2016

Another clear sky ... air chilly, but Sun warms things quickly ... a message from England mentions mist ... a reminder of the blessings of the Algarve in winter ... though there is some rain in the forecast ... the last day of 2016 prompts brief reflection on the year, spent mostly in Iberia ... exploring inner space in a decaying villa and along the parallel universe of the pilgrims... with another early next year, maybe ... and first a retreat at the Almond Blossom Sangha near Tavira, with the teachings of Thay on tap ... this morning's meeting with Jane and Look by the lively market and adjoining car boot sale settling details ... and a teaching from Thay via Look of the importance of the Sangha in leading the spiritual life ... confirming the sense that solitude has served for now ... time for community and to practice with others ...

The English bookshop is open and conversation ensues with Marie-Jeanne, the French owner ... until customers arrive ... back to the hostel for more conversation with Diana ... supper ... some virtual happynewyearing. .. and resisting joining the thronging real world ... maybe later ...

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

Slowing down in Tavira ...

Johannes, the Belgian tour organiser and driving force behind the Eastern Caminho to Santiago, arrives after breakfast for some feedback on the 2015 attempt, aborted at Serpa after five days of asphalt bashing ... some intermediate stages planned though the historical way by the Roman roads unlikely to be changed ... no desire to go there again ...

A trip the the charity shop enables a further connection with Geoff, who runs a Sunday service in the back room ... and arranges three town properties to visit to get a feel for what's available ... none calling ... Ron, from Toronto and long time visitor to Tavira, turns up with luggage, rather abashed at having announced a trip to Canada for New Year festivities and changed his mind and ticket ... there is a big event here, with fireworks at midnight, though the issue is why such importance is placed on these seasonal events ... staying awake so late a special challenge ... all those people determined to have fun ...

Diana arrives, having sold a house in UK and travelling around in her car, seeking inspiration on what to do next, and where ... being of retirement age, but without pension ... Kiwi passport though no reason to go there ...

The editor writes to advise settling somewhere, to engage more deeply with people ... he has a point perhaps, though nowhere except Stanhope calls that strongly ... and the pilgrimming addiction persists, though that can be managed as part of a settled life ... maybe ...

To the island ...

A more relaxed start after yesterday's effort ... a trip to the market and some perfectly ripe avocados from the very friendly stallholder, who offered an invitation to squeeze them ... yesterday's cheap choice turning out to be too soft and overripe ... these were from her own trees, which made us both very happy ... a call to the charity shop in search of books ... strangely, English language books absent from bookshops, despite a large English community and local folk keen to learn English ... the visit takes a while, as Geoff, the President of the charity and founder of the shop, talks about the property market ... he has been here 35 years, buying and selling houses ... and had a revelation a few years ago, finding God and Jesus, though claiming to be a controversial Christian ... some compelling stories to reflect on ... seems happy enough after a violent past ... how these stories emerge from the subconscious, energised by forces from other dimensions all intriguing ... another round required, not least for a look at what you get for your money in town ... a lovely location, with a special energy ...

A picnic lunch, and a boat trip to the island for another barefoot plodge ... breeze still cool, though New Year swim a possibility ...

Back at the hostel, Lee, software engineer from Palo Alto, California, has moved into the room ...he works for NASA and says the incoming President will stop their work on climate change  ... other topics such as exploration of outer space, inner space and contact with aliens yet to be broached ... we covered the question of the shifting of "normal" along the Asperger spectrum in places like Palo Alto ... interesting ...

... a book to read and a meeting with Almond Blossom folks on Saturday settles 2016 ... a new idea for January pops up ... the Via de la Plata route from Seville ... Lagos and Aljezur options still open ... though another pilgrim route is tempting ...

Tavira to VRSA and back ...

A decent walk required and fuelled with porridge the route is East on known roads, past salt pans, orange fields, a very plush golf centre to Cacela Velha for coffee ... following blue lines and old signs from the cyclists' Ecovia ... yellow arrows from Johannes, busy promoting his Santiago route, previously abandoned at Serpa ... at Manta Rota an escape from signs ... it's beach all the way to the River Guidiana ... barefoot treat, calves working in soft sand ... a welcome change of pace ... past the Land of Oz like Monte Gordo resort, the last aberration on the Algarve coast ... or the first going the other way ... Vila Real de Santo Antonio faces Ayamonte,  its Spanish neighbour across the river ... proper border towns, now linked with a ferry and a fine bridge .... lots going on in town, swiftly crossed to check the train ... 5 minutes to spare and the return is half an hour ... the walk six energising hours in the sun and a cooling breeze ...

Time for reflection, with 2016 soon turning to 2017, though the lighter days started a week ago and seems a more natural time to change dates ... much media chatter on celebrity dying, as if being famous includes immortality ... we notice them passing more than their infant replacements, who have yet to make their mark ... and personal reflection on the need for relationship ... solitude is fine and maybe essential for growth ... but enough is enough ... 

Around Tavira

Last night's supper shared with Maria and Julio, birdwatching ... he was born in Brazil, came here 40 years ago, married Maria ... now living in Viana de Castelo, making wind turbines. .. managing somehow between English and Portuguese ...

A full night's sleep, thanks to a small dorm with no other guests ... a latish start, since breakfast is 8.30 ... though there is porridge and a kitchen for tomorrow ... a wander to the market for fresh food, and after lunch, a walk to Santa Luiza for a coffee and cake by the sea ... a Dutch couple with a campervan chatty ...

Tourist info has a free pack for the Via Algarviana ... heavy to carry, but worth a read ... also online ... though starting in Alcoutim tricky since local word is that it is closed until mid-January ... options open, including possible Helpx back near Lagos and some walking towards that ... relaxing here for New Year ...

Tonight's supper shared with Rosemary, from Ireland ... dodging the damp winter ...

Shelter ...

Shelter, being one of the basic needs of humans, takes many forms, from the simple to the excessive ... simple varying according to climate, excessive sometimes as one huge property, sometimes two or three homes in different places ... leaving the excessive problems aside for now, some ideas are arising for other ways to live simply ... the typical model has the family or single person in a house or flat ... co-housing models, pioneered in Denmark and Canada, are being tried ... pooling resources for bigger properties to share ... experience of hostel living extends this idea ... using the time-share model, without the negative aspects, to broker co-housing units in different parts of the world ... recognising the current obsession with property as investment, whilst preparing for the coming changes ... indeed shaping them ... using the tools of interactive internet, maybe Noomap, to help create more desirable ways to live.

Transcending attachment to shelter as "home", open to living simply and in more than one place, a design arises for folks to collaborate in experimental forms ...

For example: a large house in a village in the North-East of England ... configured with 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms, two large reception rooms, a kitchen cum dining room, utility room and large cellar ... plus fair sized vegetable garden ... 4 or 5 core residents may take a share, with options to share their room with others on a time and/or space basis ... a common set of values establishes a basis for harmony and clear agreements a framework for resolution of any disagreements ... other sleeping arrangements may cope with visitors on bedrolls in a reception room ... a useful service may be a virtual address for wandering folk, maybe a cupboard for some stuff, a mailing address and a bedroll when needed ... in the cellar, meditation, chanting, dancing and an installation of Indra's Net ... why not?!

Sounds like quite a Place to Be ...

Other versions evolve, the place itself a creative hub for redesigning the world ...

Aljezur to Tavira ...

Predictive texting/typing, posing as an aid for writers, turns out to be a cruel trick on dyslexic folk and a constant test of equanimity and alertness ... sometimes the most bizarre auto-corrections creep past the weary, unwary blogger ... maybe spotted on re-reading, maybe not ... the way to restore peace of mind seems to be to accept the challenge and review before posting ... or turn it off, if this is indeed possible ... since Google kindly provide this platform "free", maybe the price is to play their game, contribute to their meta-lingual project or whatever it is ...

Leaving Amizagh before 7 means missing most of the folks, though Harry is up, ready to call his girlfriend, due to arrive mid-January ... a Swedish chap, who arrived late last night, also appears, in search of coffee, having smoked his first cigarette ... at the bar by the bus-stop he adds a shot of whisky to the coffee, then accepts the inevitable and orders a proper measure ...a sure sign of alcohol dependence ... escaping the Scandinavian winter, he says, though the pre-dawn morning is chilly enough ...

Today's trip to Tavira includes an early bus to Lagos, where public transport options include an onward bus to Faro at 8.30 am or a train to Tavira at 11.14 am ... and since the Pousada de Juventude opens at noon and the train trip along the Algarve is preferred, a wander around Lagos, coffee and some writing passes the time pleasantly ... the town looking good, with the river, the sea, the sun ...

On the way to the station Jake pulls over, asking for directions ... a short ride and deep conversation ensues ... 43, from Stoke, then Shropshire, at mid-life decision time, selling half million pound house and using his half to buy a camper van and live free from slavery for a while ... this theme of contemporary slavery popping up as a reminder on FB ... a quote from Charles Bukowski: "Slavery was never abolished, just adapted to include everybody ..." ... another quote from a prophet in the USA, this one not famous (yet), but convincing ... yet another sounding too strident and surely suffering to be authentic here ... though suffering is not unusual amongst the seers ... and from suffering sometimes truth, sometimes delusion ... how to tell?

The train arrives before two and the noon opening hostel shows no sign of life ... patience required, plus Plan B, just in case ... internet establishes plenty of beds at various prices ... return to hostel establishes noon as mistaken information, now updated to 4 pm ... time to shop for supper before checking in ...

... which takes a while as systems closed down for a day or so are re-started ... customers not flooding in just yet ...

Fishermen's Trail around Armoreira ...

Christmas Day and a cloudless sky again ... a decent walk required after last night's very filling vegetarian dinner ... another part of the Rota Vicentina to see ... the Fishermen's Trail, a loop from the Odeceixe to Aljexur path, through pine woods and along cliffs to Armoreira beach ... heavily, herbily, heavenly scented, sounds of crashing waves ... some interpretation of the flora and fauna to be found ... Spring advised for the flowers ... a meditation with the waves, a much used metaphor for how we humans are not separate from everything, or anything ....

A picnic on the beach, then climbing again for the return, though the lower level road is available.

Two optimistic walkers arrive from Odeceixe, thinking shops or restaurants might be open ... a cyclist from Bournemouth, Phil, filling his water bottle and checking the beach for camping opportunities ... 

Thoughts turning to tomorrow and Tavira ... a large group of surfing children arriving here to liven things up a little ...paying guests departing, volunteers preparing for a busy week ...raising the question of these disruptive economic forms, replacing traditional pre-interactive internet relationships ... Helpx, Workaway, WWOOFing and other platforms providing opportunities for wandering youth and cheap labour for worthy projects and businesses like hostels and restaurants ... replacing paid employees ... Bla Bla Car, Liftshare, enabling car drivers to share travel costs and passengers to have a cheap ride ... eventually maybe undermining bus services ...Uber, challenging taxi operations ... Couchsurfing and AirB&B re-inventing shelter in different ways ... the world is slowly changing ...

Adrienn returns from her adventure, having walked to Carrepeteira, camped on the dunes, wandered back along the road before it branches off into the hills, picked up by surfers going to Arrifana, spent the day there with them ... and dropped back to the hostel ... ready for her shift tomorrow ...

Christmas Eve in Aljezur ...

Leisurely shopping for today's supper and for tomorrow when shops close ... time to reflect on the education issue and nuance the question ... compulsory schooling having had a progressive role when parents preferred to have their children earning money to feed the family ... a short-term but understandable view ... not always easy or possible to see that education may be a route out of poverty ... and who is to decide what is best for the child, the parents or the state? No easy answer to this one, depending as it does on the state of the parents and the state of the state ... not to mention the predominant values of current conditioning factories, which typically treat the child as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge, then measured to see how much leaked out and how much was retained ... the other version has the child as a seed full of potential, to be nurtured ...lip service is sometimes paid to this more hopeful view ....

After lunch, a wander towards the beach in warm sunshine and back to be intercepted by Hans ... this time without hitch-hiking at all ...

A communal, multi-national supper is coming together in the hostel, lots of dishes emerging from the quite small kitchen ...

Merry Christmas dear readers, wherever and whoever you are ...

Marmalete ...

A warm sunny day forecast and a plan to wash the only pair of trousers (apart from the rarely used waterproof ones ) ... which means shorts and once they are on the legs seem to want a longish walk ... to the mountains ... last time the route was walked all the way to Monchique in the rain ... a test of endurance and work for the mind ... today was a complete contrast, with not a cloud in the sky ... the route gaining altitude all the way ... crossing a couple of rivers via fords, easy enough in vehicles or even on mountain bikes ... and after lobbing a few rocks in to create a dry crossing, the tactic of surprise was employed ... running over before the water had a chance to permeate the shoes ... which, surprisingly, pretty much worked ...

Before that, another dog shelter, with plenty of barking dogs, some free and thinking about a walk ... meaning at least three shelters around town ... and to tempt the stereotype, lots of English folks ... more stereotypes on the way ...

After the dog shelter, off-grid houses are tucked away, looking well presented, without obvious security fencing or dogs ... not many folks about ... the first a young fair-haired boy on a bike with a fishing rod ... friendly enough and confirming a sense of alternative Germans about ... a young German couple packing their car further evidence ... friendly, yet reserved ...

A row of orange and lemon trees alongside the track offer free fruit ... and a picnic spot soon after at a place for sale ... high up the valley and peaceful ... an abandoned table and chair for a rest and snack in the sun ... intriguing ...

At Marmalete, a coffee and WiFi, before pondering the return trip ... another 4 hours back along the track or 3 on the hard shoulder with a hitch-hike possibility ... and sure enough, though there are few cars on the Monchique to Aljezur road, one stops ... Diago, a young Portuguese chap, mooching about, slightly stoned ... he confirms the German theory ... young folks with children, wanting to home-school them ... forbidden by the German government, who also claim rights over emigre children ... Interpol known to come round, noting car registrations ... home schooling also forbidden in Portugal, Diago says ... his sympathy with the Germans, having been bullied at school himself ...

Back at Amizagh, a Pizza Party is proposed ... a weekly event in the woods near Monchique ... where Guy went to volunteer ... optimistic young party-goers gather, working out ways to travel the 40 km to the place ... the return a problem for later ... seems more like bedtime than party time ... a generational thing ...l-r in the pic: Jules, Ryan, Holly, Sanna and Seba ... tomorrow a community meal with some added organisation ... it happens rather ad hoc most of the time ... 

Arrifana. ...

This Vincentina Way has lots of options ... after filling a gap from Carrapeteira to Bordeira, previously walked pre-dawn on the hard shoulder, on Tuesday, today's route was the Fisherman's Walk circular along the cliffs after Arrifana and back to Aljezur ... long enough at a notional 30, curtailed with a lift for the last 5 km with Hans, German retired antiques dealer, living here in winter, renting his house in summer ... Arrifana itself quite beautifully situated on the cliffs and mostly in hibernation, though the one open cafe provided good coffee and WiFi in the shade for some correspondence with mystics from England ... always helpful to keep up with information from beyond ... the clifftop section a stunning reminder of the 2015 coast walk ...

Aljezur continues to appeal ... a gentle energy ... friendly folks from various nations ... Amizagh almost a microcosm of that, with Joao the Portuguese owner, Bernardo, Portuguese manager, currently on holiday, Harry from Holland, Sebastian from Chile, Stefan from Germany, Sanna from Finland, Adrienn from Hungary running the place for bed and board ... current guests Niko and Zara from Germany, Jules from Belgium, Rajiv from Kenya, a couple just checked in and a bloke in the dorm yet to be introduced ...

Deeper Aljezur ...

Waking early, finding coffee in the early opening cafe by the market, engaging deeply with Adrienn, already up before 7 am ... vibrating on a similar frequency for a hour before porridge and time to explore more over coming days ... wandering along to the estate agent to see what's about and an interesting place appears an hour's walk away ... though there is no recognition ... still, the Place to Be concept has some energy from folks here and a little exploring is fun ... a climb to the castle is rewarded with 360° views ... the new part of town on the other side of the river plain ...

Meanwhile, Holly has headed off to Lisbon, via Milfontes and Jules has moved in to the dormitory for a while ... English newspapers are in abundance, though their stories of fear are of no interest ... Algarve Resident preferred ... though not as a regular thing ... this edition claims progress in resisting drilling for oil off the coast ... big companies threatening retaliation ...

Tomorrow, a proper walk to the sea ... weather holding up ... sunny days, cold nights ...

Salema to Aljezur

A late start for a walking day and stepping out into warm sunshine after releasing and feeding chickens and rabbit and fuelling up with porridge, banana and honey, the destination was open ... though Ros' briefing offered a shortcut to Aljezur ... a little long for a late starting day ... but possible ... Pedralva appeared a couple of hours later, after crossing the Algarviana and a short break and dear coffee in the restored village, now a holiday resort, wet weather route noted and missed, meaning six river crossings, managed across stepping stones ... settlers tucked away in the hills ... Carrapeteria came too soon for stopping ... only 1pm. .. anyway its energy wasn't calling ... a thin, wandering dog attached, spotting a potential host, the English well known for caring for unwanted dogs, cats, donkeys .. the stereotype resisted ... the next village, Bordeira feels authentic and timely for lunch, €2.90 for a beer,olives, bread and soup ...a great balance for the €1 coffee at Pedralva (not much money, but a startling percentage mark-up from the usual €0.60) ... leaving an overlong walk to Aljezur and thoughts of hitch-hiking ...which solves the problem nicely, after an hour or so more on the trail, the road offers a hard shoulder fall-back ... when Jack, 23, living in Aljezur since his parents moved here when he was 8, stops  ... and drives right to the door of the Amizagh, which feels like home ... two new volunteers, Sanna from Finland and Adrienn from Hungary balancing the male energy ... Holly from Canada, pictured with Adrienn, is mooching about Portugal ...the only other guest in the dormitory ... a few others in the private rooms ... a convivial supper and maybe settling here for the season ... let's see ...

A little more folklore ...

Being useful feeding chickens, helping with housework ... it's a big space and even when not operating as a retreat centre, takes some looking after ...

Vitor regales us with tales from the old days ... the old ways, still continued in places, harvesting and preserving the bounty of nature ... octopus and squid the main food from the sea in his stories ... missed the chance to enquire about the bacalhau obsession ... off the radar for this past week cooking vegetarian meals in the house ...

Past Portuguese theory of the nostalgic nature of the people ... mourning the economic emigration ... taking musical form in Fado. .. allegedly fostered by the fascist regime of Salazar ... to keep the people feeling helpless ... Vitor and the others quite scathing about the current politicians at all levels ... though this is a general trend across Europe it seems ...

West Algarve has been lovely, the experience deepened by being here with the family and meeting some of their friends from Germany and Portugal ... Salema rather nice in the winter sunshine ....

Tomorrow's destination still unclear, maybe a toss of a coin will decide !

Sunny Salema Sunday ...

Early duties include chicken and rabbit care, now that children are off to Spain, skiing ... and feeding the ever patient cat, sat on the mat ...

Laundry too easy on a day like this ... no dodging showers,  just hang it out, leave for a couple of hours, fetch it in ...

Pondering direction of travel, since Christmas is observed for two days by the Pousadas de Juventude ... plenty of hotels open in either direction and interesting venues appearing ... Haruna near Monchique wanting a visit in January maybe ... Almond Blossom too ...Tavira nearby ... Aljezur still calls and not so far away ... two days walk, less by bus ... this area has appeal, plenty more to explore ...

No point speculating in the evening ... everything changes in the morning ...

Meanwhile, an afternoon walk along cliffs, to deserted beaches, and at last to a secret garden, tucked away, a trailer as shelter for the young German man, his wife and six children ... his story fascinating ... grandfather executed by the Hitler regime for refusing to build bridges ready primed with explosives ... father helping many Jews to escape the country. .. he himself persecuted for wanting to home-school his children ... illegal in Germany apparently ... his ever-caring government claiming jurisdiction over his children wherever they lived ... anonymity for him ... a lovely young man truly living his truth ... six beautiful, healthy kids happily playing in the garden ... his wife suckling the latest addition ... the new generation Germans still escaping authoritarian remnants ... round here the Germans and English, the main immigrants, are getting along fine ... shared values, transcending the madness of the last century ... fitting in with the host population takes a little longer, but it seems to be happening ...

Tribes, vibes ...

Sun returns from its winter break and it's like a summer day in UK ... a dry one ...

The Waldorf School has its Christmas Show at the very beautiful Chapel of Our Lady in Guadelupe ... simple, elegant and with the morning sun producing a silhouette of the bell on the white wall... several references to the Christian part of the season, including Silent Night in three languages, maybe more ... Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with handbells ... dancing, recitations. .. proud parents ... another chance to chat with Ian, an investment analyst in London for ten years, who confirms that the financial shenanigans are so complex that no human understands them ... yet the 2008 debacle is doomed to repeat itself, since the behaviour has not changed ... and in classical economics printing money never turns out well ...wealth redistribution is required but the system, greed driven, doesn't know how ... wealth redefinition perhaps an answer ... anyway the tribe, which is the parallel universe of Waldorf schooling, gathers to celebrate ... surely a universe vibrating at finer frequencies than mainstream "education" ... not quite on the frequency of this blogger, but on the same wavelength, which is something ...

... meanwhile, back at the house, Vitor, who sent his own children to the school, arrives to tackle the crumbling terrace ... having taken on the challenge it has become personal and he wants to solve the problem ... which is major ... some warm conversation and soul connection ... you can see his blog at www.madebyvitorhugo.blogspot.com ... good old Google will translate it for you too ... a chat about concrete confirms yesterday's observations ... it sucks water, it crumbles ... he yearns for natural materials ... houses which can breathe ...

Incoming messages are gratefully received ... blogging can feel rather one way at times and feedback is appreciated ... news from Stanhope too ... the other pole of attraction ...

Concrete, transience, transients, community ...

The local village has an impressive looking house, in a key position, with gardens maintained, but house looking sad and neglected ... depending on taste, it could be described as pretentious, ambitious, verging on kitsch ... or rather elegant ... it has not been lived in for twenty years ... its owners preferring the city delights of Portimao ... the material is concrete, an unforgiving and almost lifeless substance, ubiquitous in villa construction all over the peninsula ... in Portugal, due to building regulations, reinforced with steel, in case of earthquakes ... they still happen from time to time, and the folk memory holds the destruction of Lisbon and surrounding area in 1755 ... the ensuing tsunami worth bearing in mind for those living close to coasts ... entropy proceeds gradually as well, water, mostly absent in summer, penetrates in short sharp bursts in winter ... damp courses not always a feature of building ... evidence annually obscured with a coat of paint ...

Meanwhile, round the corner, camper vans find a winter base, with basic requirements to sustain the house on wheels ... water, toilet, electric plug-in, WiFi ... and a nearby bar, open from 9 am until 2 am ... the editor wittily calls them the Escargot Club ... another form of homeless living and quite popular ... a halfway-house perhaps ...

The question of intentional community comes into focus ... plenty of examples hereabouts. .. at different stages, with different values ... all addressing questions like a yearning for a more connected life, transcending the decaying third dimension reality ( four if time is included, or is that space-time?) ... this imaginal stage has its chaotic phase too ... though pioneer places have long settled to specific forms ... Findhorn, Tamera, Plum Village, Damanhur, Auroville and many more ... all different, with similarities ... none immune to the law of entropy ... the wise ones will embrace and flow with that inevitability ... maybe transcend it?

Specifically, the probability fields are warming up, as resources appear and questions of where occur ... Portugal? England? Elsewhere?

As this year in linear time draws to a close, next year possibilities glimmer ... a couple of weeks taking care of pilgrims in a hostel on the route from Le Puy ( which itself may need walking) ... the editor in nearby Ciblat and the Correze, itself a region full of possibilities, Plum Village for a fortnight of deeper practice Interbeing, Brockwood for a week of volunteering and general visiting too ... back to the present ... it is winter in the sunny Algarve ... the land is drinking deeply while it can ...

Today's duties include a drive to the market in Vila de Bispo and shopping, first at the organic stall, run by a German woman, second a non-organic stall with the Portuguese woman proudly pointing out the best (Portuguese) produce and not blatantly asking a special price for foreigners, which can happen ... probably did in Aljezur, where there was no competition ... then a wander around Lidl for the rest before heading back for some intentional community conversation ... and lunch.

A wander to the village produces pics for today and a visit to the bar to find campers to interview and photograph for you draws a blank ...

As the children head off skiing for a week my continuing presence depends on Ros finding a short break away for herself, in which case the rabbit and chickens need looking after ... not to mention the persistent Puskin, who seemed to be staring into the kitchen this morning saying: he only just arrived, and he's indoors ... that's not fair!  The reply is, of course: maybe, but he's not moving in permanently ... and won't be requiring veterinary services, flea treatments or any of that. ..

In any case, the journey continues in a few days or a week ... along the Algarve to Tavira, maybe ...

Cats and dogs ...

Puskin arrived a while ago, after his previous humans built a very big house and recruited two very fierce Alsatians to protect it ... fed up with the aggression, Puskin decided this was to be his next home and hung around waiting to be invited in ... well, actually he popped in whenever the door was left open and tried squatting ... and was evicted ... eventually, from compassion, food was offered, though not indoor accommodation ... still, he persists ...

Compared to the Costa del Sol, the fear factor amongst the expats, mainly English and German in these parts, is much lower ... no bars on windows, lower fences and gates ... the Waldorf School an interesting cross-section, albeit of folk ready and able to pay for the education, of half Portuguese, nearly a quarter English and the same German, then various others, including Polish and Chinese ... lessons taught in Portuguese, which means the girls are fluent in two languages and readily speak Portuguese to each other ... maybe if they prefer the conversation to be private ...

Meanwhile, a contact from the world of Noomap and intentional community, Jan, lives locally and is well known for his efforts ... message sent, let's see ...

And if anyone fancies a permaculture project, yurt and food provided, get in touch ...

At Salema ...

Heavy rain, as promised, gives way to sunny spells ... work programme is cleaning the house, where it is dry ... then preparing lunch for Ros and Jasmine returning from the art class, which Ros has been teaching, with Jasmine translating ... and enough for Siena when she comes home from school ... in between, a wander to the sea ... the house is a 20 minute walk away ... Salema is a bustling holiday resort, though not in December ... two German walkers are looking for beds, after camping out in the rain last night ... Salema not the cheapest place, Raposeira advised ... Good Feelings Hostel just an hour or two away .... a coffee and cake in a pasteleria, where the owner is making pretty sweets from figs pressed flat and almonds pressed round as petals ...

Local ladies arrive for meditation and yoga ...after collecting Siena, I settle down for some study of the Rudolf Steiner related books ... a fascinating topic and the perfect place to explore it ... the garden a potential project and biodynamic methods ideal ... though maybe not practical given the time scale (uknown) and the expertise available (limited, unless a parent or teacher from the school can be recruited) ...

Aljezur to Salema ...

After lots of male energy at the Amizagh, some female energy for balance ... the 8.17 am bus accelerates the trip ... new Helpx host happy to receive a guest helper and Vila de Bispo a little long for one stage ... besides, arriving at a new place in the country is best done in daylight ... and with time to reconsider the project if either party is not comfortable ...

Manuela, at Lagos tourist info kindly phones Ros at the retreat centre ... lack of phone being rather critical for arranging things ... at the bus station Roxanne, 21, from Paris, is taking the Sagres bus and tells some of her story along the way ... walking the Algarviana from Silves, did 40 km yesterday, being freaked out by a bloke following her in a car ... otherwise she would have been camping in the woods ... seemed chilled enough and hopefully not deterred from future adventures ... at Salema cross roads, Ros is waiting and takes me to the beautiful centre, shows me round, introduces Jasmine, her daughter, who she is home schooling ... her younger one, Siena is at school ... the local Waldorf school, with 70 students only goes up to 12 years old, hence Jasmine home-schooling now ... 

... and returns in time for soup, then they're all off to ballet lessons in Lagos ... busy life! 

At Aljezur ...

A rest day already booked at the very amiable Amizagh Hostel ... cycling German, Christine, checks out and heads for Monchique ... porridge for breakfast and some early philosophy ... laundry drying on the roof terrace ... a bag of vegetables from the market opposite the hostel ... ready for roasting tonight ... the simple joys of a kitchen and good company ...

Guy is heading up to the hills to a work for bed and board place and after a morning's chatting and learning something of his colourful life, then lunch, and he heads off ... and I head for the beach ... nearly an hour wandering along the river, a chat with Stefan, from Germany, also volunteering at the hostel, then back again to help with dinner ... 5 at the table, others out at restaurants ... Michael and Louise return and tell of their unusual hobby ... following the England football team, home and away ... they recently bought a house in North Portugal and are here to consult a German chap who specialises in natural swimming pools ...

An offer for work for bed and board from a yoga retreat near Salema. .. accepted, just need to find the place ... the final details tricky without a phone ...

So, tomorrow still open, but a bus ride to Lagos looking likely ...

Sao Teotonio to Aljezur

Early and plentiful breakfast at the Sao Teotonio Hotel ... places laid for two and the other one has not appeared ... out before 8 into a misty morning ... route easy enough to pick up ... along a gully with a recently fallen tree, tricky for cyclists ... even without the tree ... a wet weather alternative route is offered and accepted and eases the way to a double stage day ... at the expense of the splendid scenic view ... and clearly slicing a few kilometres off the 17, since Sao Miguel and coffee arrives before 11 ... Jose arrives with his wife and parents ... he works for the Vicentina Way association and is on his day off ... picking medronhos for hooch ... surprised at the speed from Sao Teotonio, disappointed at the short cut reason ... and defensive about suggestions for cheaper beds ... a strand of tourism professional policy is to raise the quality of tourists and the money each one spends, rather than increase the number of cheapskates. .. you can see the point with the mass tourism of the coast ... though the pilgrim routes sustain low cost hostels in  increasing numbers ... some research required on who walks the Vicentina and its sister the Algarviana ... a very posh hotel along today's route, Enigma, along with quite expensive farm stays suggest there is a market for a better class of walker ... though whether they are backpacking the whole way is a question ... maybe supported by onward baggage and taxi rides ...

At Odeceixe is the Algarve and a steep walk up through town to pick up the irrigation canal for most of the way to Aljezur ... basking frogs and turtles leaping into the water ... cyclists warned not to ... warm again and far enough for one day ... at the Amizagh Hostel some conviviality with Sebastian from Chile, Harry from Holland ... both volunteers here ... and Guy, an Englishman much travelled around Africa and the Caribbean. ... looking for an investment safe from the coming world financial crash ... of which more tomorrow ... meanwhile, here's the photograph ...then John arrives, having been wandering lost for 36 hours in the mountains ... 

Odemira to Sao Teotonio. ..

The illuminated sign over the Farmacia shows it is 12.43 on 10.12.2016 and 21° ... another T-shirt stage and the 19 km started later and took longer, since the mind was thinking Sao Teotonio and not the double stage to Odeceixe ... certainly doable, just not desirable ...

Conditions set up by breakfast at 8 am ... a later than usual start, with Jose's mum on the early shift ... then an interesting encounter with Rufino, a pilgrim from Granada, travelling free and looking for breakfast, along with his young Danish companion, who leaves the talking to Rufino. .. even though he speaks English ... the Spanish serves anyway, since there is pilgrim communication ... a FB invitation, a small donation, matched in bread and cakes by Jose's mum, who has twice been to Fatima, and suggests Rufino speaks Spanish with a Cuban accent ... since he is heading south it is likely we will meet again ... intriguing comments on the power points of the earth to be explored ...

Fine walking along the River Mira .. some evidence of German settlers, as yesterday and the day before ... no sign of commerce along the way, another theme of the route ... infrastructure evident though ... the first two days pylons bringing power from Sines ... today a canal bringing water to towns from mountains maybe ... and more eucalyptus planting, causing some consternation with the route signs ...

Mooji hangs out hereabouts, though on winter break from Sunday satsangs. ..signs of Northern Europeans around town maybe linked to him ... for those who don't know him, he is good value on You Tube ... a disciple of Papaji, who was himself turned on to non-duality by Ramana Maharshi ... Tamera also not far away ... mostly German community, associated with Findhorn in the Global Eco-Village Network ... and new group further south, Vegoa ... maybe worth a visit ... it's all happening around here! Jan, working with Noomap folks is around Lagos and Jane and Look near Tavira, associated with Thich Nhat Hahn's Interbeing movement ...

Further investigation reveals a Nepalese mini-mercado and quite a lot of Indian looking blokes about ... no women in evidence, whether they are indoors or far away is unclear ...

For now, it's a short day, a good lunch, an early hotel for €30 with a 7.30 am breakfast, meaning Odeceixe and Aljezur both doable tomorrow ... and maybe hostel prices to bring the average down as well as enable home cooking and laundry ... notional budget is €30 a day ... reserve enables some dearer days, but one eye is kept on bank balance ... or would be if the Co-op's new sign-in function worked ... not so easy to ring UK helpdesk without a phone ...

Cercal do Alentejo to Odemira ...

Another early start, fuelled by oats, sparked by a shot of coffee, and the 21 km to Sao Luis, including some steep climbing, and views of the sea, is done before 11 am ... skipping the scenic alternative into Sao Luis saved a couple of kilometres and relegated the walk to yellow and red markers and a very steep and slippery descent as punishment ... coffee and eggy bread at Gabriela's Cafe and onto the next stage ... 25 km and pleasant enough, stripped to T-shirt, sandy lanes, occasionally ripped up by tracked vehicles busy planting eucalyptus across the hillsides ... much disliked by the local ecologists for their thirst and domination of the landscape. .. not good for bio-diversity ... subsidised by EU ... a subject to be investigated ... who decides on what gets subsidised? On what criteria? An English farmer friend said he was farming brown envelopes ... in his case intensive feeding of cattle, and constant problems of disease, plus draining the moors for grouse murderers ... and leading to flooding downstream ... even before the EU common agricultural policy farmers were paid to dig up hedgerows for efficiency ... later paid to put them back after Rachel Carson, with Silent Spring, and others reported the unintended consequences of trying to dominate Nature ...

Back on the trail, a riverside track provides a different setting, sound of running water and scent of wild herbs ... a picnic lunch from yesterday evenings provisions ... and on  ... more upping and downing and into town before 5 pm, ready for a rest and a beer, before checking the bus station to see if Zambujeira do Mar was an option ... Joao's Hakuna Matata hostel ... but no bus shown and Booking dot com not helpful ... then Residential Rita appears, Jose offers a reduced €30 with breakfast ... and his photo ... after another 40+ day, it's a bargain ...

Santiago do Cacem to Cercal ...

A wonderful walk ... 40 km almost all off road ... firm sand surfaces appreciated by feet, joints and thighs in particular ... the asphalt jars ... the surrounding nature, mostly cork oak forests, some interloping eucalyptus, occasional arable fields ... and a big lake behind the dam outside Cercal .... but before all that ...

Last night was a great exercise in equanimity. .. conditions set up by the choice of a rather basic hotel ... clean, with a bed in a single room, shared bathrooms not a problem ... en suite rooms a modern luxury and more than enough ... patchy internet ... no heating ... no plug for tablet charging .research suggesting a long stage needed to find a bed ... earlier FB posting pointing out pre-industrial winter sleeping habits often involved early bed times, to conserve coal and candles ... a period of deep sleep, when the body goes on automatic, repairing as necessary, without conscious or sub-conscious thought interfering ... a period of wakefulness, used to maybe chat with bedroom companions, or reflect on the events of the day ... another period of lighter sleep, for dreaming ... time for the sub-conscious to come out to play .... a National Holiday today, meaning late night fun last night ... and so, having exhausted the delights of Santiago, eaten a bread, cheese and tomato supper, it was very early to bed and soon warmed up and asleep ... then the disco started in the restaurant below ... using the sleepless time to read the guide book, reflect and plan ... until sometime well after midnight silence returned and dreamtime with it ... then an early start, soaked oats for fuel, a strong coffee to spark the engine and off on the rehearsed route in a misty dawn, cutting out the interesting ascent to the castle and descent to the route proper ... for four hours to Vale Seco without stopping, or cafe at which to do so ...high, thin cloud and a wan sun all day ... spirits high, energy also and after a coffee and some cakes at this putative first stage end, albeit without a rentable bed in sight, 18 km was easily done before midday and Cercal within reach before dark ... actually around 4 pm on easy tracks.... well signed the whole way, with positive and negative signs ... a nice metaphor for life in general ... no other walkers to be seen ... the first bed place offers an apartment for €40, the next a comfy, warm, en suite room with heater, plug, good WiFi for €20 ...which is where, dear reader, after a supper of bread, cheese and tomato plus fruit, biscuits and chocolate, your update for today is being prepared ... tomorrow, mountains and two stages combined perhaps too much ... anyway, an early start always allows more options ...

Evora to Santiago do Cacem ...

Up early and ready to move ... Evora is beautiful in a rather twee way ... at the bus station the destination board offers 9 am buses to Alcacer do Sal and, briefly tempting, Faro for a quick trip and in Tavira before dark ... the Rota Vicentina wins and three connecting buses and less than four hours later, it's Santiago do Cacem ... Helder at tourist info with map and guide for the next week or so of wandering south to the south-west corner of Europe ... a €20 hotel room, comfortable enough, and a recce for the morning ... one short stage or two short ones making one of 40 km the options ... with an early start ...

Portalegre to Evora ...

Since the weather is sunny, since the bus to Evora leaves at 15.30, since the beautiful Sao Mamede Natural Park is on the doorstep and since today is made for walking ... Reguengo is the destination ... a 20 km round trip, climbing for wonderful views ... as for buses, the Rede Expresso 15.30 goes on to Faro, too fast and too far for today, though there in the field of possibility ... along with last night's enquiry to a HelpX host near nearby Nisa ... now ruled out since no response was forthcoming and returning from Evora unlikely ... more likely move on south-west ... unless another enquiry to a host in Vila Real de St Antonio on the Spanish border on the Algarve coast bears fruit ...

Jose kindly allows some baggage from the rucksack to rest at the hostel ... his elusive son Joao, who apparently runs the place, has still not appeared ... though four teachers arrived last night for a conference in town today ... Jose also has a country house in Reguengo, wine growing land on the mountain terraces ...

Reguengo is a pretty village without much happening ... the bar is closed, though the Wellbeing Centre is open ... local old folks bused in ... the route is circular and short enough ... the high level return enhanced by a well marked footpath through the forest ... planting thoughts about the Vincentina Way from Santiago de Cacem to Cape St Vincent ...

Lunch with Helder and more philosophy ... plus a photo ... and his attraction to Aljezur ... that part of Portugal ... it has the same effect here, along with Portalegre ...

The bus is quick enough ... Evora as the sun goes down and familiar ... the Pousada de Juventude is right in the centre, a bed in a 4 bedded room for under €11 with the pilgrim discount ... Helena, fluent in English and keen on England, or rather London, often confused with its surrounding country, declines a photo on grounds of shyness ... as does American, Jenny, at the wonderful self-service vegetarian restaurant ... she is teaching English in the Basque Country ... having a week off to travel around Portugal ...

Over the road, at the music school, a concert with piano and flute ... tempting, but the 9.30 pm start is rather late ... tomorrow is open ... another day in Evora or the 9 am bus to Alcacer and maybe on to Santiago de Cacem two main options ...