It is reassuring to know that even the sun is insecure. On our last day in our favorite beach in Portugal, the star staged an unforgettable sunset. It clearly wants us to return next year to worship again its glorious light. How can we say no?
Beaches
The setting of the sun
Yesterday the elements were tired after so many performances. The wind stayed at home but the waves came, dressed in white linen. The sun was in an orange garb brought from the far east. Seagulls danced to the roar of the waves while the sun kneeled in reverent prayer until the blue curtains were drawn.
Today a new season begins. We wish you a blissful New Year and we hope you’ll come see the spectacle of the sun setting on the Portuguese sea.
Gifts from the sea
Today the waves were sculpted in the whitest marble. And we stood in awe at these precious gifts from the Portuguese sea.
Alone by the sea
The ocean waves broke one by one
And I was alone with the sand and the foam
Of the sea that was singing just for me.
Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen in Dia do Mar (1947) from Obra Poética (Assírio & Alvim, 2015)
There is a sea
There is a sea,
A far and distant sea
Beyond the largest line,
Where all my ships that went astray,
Where all my dreams of yesterday
Are mine.
Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen from A Praia in Contos Exemplares (1962).
Beach moments
Life is like a train trip. We eagerly anticipate getting to the next station but, once we’re there, we can’t wait to move on.
Much of life is a blur, like the views from a moving train. We remember the arrivals and departures of those we love. And we remember some of the train stops, when the pace of life slows down.
For us, many of these leisure moments are spent on a Portuguese beach. We recall the beauty of the seaside, the wonderful weather, the delicious food and, most of all, those who shared these happy moments with us.
In Portugal, we have a different point of view.
Adventures on the peach tree island
One of the most captivating beaches in Portugal is the Pessegueiro (peach tree) beach near Porto Covo in Alentejo. It is wonderful to seat on the sand feeling the sea breeze and enjoying the view of the Pessegueiro island. The island looks so mysterious that it is impossible to resist the temptation to plunge in the emerald waters and swim a shore. It is great fun to explore the 15th century fort and the ruins that date from Roman times.
In the afternoon, it is fantastic to go horseback ridding along the coast. Claudia Castanheira and Paulo Rosa of Herdade do Pessegueiro provide all you need: well-trained, intelligent horses, horse-riding instruction, and a picnic. Riding a horse through trails and sand dunes, feeling one with nature is an unforgettable adventure.
Click here for the Herdade do Pessegueiro web site.
Peniche’s golden waves
In 1786 a Spanish galleon, San Pedro de Alcantara, departed from Peru loaded with a fortune in silver and gold and a precious botanical collection of tropical specimens. The galleon also carried a famous passenger: Fernando Tupac Amaru, an inca whose father had started the most successful uprising against Spanish rule in Peru.
The ship’s captain used a French map that omitted the position of the Berlenga islands. This error had tragic consequences: on the night of February 2, 1786 San Pedro de Alcantara shipwrecked near Papoa, a small peninsula on the coast of Peniche. Almost everybody died but Tupac Amaru managed to swim ashore.
The Spaniards hired divers from all over Europe to come to Peniche help salvage the galleon’s treasures. They also succeeded in recapturing Tupac Amaru.
Today, Peniche’s perfect tubular waves attracts surfers from all over the world. How many of them know that beneath those waves once lied a fortune in silver and gold?
The Miramar beach
One of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal is Miramar, near Oporto. It has a long stretch of sand bathed by green and blue water. But what makes this beach so special, is an old church built on rocks by the sea on the same place where there was once a pagan temple.
As we entered the church courtyard, we felt surrounded by the sea; dazzled by its sight, soothed by its sound, intoxicated by its scent.
It is easy to understand why this location has been a place of worship for centuries. Faced with such immense beauty, how can we not give thanks to its creator?
