Wear, Dao and Guadiaro

Settling for now by the Guidiaro, it seems right to acknowledge the third river in the blog ... having wandered from the Wear in the North Pennines of England around Spain and Portugal, with the Dao in central Portugal as a direction of travel as well as a nod to the ancient and timeless philosophy ...and back to the Wear for a while before being drawn to the unlikely Costa del Sol with the intriguing invitation to take care of this once luxurious villa overlooking the old bridge over the Guidiaro ... far enough from the coast ... just ...

Starting a new blog with a new title was considered, but it all hangs together somehow ... not sure how and trying not to force it or drop into familiar patterns ... yet, having irresponsibly abandoned Stanhope by the Wear, the base for A Place to Be as well as the Wheels to Meals project, for a second time, it seems worth examining if there is any purpose for any of it ... and collaborators come and go in the story and stories .... some encourage the writing, and writing itself is worthwhile if there are readers enjoying it ... the question of form is open ... a book is suggested, but a blog is a valid contemporary form too ... if writers could be persuaded, a wiki has always been tempting ... was certainly tried in the days of Du design and animation ... writing has indeed restarted after a year of rest and was suggested as the ideal occupation by Juliet when she imagined her caretaker ... a comfortable, peaceful location with internet and material with which to work ... maybe ...

Another theme returning is the intentional community ... and where better for an extreme contrast than the horror that is the gated communities along the costa ... where fear reigns ... security tries to protect the inmates, but only reminds them of their fear ... and then the frightening folks are often locked in the sunny ghettos with you! Best leave the details for another post ... the sunny place for shady people quip from Graham Greene about the French Riviera surely applies here ...

Having landed here, tempted by Claire, a recent connection through A Place to Be via Joe via the festival at Burnlaw via via via .... who knows how these things link up ... the heart goes for it anyway and lets the purpose follow ... the point about these places in the sun (maybe even the gated ghettos) are to insert some soul ... remove the fear ... the climate and the Spanish psyche are propitious ... the old world of toxic money is crumbling ... technology harnessed for good, allied to permaculture, and of course aligning to love meets the needs of the new earth ... and research shows intentional communities all over the Iberian Peninsula ... so ... is Casa del Puente wanting a community for its current three bedrooms, potential fourth and fifth, plus land for growing, seasonal yurts and so on?

Maybe it's a launch pad for places more rural? Both? Neither?

Let's see ... meanwhile the crumbling casa has a custador and guests are welcome ...