• What a unique birthday

    25 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Today is my birthday. And It is not raining yet. (Will come this afternoon though).
    I started the day by giving myself a present, three Jelly snakes in memory of good old times with my daughters when they would bring me such snakes from the kiosk. This used to be heaven on earth for me 😃
    As I marched on weather got worse and worse with thunder all around. And then it broke! In buckets. Within seconds I was soaked and the rest of the day was rain.
    When I got to Grandola I met a young man in an alley who looked as if he could speak English. It was Markus Müller a well traveled international who two years ago decided that Germany is going to Hit the wall, sold everything to build a house in Portugal
    Markus invited me in for a beer and then, unknowingly, turned my birthday into a most memorable event by cooking a wonderful dinner. And for the first time in this trip I was able to have a real conversations with someone accompanied by wonderful wine, then Sake, and then to literally finish us off, half a bottle of Medronio, a killer Schnaps from Portugal.
    God bless you Markus. ❤
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  • Off on the next leg

    24 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A bit wet today with showers coming through every few hours and me getting pretty wet. But I have a good rain Cape that at least keeps the top dry.
    Incredible landscapes with Cork oaks, streams and hills.
    After the rain, when the sun came out again everything radiated a scent, sweet jasmine, eucalyptus, cystus roses, wet grass. Simply beautiful.
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  • Carrying my old shoes to grave. R.I.P.

    23 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This morning was seriously windy and ice cold. New weather is comming, but the walk was beautiful along old Cork oak alleys and finally arriving at the first pilgrims stop on my journey, the Santiago do Cacem church high up on a hill.
    I then headed off to restaurant COVAS whose address I had used to have new shoes sent to me, and they had actually arrived in time, which automatically initiated the burial of my old shoes. This sad task was undertaken by the two new ones who carried the old to Grave.
    R.I.P. (rest in peace) my dear old shoes!
    These old shoes have served for ages in the toughest environments, even the via ferrata in the Brenta .
    Now I am bouncing along on new soles like a young puppy.
    And now, for the "dark side of the moon", the next three days will be clouds and RAIN!
    HORROR! and definitely very wet.
    Early tomorrow I head off to Roncao, 22 KM.
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  • Walking inland

    22 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Walking inland the senses become finer. The coast has been dramatic!
    Waves, Cliffs, Wind, roaring Sound.
    The trail now is isolated, quite, gentle.
    I'm hearing the birds, the bees, the stream and the rustling of the leaves . And above all the cicads, symbol of southern countries. The whole air is singing!

    And everywhere abandoned ruins.
    And my fantasy flies!
    Repair an old ruin, keep chickens, plant vegetables, have solar energy and collect rainwater in a cistern. And forget the insanity of our world. And those walking by on the camino can stay the night
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  • Well, thats the end of Rota Vincentina!

    22 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    So that was it, the end of the Rota Vincentina. No more cliffs, no more sound of the waves, but the birth of something new, an opportunity to discover new parts of Portugal.
    It would be so cool to meet some people to walk and talk with.
    I feel pretty lonesome!
    The longest encounter so far was half an hour .
    I'm going to send this idea into the universe and open myself for what will come now.
    Buon Camino,
    "May the road rise up to meet me"
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  • It's happened! an open restaurant, yea!

    21 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    At last an open restaurant, with tables service and all!
    For me the first since October 2020!
    Suddenly something banal becomes really important.
    I have now left the department of Odemira into that of Sines and the restaurants are actually open. I'm going to have an orgy!

    On a different note, this morning I met a wonderful couple from Australia, David Bangma and Amelia Gill. Both lived a while in London, then decided to escape the craziness of COVID to Lisbon, then things got crazy in Lisbon and they moved for three months into this region to have the sea nearby for surfing. David is Graphic designer, Amelia works for and ad-agency and both work totally virtually although they miss the social contact of the normal working world. Apparently life in Australia is totally normal. No lock down, no masks no craziness.
    I am Meeting many people here who have fled Germany, France, or Britain to come an live here near the sea while the World goes crazy. Most are working remote. One German Surfer I met is part of a technical call Center for engineering products he takes the calls from the beach. After 17:00 He is on his surf Board. There is a totally new professionell world appearing.

    This morning as I marched, I philosophised about ants. Everywhere I saw endless roads of ants, Perfectly organised straight lines which I followed for tens of meters. Half of them going in one direction, the other half in the other direction. They were not carrying anything, just crawling, sometimes meeting each other for a split second and then moving on. Where were they coming from? Where were they going? What were they doing? And why?
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  • Last night on the coast

    20 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After that long march yesterday I gave myself a hostel last night 😃
    Got up late, had a nice breakfast and marched off around midday.
    Now in the distance already visible are the huge harbour cranes of Sines which also signal the end of the Rota Vincentina. Shortly before sines I will be heading off inland to join up with the camino Central at Santiago do Cacem. I then won't see the sea till Porto . 🙁
    The wind was so strong at the coast tonight that I have pitched tent behind a port Jackson bush,
    In the Cape South Africa, there is a war being raged against these bushes which are viewed as aliens, grow extremely fast, consume huge quantities of water in a dry region and displace the indigeneous flora. Exactly the same is happening here, and especially in the last 60 kms this has been very evident with them growing everywhere and covering up and killing the flowers.
    So I have mixed feelings about the protection I am getting tonight.
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  • From heaven back into reality

    19 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Having walked 15 kms to Almograve this morning dreaming of a nice lunch (as of today all Restaurants are supposed to be open again), I wondered why the village was so quiet. When I was asked to please wait at the door at the local Café, I discovered that on Sunday night the government had decided to close down a large part of Alentejo. What insanity!
    A narrow Region along the coast, constantly blown upon by a sea Wind where people are outdoors all the time and villages hardly get larger than 1000 inhabitants is closed down. Suddenly I was back in the world of corona and the terrorism of our governments (who unfortunately we elected!). It was like falling out of the sky and my joy changed instantly.
    So I decided to walk on to "Vila nova des Millefontes". Another 30kms which makes my day a 45km day and was clearly too much for me at this stage. Probably I will "get the bill" when I can't sleep because of knee pain.
    Alas, quite stupid one might say!
    But somehow I had to get the anger out of my system!
    Sounds a bit crazy!
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  • Alone in nature with the spirit

    19 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Alone in nature with the seagulls, the sea and my path; the path behind me, and the path in front.

    This would be the right moment to die, like the indigeneous africans do when they feel that their time has come, they walk into the bush and lie down to sleep next to a tree 🌳
    The Hyenas or lions 🦁 do the rest.
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  • A long time since I felt so clean!

    18 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Aproaching the evening I came upon this gorgeous, rushing stream and jumped in, clothes and all! At last an opportunity to wash (of course without soap in keeping with the principle of "leave no trace". Usually in the evening I use my ingeneous 60 gram portable basin from "sea to summit" with a cloth to wash myself. I then keep the water for the next morning as a bidet after having gone to the toilet. Such is the principle of "leave no trace".
    A good feeling knowing that this pristine nature doesn't notice that I have been here.
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  • And then came this unbelievable moment!

    18 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Once again, I was not following the rota vincentino, but walking along the cliffs when I had this unbelievable encounter. A stork looking after her nest. I approached ultra slow and my zoom did the rest. What a gift.Läs mer

  • Zambuera do mar and coffee at last!

    18 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Started walking really early this morning to get to Zambuera do Mar before the cafes and restaurants have to close at 13:00hrs due to the COVID PANDEMIC. But at least they are open, a bit! Contrary to crazy Germany! When I talk to people here about covid, they refer to "the pandemic" with a huge sarcastic smile on their face. The reason gastromomy all follow the rules to the comma, is that they are terrified of having the place closed down again. Otherwise people are very relaxed here.
    I had the most beautiful campsite last night, sheltered from the wind under pine trees directly next to wonderful cliffs where I could watch the sun set. And for the first time I didn't freeze at night, but no wonder, I had my thick down jacket on plus a wool Jersey, woolen t-shirt and sleeping bag and tent. It gets really hot during the day, but as soon as the sun is gone, you better get dressed warm!
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  • A tedious afternoon getting lost.

    16 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Oh my god , did I get lost this afternoon!
    Whenever the route gets really exciting, the Rota Vincentina goes inland and follows some road.
    So I decided to continue following the cliffs along paths where one is never shure, was it left by fishermen or by the many wild boars that dig up roots along the way. Well this one was definitely wild Boars! It become less and less clear until I was stuck in the middle of nowhere stuck in brambles up to my crest ripping myself bloody. I got through on the first 500 meters but then gave up and returned to the official path along a Main road.
    But the evening was great, with an la carte dinner in exclusive location. Mmmmm.!
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  • Ran to reach Aljezur river at low tide

    16 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This morning has been a sprint to get to Al Jezur river at low tide. Despite this, it was an incredible morning along a wild, wild coastline with a wonderful encounter with Joe, the male goat and his harem. As I approached he made it very clear that these ladies were only his!
    Promptly one of the ladies started to crawl his neck, probably to signal him that there was nothing to worry about.
    This hike is a gift of impressions and beauty!
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  • Rain rain rain, and so much beauty

    14 april 2021, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    What a crazy day today! This morning those wonderful encounters, and this afternoon pouring rain. And as "cherry on the cake" I got totally lost in the middle of nowhere climbing through thorny Macchia up a steep slope with loose wet shingles slipping away.
    That was not a good idea, and I frequently thought "this is stupid", if I fall it will take a long time to find me. Because this coast is really wild and incredibly beautiful. Sheer paradise.
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