AWAKELAND

A few kilometres inland from Portimao is the eco-community  / workshop centre of Awakeland, home in 2019 to the Portugal Tantra festival and ISTA training. We hoped to meet Ashik, the Portugese founder, but as he had gone to South Africa for a holiday with family. We spent New Year’s Eve with manager Andrew, and German volunteers Lucas and Jannika. 

By now Anita’s mother was in worse health so she booked an earlier ticket to fly to Poland to care for her, to take over from her daughters who did a magnificent job looking after her and making her last days happy, while other family members stayed away, waiting to fight for her money and not taking a last opportunity to make peace with her. Oh how families can be with greed and ego of some members, and they are so toxic that they upset all other family members!! 

As it happened, she died on 30 December so Anita was heading back to the funeral and the work of clearing her affairs.

I return to Awakeland soon to plant trees and to meet Ashik before I fly later to join Anita.

LAGOS, ALVOR & PORTIMAO

Returning to the warmer Algarve south coast of Portugal we made our way to Lagos, one of the few ports of call on my 2001 sailing trip UK to Mediterranean. 

We walked around and enjoyed an Indian lunch with mango lasse, as well as some lingerie shopping in the sales. It is a major centre of the Algarve. Walk around the historic centre and along the river.

East of Lagos is Alvor with it’s wonderful estuary and long sand dune protection, and small river entrance. We parked in our favourite spot close to the beach and enjoyed the long boardwalks and beach itself. 

This cost is tidal and it is always fascinating to see at low and at high water. Nature is close to local facilities.

Portimao is an important riverside centre on the coast immediately east of Alvor.

ALJEZUR AREA

I have written before about the problem of obtaining a vehicle body part to make the annual inspection due in December possible. I contacted the Laika dealer in Vigo many weeks ago and they have neither reported a response from Laika in Italy, nor answered my recent mails. I had written in December to the Laika dealer in Sevilla who did not see my mail under I sent a reminder. They  reported that Laika are on holiday until 8 January so there is no possibility to even have a part dispatched let alone arrive and be fixed for the inspection in December.

The non-functioning battery is less of a problem. We have candles and one solar powered LED light.

We had a rendezvous by invitation with friends to join them close to Aljezur after Christmas. We found the house with difficulty in a quiet community at Vale do Telha.

Our host Josef was relaxed and easy going and our friends from Poland, Katerina and Konrad arrived the day before. 

Katerina had stayed for a year in Portugal as an Erasmus student, with Josef.

Next day we all drove together in Josef’s VW van to a favourite location, Bordeira, 

and on to places we did not know, like Praia Amoreira 

ending in a spectacular sunset from high cliffs near to Vila do Bispo. 

On the way he was stopped at a Police check to show vehicle papers, warning triangle and that we were wearing seat belts. All was in order and we went on our way.

Josef called his mechanic and we could take the vehicle. They saw the problem and said they could make something over the wheel arch and fit the necessary light that day which they did at very reasonable cost