TE19 Iberian Adventure

Passing Time in Portugal

our mind, we headed east along the Sotavento coast.

But nothing can revive the glory of youth. The timid souls who tasted neither victory nor despair are tormented by those wasted years - destroyed by visions of the ‘unlived life’.

“I want to carve my own niche, find my own way.”

“We’refingerprints pressed into thedust.” Grandad sighed, “We’re obsessed with finding the meaning of it all.”

***

We pulled into Olhao, a laidback fishing town with an illustrious past protected by an outlying chain of islands. The whitewashed houses and chapels, colourfully trimmed like decorated cakes, glow across the rolling hills. Saintly grandmothers hung their scarf-draped heads out through the parted window shutters. Old men in wool caps play cards in the square. African conquest brought wealth for the town, but hard times followed when the river silted up and inland trade ceased. “The Lisbon earthquake causes a massive tsunami to ravage the coastline.” Grandad explained, “But Olhao was protected by an outlying strip of sand - A buttress against the wild Atlantic.”

The town re-emerged as tuna fishing port, but this tooceased and, in a final solemn ceremony, the townsfolk buried their anchors.

“Now, they’re visible at low tide.” A Judy pointed up the beach. 167