleeping in their camper outside . . .an invitation to supper . . . delicious food, good company and more insights into the Portuguese view of the world . . .

First the Bretons, who run the independent bookshop in Morlaix - "A la lettre the" (the e on the has an acute accent, which creates a pun perhaps?) Independent bookshops have been decimated in the neo-liberal economies, with discount sales of bestsellers in supermarkets and Amazon's bulk buying and tax avoidance schemes making essential intellectual and social soul centres unsustainable. In stubborn France, often derided for protectionism by the guardians of free enterprise like the Murdoch empire of brainwashing, discounting of books is limited by law to 5% . . . even so, it is a tough environment and if you love independent bookshops, dear readers, please buy books there . . . the paradox of consumerism is that many consumers bemoan the power of soulless capitalism, yet neglect their own power to choose to spend a little more, pretending it makes no difference . . . and of course only one may seem to be hopeless, multiplied by hundreds at local level it works . . . scaled up it's one way we change the world: "We be many and they be few", in the words of Arundhati Roy, "they need us more than we need them".

If my younger sister, living near Morlaix, is still reading, she may like to call in to say hello, buy a book and a cup of tea.

Felipe, as well as being a keen surfer and running a surf shop and school, is a permaculturist . . . and pioneer of the Fishermen's Trail part of the Rota Vicentina . . . responsible with Susana for marking and maintaining the stage between here and Porto Covo - tomorrow's walk. Also a mine of information on projects local and farther afield . . . to which he offers to connect me. Tamera, he says, is sometimes referred to as Tamerda . . . one of the indicators for him being where and how money plays a part . . . which resonates.

He also clarifies the turf growing - a big English company, selling to football clubs far and wide, including Real Madrid. Another example of an economy distorted by misuse of money perhaps?

And is clear on the disaster that is Albufeira and around, positive on international cooperation. His generation is showing the way with projects demonstrating it is possible to live lightly on the land, in harmony with Nature.

All part of the "New Earth" Eckhart Tolle foresees and Arundhati Roy's "another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing".

And as the Greeks challenge the manufactured crisis, in Portugal there appear to be many small projects developing, changing little by little from below, perhaps combining moderate investments from North Europeans with local land know-how and relevant skills from all over . . . cooperative ownership, crowdfunding, permaculture combining with compassion, simplicity and patience.