The picture above of the limestone precarious cliffs of Carvoeiro, is just 700 meters from our house.
The hiking map left shows a route, 5.5 mile (8.9 km) along the cliffs that ends in Ferragudo, a small town beside the Arcade River. Portimao is on the west side. The blue dot is where our house is located. My hikes begin directly south of our house to connect with the trail. The photo above is the first vision I see when I reach the trail. |
2020 was a stunning and painful year.
Living aboard Big Sky, with our house possession that September, we flew to South Africa, kind of a last big trip before settling back on land. South Africa is remarkable country with many contrasts and its share of beauty and sorrow. Visit our South Africa pages for more. While there, the pandemic took hold around the world, threatening our ability to return to Portugal. By the hair of our chinny chin chins, we got through the international borders to return to Big Sky in Lagos, Portugal and promptly entered the first of many lockdowns. Our plan to spend the summer in Canada with our family was crushed by the virus. September, we moved into our house, and euphoria filled our souls, with one big painful problem -- no family to share it with. We built a strong community of friends in the Algarve and continue to share many moments together. |
January 5, 2021 -- We ended 2020 with a huge scare! My healthy, athletic brother Doug in Toronto seemingly overnight was admitted to the Toronto General Hospital with a Staph infection. He underwent three major surgeries to extract the bacteria from his body, specifically his spine, neck, and under a lung. It was a tremendously frightening situation for a few weeks, until he arrived on the winning side of the infection. Today, he has been transferred to a rehabilitation hospital to regain the use of his hands and legs. We’re anticipating his full recovery, but it might take a year. Once again, for me, I'm reminded how precious life is and the joyful gift we have to live it. We are grateful for the expert surgeons, doctors, nurses, top-rate hospital equipment, and Merrilee, Doug's wife. Merrilee kept us informed in a calming manner. 💕
Con’s birthday gift to me was a month-long studio membership at the Carvoeiro Tennis Club just a few minutes walk from our house. I was enjoying a class or two a day. Zumba, various yoga, and belly dance classes and then, COVID lockdown shut that event off. January 15, all of Portugal went into a month-long lockdown. People are allowed to pick up groceries, medicine, and essentials, take a short walk (away from people), but for the rest, we are to stop socializing and tuck ourselves away.
The photos above were taken on my walk toward Ferragudo (map above). It's a stunning path running along the cliff edge. The white car is our new addition, a Skoda Kamiq. It has so many bells and whistles, like lane assist, self driving, electronics that connect through Bluetooth to my phone, navigation, and many things yet to discover.
The photos above were taken on my walk toward Ferragudo (map above). It's a stunning path running along the cliff edge. The white car is our new addition, a Skoda Kamiq. It has so many bells and whistles, like lane assist, self driving, electronics that connect through Bluetooth to my phone, navigation, and many things yet to discover.