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 ...