I was asked, why I chose this area, the Costa Vincentina. I had read about the Rota Vincentina, the mass of trails that goes around this area, inland on the fisherman‘s trail and along the coast. There is almost 800 km of intertwining trails that appeal to me. In my head, I’m still able to hike 500 to 1000 km – in reality my body repeatedly screams at me for the way I’ve treated it over the years, from falls off horses and the twists and turns along the way. In 2013, I was hiking , one of the Caminos from the Le Puy en Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and I got tired of all the rain and cold. I had left Ontario in mid-April; what did I expect ? I decided to head north to Spain’s northern coast and hike across the coast and then I ended up on the English route into Santiago. From there, after about a week or so, I should’ve gone back to Paris – that was the original plan. I didn’t want another city. I have been to Paris many times. So I hopped on a bus and ended up in Porto, Portugal. That was a stroke of luck. I loved it. I loved everything about it. It is quite different than Lisbon. And my first taste of port I had there, converted me to embrace what the country offers..
Many travellers, who come to Portugal go to the Algarve for the sun. A lot of the Algarve gets touristy. I find lying on a beach in the sun a waste of my time. I prefer to explore to satisfy my curiosity. I don’t like crowds of people and I was looking for authentic Portugal and here I have found it.
That’s why I chose this coast.
It’s 8:30 am and I just looked outside to see my little car. It wasn’t a dream. It’s really there. The sky is grey right now and the wind is still up. It’s 13° going up to 17. Yeah, not warm but OK . Today the plan is to drive south on the southwest Portugal coast, and stop at a couple of towns. I’m taking my time just meandering.
Through Zambujeira Do Mar to São Teotónio a town 7 or 8 km from where I am. I need to get a USB plug in cable to keep my phone charge while I use it for navigation. They have a big grocery store and I might go there in future. Lots of selection. The town also has the nearest gasoline station, an important consideration. By the way gasoline here is around 1.70 euros per litre, quite a bit more than ours.
Then I headed on to Odeceixe, a town considered to be on the northernmost coast of the Algarve. It’s beach is about 5 km from the town I discovered. I turned into town looking at it perched on the heights of the hills in front of me and accelerated upward(oh God, don’t stall here, I thought). The roads were narrow, walls of houses closing in on me on both sides, and I found a spot to U-turn to get the hell out of Dodge!
I pulled out my guidebook and read. Ahh! I will go to the beach. Another experience of heights and narrow roadways but, as I discovered, you go one way in and one out. The car and I climbed until we found parking and I got out out to gape at the beautiful cliffs and huge beach in front of me.
I walked down to be closer and take pictures. I will come back here again. Before going back to the car, I stopped in to have a coffee, my abatanado ( a large coffee). It was 2.20 euros and I laughed about that as I was leaving. I have been buying a litre of red wine for 1.10 euros!
Back at the car, I drove onward on the one way road until I could find my way back to Zambujeira. I wanted to go back to O Sacas again.
I just stopped in here now it’s just after two. It is crowded and you can’t sit inside, so I’m sitting outside at a small table. This place is popular, I was lucky to get a small table. This time I had cod- I’m getting used to lifting the flesh free of the bones. It was good but the octopus stew I had last time, still ranks higher in my mind. I made myself eat the salad even though I was full. Of course I finished the liquid bread (beer), my carbs for the day!
Back to Zambujeira again and then down the roads to a couple of beaches on the other side. (It’s great having a car!!!)There’s even a surf school near the beach at Carvalhal. There’s hope for me yet.
Back home by just after 5. It was 17 today and the sun finally came out for the last hour before it set. Now I am bundled up in front of the fire.
Ciao ciao!
