Portugal | FindPenguins

Сначала новые

Portugal Путешественник
1 1
Day 22 Faro and the Dolphins
25 апреля 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Pretty loud and crazy last night so did not sleep very much . This place has the feel of Playa del Carmen🥳🥳 I later found out they were celebratng " Freedom Day."

I gott ready for the dolphin boat ride.
Perfect day with hardly any wind🫶
I dressed with long pants and my jacket and I am so glad I did as it was chilly There were so many young girls with hardly anything covering their body....

We were accompanied by a marine biologist who was super excited at the prospect of seeing some whales passing through. This is a prime time to see them as there are a lot of tuna.

You can also see tortugas, loggerhead ones in particular. Interestingly they come from the Gulf of Mexico on their way to the Mediterranean to nest. Unfortunately, we didn't see any.

What we did see were 2 groups of bottle nosed dolphins They are in groups for different reasons. Some are females with their calves....

I loved the ride, scenery and of course the beautiful dolphins who are very social and curious with regards to boats..

We also saw striped dolphins that are the opposite and swim away from boats.

It was a full day on the water from 11:30 to 1500 hrs.

The biologist was disappointed that she didn't see any different marine life.....but "that's Nature" as she said.

I was amazed at how calm the ocean was. We were fairly far out....you can see on the map. So if there were any whales you could spot them for sure!!

Wonderful day. Walked around town in the evening🤗🤔

Please note on the videos you can enlarge the picture size to see more of the dolphins😉Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
Путешественник Wow, so cool. Glad the ocean was calm for you
28.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникNice hostel
28.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Oh how I love dophins!!
29.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникWhat a splendid day you had!
29.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
2 лайка
Portugal Путешественник
1 2 1 1
Day 23 Bengali cave and Algrave Coast
26 апреля 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
It was much quieter last night which made for a great sleep💤💤

On the van at 0900. We were a group of 8. The drive was 50 minutes west of Faro. I saw a huge Ikea on our way....interesting😂

Stopped at Bengali Cave area first. Hardly any people or boats on the water.

Really challenging walking . My photos are not great because you would have had to go beyond a barrier to get the super ones

The next area is where I got the picture of me in the hole in the rock. The group went Cliff jumping after that which I didn't do....no surprise there🤣😂🤣

Next beach was PACKED with tourists. So many kayaks and boats..... I think visiting at Daybreak would be better and cooler. Surprisingly it was only 21 C but felt like 35C
There was an area that had an A frame type little house in the trees. It housed stray cats. Food and water was left for them The group seemed pretty chill with people. I am sorry I didn't get a pick of them. Next time right😉

We got back at 5 pm. Very long but great day I was thrilled to see some of the Algrave Coast. There is a trail that one can take all along it.....Hmmmmm
Sounds like a great idea perhaps🤔😉😂🤣♥️♥️Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникGlad you didn't go cliff jumping
28.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник How picturesque!
29.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник A "real" pirate ship???
29.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 3 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1 1 2
Day 24 Out and About Faro
27 апреля 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Taking it easy today..
Was going to take a Bolt ( like an Uber) out however the driver kept getting lost. You can see where he is on the map......

As I was waiting, people started to pass by me with fresh produce. I looked around the corner to see a huge farmers market.

I ditched the Bolt and went to the market. Such fun
The people are so kind and generous with their offerings. I always wanted small amounts of items and they kept filling my bags up.....needless to say I will leave what I can't eat in the free bin👍

The sweet potato I got tasted great. It had a purple skin. The veggies were garden fresh all ready for a soup but I made stir-fry . Delicious with fresh strawberries for dessert.

I did have one problem today....cramping of my feet. I think it was due to dehydration from yesterday. I didn't have any electrolytes and this nice guy gave me some fresh market cucumbers that are supposed to help....I had missed 2 days of my Calcium Nd Magnesium so that wasn't good either. Anyway I went to the Farmacia and got some powdered electrolytes and I am good to go

Moved to a 10 bed mixed dorm for tonight. Seville tomorrow.....so excited!!!Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникDidn’t know you love escargot
28.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникGoodness - another awesome day! Way to go!
29.04.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Mmmmmm!
29.04.2025Ответить
Еще 6 комментариев
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1
Day 25 Faro to Seville
28 апреля 2025 г., Испания ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Arrived by bus to Seville. Very busy at the station. Walked towards the Hostel and noticed police were directing traffic? There was a lot of highway congestion coming into the city.

When I arrived at the Hostel, I was told there had been a massive power outage across Europe!!!
People were trying to get money out of ATM's and there were store and restaurant closures everywhere. One of the grocery stores were letting people in a couple at a time and helping them find what they needed by using the flashlight on their phones.

It lasted for over 5 hours. When the power came back on internet was still very sketchy. We had no way of knowing what was going on.....

Later we found out it was only Spain and Portugal that were primarily affected.

I did go walking in the evening and captured a few sites.

Everywhere you look you see beauty in SevillaЧитать далее
Посмотреть перевод
Путешественник Yay for not getting lost!
01.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникSounds like an interesting day for sure. Love hearing your voice and your enthusiasm on the videos!
01.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1
1 1 1
Day 26 Exploring Sevilla
29 апреля 2025 г., Испания ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
Very warm today
A lot of the attractions are too far to walk so I took the sightseeing hop on and off bus.

It helped for sure.
Saw many sites . Sevilla is a beautiful but very busy city..

The hostel was very comfortable except my only complaint was blaring 80's music throughout the place even outside The only place that was quiet was your room
..
Vanessa who I met during the power outage and lives in Port Alberniiv( she is a Nurse) is going to a Flamingo tour tonight She planned this well in advance $110 euros very pricey. We get along very well She did a hike around Malta. After Sevilla she is going to surfing places in Portugal.

I met a young girl from California and a couple from Bosnia. It is a very international place for sure.Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникYes, you look like a real tourist on the bus.
01.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Looks like a carnival building...
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник I always find these narrow streets so fascinating!
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 3 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1
Day 27 Rain in Sevilla😱
30 апреля 2025 г., Испания ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Not too much to say today. It was pretty wet this afternoon .

Went across the bridge for a walk in the evening. Saw some row teams training with their coach behind yelling commands.

Also saw some different kinds of ducks and ducklings.Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
Путешественник Ha ha ha!
04.05.2025Ответить
Путешественник My goodness - such tiny little balconies...
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник What beautiful team work!
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникAre you some kind of a rain magnet??
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1
Day 28 Sevilla to Lisboa
1 мая 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Not too much to say today The bus trip went well all 7 hours of it. We stopped for 30 minutes to have a bite.

Very easy to find my hostel via Metro. There was only 1 transfer. They make it easy for people who lack navigation skills.....me😂

The hostel itself...... More negatives than positives for sure. Basically it was way too many people for the space available. Not to mention how many were coughing and sneezing!!!! Yikes!!!!

My goal was to get up tomorrow am before anyone at 6. Have my shower and coffee and then leave.

IЧитать далее
Посмотреть перевод
Путешественник You must be getting pretty good at this kind of transport...
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
2 лайка
Portugal Путешественник
Day 29 Lisboa to Plum Village France
2 мая 2025 г., Франция ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
I left at 9 from the Hostel and was at the airport by 10:15 which was great.

My flight to Bordeaux is delayed by 40 minutes so I will have to change my train tickets to an hour later .

It is 30 minutes from the airport to train station but I luckily caught the express bus. Then an hour to St. La Foy de Grande.

I am on the train to La Foy de Grande. I have a fellow who is picking me up there and then driving me 30 minutes to Plum Village.

I am going to this Buddhist Monastery called Plum Village, for a week long retreat. I will be offline as well during that time.

This place is where Thich Nhat Hanh lived. You can Google about him. He basically was the father of the "Mindfulness Movement." He also was Tara Brach's teacher if you know her.

" Being in the Present" by using the breath.... Mindfulness training is what I am here for.

I arrived at 7:30 pm and missed the orientation. I will receive it tomorrow morning.

All I heard was birds.
It is so peaceful and quiet here out in the country.Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникI didn't realize you were doing a retreat - how wonderful for you! And, how special to be where "mindfulness" made its beginnings. Soak it all up and enjoy. I guess we will "chat" after your week....
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникI figured out the map better - it certainly shows quite the journey!
04.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1
Day 1 Retreat
3 мая 2025 г., Франция ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
***So Sorry for this long post***

II woke up at 5 am. It actually wasn't too difficult.

The bathroom was very busy.....
The meditation was a led one and I was familiar with it . Very nice♥️

Afterwards I walked back to my cabin. Breakfast was at 8.

I was trying to figure out where the dining hall was as I hadn't been orientated..... A Sister approached me and said it was at 7:30!! She directed me and all was well kind of I didn't know that it was Noble Silence until after breakfast....

Anyway, the Sisters make their own baguettes and honestly they were the best whole grain ones I have ever had!!!! Perfect texture and not a struggle to bite and chew like some.

The food in general was a Vegan's dream come true 🥰💕♥️👍👏

BRRAKFAST
Porridge
Fresh Baguettes
Home made plum jam and peanut butter or some seed?
Fresh fruit of all kinds
Seeds
Flax seed
Rice Milk
Soy Milk
There was no white or brown sugar

After breakfast we had orientation.

Walking meditation was everyday at 11:30. We always sang a variety of songs before it and Service Meditation

Walking meditation lasted for 45- 50 minutes

Lunch was at 12:30
Sooooo.....it was Vietnamese style food every day!!!!🥰
Like I said......AMAZING!!

Every day was a different variety of dishes. Always rice, brown and white. Also fresh Vietnamese herbs and greens along with Lettuce from the Happy Farm.
Also tomatoes, cucumbers, fennel and leeks.
There was also 2 different types of soup.....The Bamboo Soup was so delicious!!!

Chickpeas were always available along with Nutritional Yeast, and Flax and seeds.

They actually make their own tofu!
It takes over 4 hours to do.

They also had pickled radishes Vietnamese style🤗👍

We had afternoon rest at 1400. Service Meditation was at 1500
Physical exercise at 1700 and Dinner was 1800.

Dinner was like lunch....🥰

Noble Silence began after dinner until after Breakfast so roughly 13 hours.

A meditation sit was at 2000 but not every night

So lights were out for me by 9

A very full and enriching experience ♥️Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникGlad you are enjoying the food.
11.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникSorry for the delay in responding. 5 glorious days of happily playing in the garden absorbed all my time!! The food sounds amazingly healthy as does your schedule of activities! A blessed peaceful time away from the stresses of daily life - OMG - how awesome! Happy for you!
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Such a serence spot.
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 3 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1 1
Day 2 Mindfullness Day New Hamlet
4 мая 2025 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
So 5 am wake up.
Today we had a chanted meditation and an early breakfast at 7 am .

We then were transported up to New Hamlet in vans to join the other 2 Hamlet's for Mindfullness Day. All of the Hamlet's gather twice per week Sundays and Thursdays alternating Hamlet's.

There are 3 Hamlet's:

New Hamlet ( don't know)
Lower Hamlet (women)
Upper Hamlet (men)

Honestly I figured out there must have been 200 participants.

The meditation hall was packed.

We sat for a Dhamma talk which lasted an hour and a half.

Then walking meditation and lunch.

We arrived back at our " Lower Hamlet" at 4:30.

Dinner was at the usual time.

We had a Lazy Night which I will explain tomorrow😉🤗Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникSo interesting and different from our "normal" lives...
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник That's a LOT of participants. Imagine keeping everything flowing smoothly with that many people.
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Ooooh - all the good stuff!!
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 3 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1
Day 3-6 Retreat
8 мая 2025 г., Франция ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
So I followed the same schedule basically every day.

I forgot to mention that they have a lazy day every Monday.
Now this isn't to be used to do laundry etc but to do nothing. Rest, read, journal, walk, sleep....meditate and so on if you catch my drift it actually is difficult to not do things....I learned I do like structure and following a schedule. Very interesting....

I forgot to mention that they would ring the bell all day long and it was for us to stop what we were doing and breathe and be present in our body..... There were also signs everywhere as a reminder to get out of our heads and into our body🤗

The first service meditation was in the kitchen. The chef was hilarious!! The first thing she said was: " No Cooking....No Chopping...Just Scrubbing!!!!"
She gave us 3 carts filled with large service pans that were very laden with grease......the fix was vinegar, baking soda, steel wool and elbow grease. We were having so much fun until one of the Sisters told us to be quiet and work in a meditative fashion.....

That same day I was chatting with Anna and a Sister reminded me of the Noble Silence and ralso to wash my dishes as if it were a baby Buddha.....

I also should mention that every night I had to get up to use the outhouse.....But....it was thrilling because not only did I see the beautiful stars 😍 I heard the Owl.

I continued to hear the Owl every night but it's call was not loud enough to be picked up on Merlin....until one night👏🥰

I identified it as a Tawny Owl. There were several in the area calling to one another......such a thrill!!!
I also heard the Nightengale as well😍 I think my next trip should be a bird call ID trip😉 It is so gratifying identifying their calls.Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникGlad you are onto Merlin.
12.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникThe tawny is the same genus as our barred owls.
12.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник I just love bamboo groves!
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 4 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1
1 1
Day 7 Last day of Retreat
9 мая 2025 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Beautiful sunny day.
I had an early shower to beat the crowds and then went for my coffee as per usual

I entered the dining hall to be met by the Chef....."Come now" she said and led me to a back table. There were small glasses, a very small teapot and a thermos.
She said, " I make tea for you." She then poured hot water from the thermos into the tea pot and each glass. She then poured the water out of each glass and dipped the rim of each glass in hot water. Next she put the tea into the pot.
" This tea comes from very old tree in North Korea." she said.
She let it sit for a few minutes and poured it into my cup.
She then said, " Don't drink just smell the fragrance.....then only use the tip of your tongue to taste it. Then you can drink it..."
Our teacher taught us this ( meaning Thay....short form of Thicht Naht Hahn)
How cool was that!!!! Amazing🥰
Slowly other sisters joined us and other participants
It was something I will never forget🫶💕💕

We had hugs and happy tears as we said goodbye .....until next timeЧитать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникNice picture of you. It is a calendar worthy
12.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
ПутешественникWhat a warm and magical way to end your retreat - yes, something you will never forget. So special! Sad though to leave everyone and all that peace behind, I''m sure.
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Love this picture - I copied & pasted it into my photo album. Copied a few others too - hope that's okay...
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 2 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1
1 1 1 1 1
Back in Lisbon
10 мая 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Rest day.
No agenda just to take it easy.

I did end up walking and saw some sights including a huge flea market.

I went down to the river after dinner to watch the sail boats and other watercraft.

It was packed with people.....Saturday night the city never sleeps!!!Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникMust be part of the Spanish culture - I've seen the same thing in Central American countries & Colombia. Waaayyy too much noise for me...
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Yikes - no sun there!
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Interesting. In Madagascar we rode in little canopied carts that were pulled by a local walking and running in his bare feet! Their feet soles were thick and hard! Fascinating, but we felt kind of guilty.
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 4 комментария
2 лайка
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1 1 1
Bus to Nazare
11 мая 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
I was very excited to take the bus to Nazare today. It is a coastal city that attracts surfers from all over the world due to its enormous waves.

The bus ride was just over an hour.

I walked up to the lookout early and I am glad that I did because it got very hot!

The views were spectacular. There were a lot of tourists.

I spent the whole day there and got home around 7 pmЧитать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникLooks so beautiful
12.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Ooooooh!
15.05.2025Ответить
Путешественник Sure does...
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 5 комментариев
2 лайка
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1
Fun things like laundry
12 мая 2025 г., Португалия ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
I was offered some breakfast by a group of 4 Korean guys. They told me that they started in Korea and rode on their bikes to Paris, then Bayonne, then St. Jean and did the Camino to Santiago and then did the Camino down Portugal to Lisbon!!!!! Absolutely incredible.

Did my laundry and sent home more things.....I won't say how much it cost but probably the same as the airline charge honestly.

My flight leaves for London at 6 :25 am tomorrow so I will take the Metro to the airport later tonight.

Goodbye Lisbon😘Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникHow sad to leave & head home.... But maybe, it's time....
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Love those cozy looking bunks!
15.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Yikes!
15.05.2025Ответить
Еще 3 комментария
2 лайка
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1
Over to the UK for 2 weeks
13 мая 2025 г., Англия ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
So I landed at Gatwick airport and took the train to Petersfield. I then took a cab to Chithurst to stay at Aloka Cottage for a 2 week retreat in the forest.

I had a lovely room to myself ( very appreciated) and a shared bathroom and shower.

All I could hear were birds and the stream. No sirens, motorbikes, lawnmowers, power washers etc.

I would walk up to the main house each day at 11 :00 am for our one meal of the day. We were able to have a small breakfast at 7:00 at the cottage.Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникOh my! I thought you were back home in Nanaimo... Yay for a 2 week retreat! Sounds like a piece of paradise!
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Looks so quaint...
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Ah - no code.
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 2 комментария
1 лайк
Portugal Путешественник
1 1 1 1
More pics and then " The End"
27 мая 2025 г., Канада ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
I have just included more pictures of the scenery that I saw each day.

The weather was wonderful.

I counted over 30 different bird calls while I was there. There was also a lake where the Mallards and family plus a blue heron were regulars.

I left Chitthurst walking n the rain today. I wanted to catch the 11:25 bus to Petersfield early enough to enjoy English Fish and Chips before I left the UK

.Unfortunately the fish was way too battered for my liking and I removed it all. But it was super fresh and the chippies with salt and vinegar were delicious. AND they had Heinz catchup!!! They gave me sweet and spicy Thai sauce for my Prawns🥰

I have become quite a food snob as my diet has been Thai and Sri Lankan cuisine everyday with fresh fruit and vegetables. My taste buds have been doing hip- hop dancing in my mouth😂

I caught the train to Gatwick Airport and flew down to Lisbon.
I stayed over at the airport until my flight to Montreal left at 8 am the next morning. I had another 8 hour layover in Montreal until my final flight home to Vancouver.

I am presently 2 hours away from landing flying into the sun which is slowly setting for the night....
It really is a perfect ending for an incredible adventure!!!
TBC..... 😉😂🤗Читать далее
Посмотреть перевод
ПутешественникI hear you about the layovers - yuck! The travel part is not so much fun. Happy arrival back home!
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник So peaceful looking...
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Путешественник Awwwwww....
29.05.2025ОтветитьПереводить
Еще 3 комментария
1 лайк

Окончание поездки
28 мая 2025 г.