To the End of the Earth and Back

I have been really fortunate to find people here who speak English.  Much more so than Spain.  I didn't expect it.  One of the B & B ladies told me that the reason is that in Portugal, all of the American movies and television shows are in English with Portuguese subtitles.  In Spain, they are dubbed.  So the kids (and adults) grow up listening to English all the time. I have often thought that if I could watch Spanish movies dubbed in English maybe I could learn a little more.  I don't know though, I don't have a gift for languages and I think my head is full of worthless stuff.

Notice that I said "fortunate".  Once when I was a new deputy sheriff, I answered a run where the man's parachute didn't open up until the last minute.  He was pretty broken up but alive and talking. In amazement, I said to him "You are so lucky to be alive." He looked up and me and said in a disgusted tone, "Young lady, if I'd have been lucky, the damn parachute would have opened.  I am fortunate to be alive." And he did live. I have never forgotten that man's comments. I always wondered if he continued to jump from airplanes.

Beautiful views from early in the morning.

I went to the National Bank of Portugal in a hopeless wish that they could help me get cash.  I really didn't think it was going to work but I am not easily deterred. As expected, the bank wasn't able to help me but the Western Union was located with the bank. See that little yellow square.  I asked the man if I could transfer money to myself and he said "Sure" and then I asked how soon do you get the money and he said, "minutes." I raced back to my room (1/2 mile)  and figured out how to make a transfer via credit card. Raced back to the bank (1/2 mile) and for some reason, it listed me as the sender and Jeanne Frank as the recipient. (Who the heck is Jeanne Frank?)  I had checked it carefully and one of the security questions was my paternal grandfather's first name--Frank.  AAARRRRGGG! So I had to call Western Union to get the name changed but they decided to just refund my money. I raced back to the room and resubmitted the request (1/2 mile). It alerted security on both my credit card and Western Union, as was to be expected.  I got that straightened out and raced back to the bank (1/2 mile).  I was hurrying because I wanted to walk along the cliffs to the end of the world. (By this time, I wanted to jump off the cliffs). On line, the bank advertised they were open from 10 to 4. I got there at 12:31 and there was a sign that said, Gone to lunch--12:30 to 1:30.  I went back to my hotel room (1/2 mile) and waited until 1:15 and raced back to the bank (the last half mile).  Success at last.  I have money!!! So all you folks who travel whether in the U. S. or abroad.  If you get in a jam, don't forget good ol' Western Union.  Who knew you could transfer money to yourself. I felt purt near a genius.

These cliffs are really breathtaking in their magnitude.

It is not only the beauty of the scenery but the sounds of the ocean crashing against the cliffs and the howling winds make this such a special place.  Did anyone ever watch Dark Shadows as a kid?  I loved the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs as the show opened.

I walked to the end of the earth for the views but I also toured the promontory or "Sacrum Saturni." The walls date back to the XVth century.  Supposedly, Henry the Navigator formed a naval school here.

The church of Saint Mary built around 1570.

The altar.  It was a tiny one-room church but that doesn't diminish prayers. And I said a bunch of them for all of you.

This is a replica of the marker stone (padrãeo) used by the Portuguese navigators in the 15th century. to mark newly discovered territories.  I know it is tiny but note the coat of arms of Henry the Navigator. This is such a part of our American history.

Even the end of the world has solar power!

This warning was enough to keep me from peering over the edge, especially with such strong winds.

It didn't stop this fisherman.  Looking down was dizzying and I am not afraid of heights.  I have jumped from an airplane before.

He wasn't bothered either but then he can fly. I only fly downward and at a rapid speed.

What an incredible end to my hike to the end of the world.  All is well!

Some people contemplate life from a sitting position and some contemplate by walking. 

The view looking down.

Again, I had a fabulous dinner.

I know this photo is a little fuzzy but my hands aren't as steady as they used to be. I don't know the answer to why the Christmas Tree.  The dish with four portions had an incredible mixture of black-eyed peas and onions and such. It also had olives and paté and cheese. This is the second time that I have had blackeyed peas in Europe.  And I thought they were only in the South. Technically, I guess, this is Southern Europe? 

I had grilled chicken with French fries and salad (yea, I know boring) but it was really good.  But the pièce de résistance was this lemon meringue.  OMG.  Helen would have loved this.  She loved Lemon Pie/Key Lime Pie but only if it was tart.  And this was puckery tart with a homemade crust (I think lard was involved) and the perfect sweet meringue.  There was not one crumb left.  I would have licked the plate but I didn't want to be the ugly American.

So I come to an end and retire my ever-faithful boots.    If you see all that white, my shoestring had separated from the green part and somehow grew longer. My prayer for myself is that I get to retire many more pairs of boots.  They were actually pretty clean for three weeks of hiking.

This was at my hotel.  I thought it was a perfect ending.  I always learn something with every hike.  This hike I learned fortitude, not only physical challenge but also mental resilience.  I suppose it is a bit biblical that I had to spend time in the hinterlands before I got to the promised land. With so many obstacles, I could have deemed this trip, the trip from hell.  But I am the only one who gets to say what kind of trip it was.  Attitude!  I loved every minute of it--may be a little less so when I was lost. But I refuse to let any of these obstacles take away my joy.  It was a great trip and I am better for it.  So until my next adventure--

May God be with you!

Villa do Bispro to Villa do Bispro to Sagres

You are not going to believe what I did today. I walked for a little over 12 miles and ended up, back at the hotel where I started out this morning. OMG, Is that funny?  When I left this morning, I couldn't find the trail.  (Dennis knows how that is. I is always harder to find trail markers in towns).   So I asked several people where Sagres was and they all pointed down this road and said 7 kilometers (4.3 miles). My trail map showed 14.6 miles.  I started walking.  Suddenly after about six miles or so, I saw a marker and it was going the way I was headed.  WhooHoo. I got close enough to see what I thought was Sagres but I decided to follow the trail markers...six miles later, I was back at my original hotel.  I am sure the look on my face would have been priceless.  I then rode with the luggage to Sagres.  So I can honestly say that I have mostly walked the Via Algarviana. Although I thought this was going to be my last hiking day, I decided to walk to Point St Vincent tomorrow which is about 10-12 miles round trip.  It is the farthest point both western and southern for Europe.

The flowers all over this part of Portugal are so colorful.  

I saw a lot of these trees in Spain.  I think they are so interesting with the long cylindrical blooms looking at the ground.  They are always this color.

I saw this man and his dogs were much closer to me.  I heard a short whistle and suddenly they were all sitting by him.  I love working dogs.  He waved and was very friendly.  I thought this was his whole flock until I rounded the corner...

All of those bumps are sheep. I spread my arms wide and said "Grande" and he yelled back "many sheep."

Look at this little guy.  He had a white face and a whitetail.

You can tell that I am getting close to the coast.  I was walking over sand dunes.  It was so windy today and I had a head wind. No wonder people flock to Portugal to surf.  I have not been able to wear my hat for three days, even with the chin strap.  I got tired of chasing it down. 

Look at this fence.

My first peek at the Atlantic Ocean.  I wondered if I sent a message in a bottle and it went straight through would it land in New Smyrna Beach where my mother and Frank live. I looked on a map and straight is more like even with Washington or maybe even New York. I would have to go to Southern Morocco to have a chance to be even with Daytona area.

I made it to Sacres and my hotel is right at this cove.

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum. I still prefer wine.

I am sure I have some relatives checked in here.

What a funny sign for a restaurant.  It made me laugh. 

Look how beautiful this cove is just before sunset.  It doesn't look as cold and windy as it felt.  BRRRRR!

This is a Statue of Infante Dom Henrique or Henry the Navigator who was behind the golden age of Portuguese exploration in the 15th century.  His support of explorers led to Portugal becoming the richest country in the world.

I had such a fabulous dinner at Armazem.  

If you are wondering how I am surviving with only 3 euros left of my cash?  Every night I order bread and cheese as an appetizer.  Then I put it in my purse for lunch the next day.  This part of Portugal has the best cheese I have ever eaten.  Believe it or not, it is so good that I am not tired of it yet.

I ordered the sea bream which was grilled and my server expertly de-boned table side.  Delicious.  It was served with boiled potatoes. I never met a potato I didn't like.  These were served in melted butter.  Make your tongue slap your brains out! So bright and sorta early, with the cheese in my pack, I head to the end of the earth tomorrow. I suspect it will be the most beautiful part of the trip.  The ocean sits beneath high cliffs.

Until tomorrow..goodnight!

Monchique to Marmelete to Bensafrim to Vila do Bispro

I realized last night (2 nights ago) when I paid my restaurant bill that I had no money except for a few coins.  I know that morning I had slightly less than a hundred Euros because I took out a few coins to buy a Coca-Cola zero at breakfast.  I was only at breakfast for about 10 minutes because I was in a hurry.  I didn't notice my missing money until that night when I went to pay for a tip.  In all my years of travel, I Have never had anyone come into my room and take anything.  Thank goodness they left my credit cards. Bummer.    Okay so here is where my stupidity compounds the incident.  I thought Okay so I have been ripped off, I will get some extra cash and all will be fine.  Oh, no!  My debit card had expired.  I never thought to check the date.  Usually, they send me a card and I replace my old one.  No big deal. So I didn't know the pin of my Visa card.  I  never used it for cash. After several hours of phone calls with Visa, we agree to overnight mail my pin to my home address.  Dennis, my wonderful husband extraordinaire, tracks down the FedEx and gets the pin for my Visa.   What a guy.  He is in the middle of a bridge tournament. Except for some reason, Visa in Portugal won't let me withdraw cash. AAARRRGGG!  I first thought I only had one euro twenty.  I couldn't even get a diet coke.  Then, I emptied my suitcase and purse (many prayers) and found a ten Euro bill and a fifty-cent piece. You would have thought I hit the lottery.  Unfortunately, I am now down to five Euros.

Monchique was a pretty cool town.  I loved the statues that were all over town.

They seemed to lifelike.  

This alleyway was actually a part of the trail.

“The convent of Nossa Senhora do Desterro, Our Lady of Exile, was founded in 1631 by Pêro da Silva, who later became the vice-Roy of India. According to legend, the founding of the convent was due to a promise made by two sailors at sea who swore to build a church at the first site of Portuguese land. The legend also says that the founder brought with him a small ivory image of the Saint (sic), which the monks venerated after his death as a relic until in 1834 it was hidden to save it from the strong winds before being recovered by a local lady. Our Lady of Exile’s image is currently stored at the hermitage of S. Sebastião” I was trying to find the trail when this older Portuguese gentleman insisted that I come inside.

It was worth it but the only thing of particular note was this dedication to the Nuns.

I climbed up and up after the convent.  I lost the markers and wandered back and forth trying to find the official trail with no luck. When I finally, sort of lucked into finding the trail, I was showing five miles on my Garmin watch and the sign said that I was 2.8 kilometers (about 2 miles from where I started.  AAARRRGGGH.  The views were beautiful.  All and all, I found my hotel and I had an 18.6-mile day.

A long trail up-hill.  It has been warm here since I started.  I left this morning with my cropped pants, a tee-shirt, and my thin wool shirt.  Like to froze!  The wind was so strong and icy. I finally put on my rain poncho and it at least kept me sorta warm.  

More views.

I had to go under this gate.  I have never seen this.  The door/gate was pretty heavy but I managed to get under it.

The trail got really thin and over-grown.  

More beautiful vistas.

I got such a laugh.  These two guys were at a trail marker, looking confused and scratching their heads.  I had already spotted the next waymarker when they asked me what did I think of the fork in the road.  I confidently pointed in the correct direction.  Then I told them I had been lost every day for six weeks.  They are probably still at the intersection, scratching their heads.

That is a toadstool.  It was bigger than a dinner plate.  Wow!

My final destination for the day.

After a 20.2 mile day, Camino Ways, the company that I book my hotels with was wonderful in this no money crunch.  They arranged an included dinner for me at my hotel in the boonies.  I had pasta bolognese, an ensalada-mixta and two glasses of the most excellent white wine for dinner. I was allowed thirteen euros and I came in just under that.  I used a few coins from my little stash to leave a modest tip. 

Solar power everywhere I look.  I kinda like the gentle whirring of their arms.  

Again, the beautiful tiles.

This one had cattitude!  He practically dared me to walk past.  He did allow me to scratch his ears.  

Beautiful vistas.

Look what I found.  Yep...a snake--a rather long snake.  I have dodged every crooked stick and this was the real deal.  Just in case you are worried, I used the zoom on my camera to get this photo but I did do a side step to get past him.  He was alive because he stuck out his forked tongue at me. It was very cold that morning.  I was not dressed warm enough until I put on my rain jacket. I am thinking he was lethargic because of the cold. I think it is odd that I have not seen one lizard.  The conditions are perfect.  It has been hot and there are lots of rocks for them to sun themselves.

High above a lake.

God love those ears.

I have never seen so many solid black cats and kittens.  There must have been one active Tom in all of Southern Portugal.

Another twenty-mile day.  I had to walk about a mile along the highway to reach this Indian Restaurant.  It was well worth it.  I had to find a place that took credit cards.

   

I started with Honey Gobhi, a house specialty.  Gobhi is fried cauliflower in a creamy, slightly sweet sauce.  It was Yummy!

Then I had Chicken Labadar (not labrador like the dog) which was chicken in a cashew sauce.  Another house specialty.  I also ordered garlic cheese Nan.  I loved this meal.  So funny to have Indian food in Portugal.  The menu had the Indian items listed in Portuguese.  I went with the servers suggestions and I was delighted with my meal.

My waiter, who I suspect was the owner said it was their custom to give each customer a gift.  He brought me a most excellent glass of port.

I was just out of town the next morning when I spotted these guys. Look at all the little ducklings.

The famous Portuguese black pigs.

At about five miles I went through this very artsy little village.

I am not sure exactly what this represented but I have never seen art on someone's roof.

After many hours of walking,...A BAR!  They didn't have Coca-Cola Zero but they had two types of diet Pepsies. One with lime and one without.  I got the lime one and it was pretty terrific.  But I had hiked about 17 miles at this point.

This was a little bit fat city today.  Many gated mansions including this one.  I tried to see over the wall but it was just too high.

Beautiful trails. Like a postcard.

This was a pottery store.  I would have loved to have gone in but all I need to do is buy a bunch of pottery to carry along.

Look at these flowers.  At first, I didn't think they were real. They look like thousands of hanging baby carrots.  

So I found a restaurant that takes Visa.  The waiter was so funny.  When I first went in, I asked him if he spoke English and he said yeah with that suspicious teenager posture.  It made me laugh.  He turned out to be really nice, in spite of his teenager posturing. 

I really wanted to order the sole but since I am a pauper with an unlimited credit card, I ordered a pizza.  I didn't have lunch for tomorrow so I took the rest home and I now have lunch on the trail. In three days I have spent six of my eleven euros.  Tight budgeting.  I didn't have enough money for a tip.  I am holding on to my five Euros for a least one diet coke.  I asked the waiter if he could add the top to my credit card and they aren't allowed to do that. So I said, okay, Can I buy you guys a bottle of wine.  They were so excited.  They picked out one that was six euros and asked if that was too much.  I was happy to give them that because they were so happy. And I can't stand to be generous to the hard-working wait staff.  I decided many years ago, if I couldn't be generous then I should stay home.  

The past three days have been magnificent.  I am determined that this cash crunch is not going to take away one iota of my joy at the hike and the beautiful scenery.  I love a challenge. I usually mean that as a physical challenge but this whole hike has been a mental challenge between being lost and not being able to get cash.  My life lesson...beore you go on a trip...check the expiration date on your debit card. I check my passport about ten times but I never even thought of looking at the expiration date on my debit card.  I always bring two credit cards so if one doesn't work... Oh, well, a valuable lesson.

So until tomorrow...my last hiking day!