Lagos to Raposeira . . .

After a rest day yesterday, writing on the beach, this morning's thought is Vila do Bispo, 20 something km away.

The first few kilometres is along the N125, fine for progress and mostly safe, with two metres of hard shoulder to walk on, keeping one eye on traffic drifting over the white line, the other on the space to the left, just in case . . .

Before the Luz turning, hopefully the last golf resort for a while. A Facebook post arrived this morning with an excerpt from Walt Whitman, mystic American poet, including the line that really resonates for me: Re-examine everything you have been told; dismiss that which insults your soul.

For me it's gross inequality, conspicuous wealth in a world with extreme poverty. These golf resorts epitomise the wealth as well as guzzling scarce water.

Luz has a good feel to it, fitting for a town called Light. First is the Brit run charity shop, raising money for end of life care for "our community". Given the parallel lives lived by the expats and the Portuguese, I guess it's for dying expats. In any case, extended family is still important here and end of life care will be done at home.

I buy a decent new sleeping bag, in case I need to sleep on the beach on the journey north.

Jorge, 21, and working in the estate agent office, may like to comment . . . to confirm or deny my assumptions, since he has the blog address after a very warm exchange of ideas on a range of topics from history to economics . . . reflecting on the current economic crisis in Portugal and looking at ways we might re-arrange things . . .
. . . a new term occurs . . . turiconialism . . .

Walking on past Burgau, the national park began and the villa development thinned out . . . finally some nature left alone by humans . . .

Checking for rooms at Salema, offered ones for €48, €60 . . . for a week? No, per night, you get breakfast . . . hmm

Before Vila do Bispo, this surfer hostel, friendly surfer dudes, €15, a map of the Rota Vicentina from Jonny, advice on hostels from others, a long conversation with Davey, a surfer/builder from Cornwall . . . tomorrow to the Cape . . .