Some day back in 2013 I absentmindedly doodled a plane on a piece of parchment. Recognizing thoughts of travel were spilling over from my subconscious, I jotted down different cities I'd visited. In the middle of the page I listed countries I'd visited along with the cities, and marked through each of them. Lastly I would then add four more locations I wanted to mark off my list.
If you're familiar with this blog you might know that that list featured in my header image, and you've likely seen that since adding those four locations I have visited and posted about my time in two of them: Peru and Spain.
Now, ten years later, I can mark a third off that list ~~ Portugal!
I got a quiet place in Sintra, tucked into a hill, surrounded by green space, and overlooking the city of Lisbon. Below are shots taken just after I arrived and got settled in.
I've long enjoyed the aesthetic of a terracotta roof, and now I sleep under one.
Look behind me,
and you'll see,
Lisbon,
and a
lemon tree.
Looking at Lisbon through its reflection in a window.
n the crisp air of dawn, a young woman ventures through dense woodland with only her thoughts to keep her company. The mists that cling to the trees obscure the surrounding landscape, adding a sense of mystery and uncertainty to each step she takes forward. The early morning silence is broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves beneath her boots or the soft cawing of distant birds. Despite being completely alone in these woods, she finds solace in the tranquility of the moment and the chance to clear her mind before starting another day. A faint glow peeks through the trees ahead, hinting at the brightness that lies beyond them and giving her the determination to push forward into whatever adventures await.
Not sure if I already shared this one but I love how weird trees grow when you go deep into the forests. Most state and national parks have some type of forestry workers who maintain trees because these shapes can make these trees unstable. And especially on hiker routes where you have quite a bit of foot traffic, that’s just a no-go so they often get taken down.
But the in-betweens of state and National Parks? Holy crap there are some weird trees. It’s kind of like going into a faerie or fantasy world with the way some grow. Because these trails are only maintained by volunteers, they don’t get near the amount of attention that most of the AT gets. So when you’re there, it feels.. otherworldly.
From the ferry port, we took our time driving west along the Spanish coast toward Faro.
Highly recommend the bungalows at this campsite at Isla Cristina, at least in the off-season — one of the best equipped apartment-style rooms we've ever booked. I bet it costs a bomb in summer, though.
Yamaha and Honda buggies hanging out in the parking spot. 😌
We arrive at Effingham, IL. The hazy morning sun wakes me from an uneven and agonized sleep. We gain a few more passengers and set off once more. Farmland stretches as far as the eye can see. It's really quite beautiful to see all of this greenery. The bulk of this ride has been filled with images of dying old rural communities with crumbling infrastructure and abandoned industrial buildings where even the ghosts grew bored and left.
7:01 AM
We get a flat. Just kidding. Trains don't have tires. I'm just checking to see if you're still alive.
7:05 AM
It occurs to me that the windows have gathered more dirt since leaving Memphis, but I think this is just regular dirt this time.
7:09 AM
The train made a sudden stop under an overpass. Okay... and we are moving again. Not sure what that was about.
7:12 AM
Oh. That was apparently a train platform. Amtrak must be building up new infrastructure, because most of these stops so far have been at roadside stalls with no stations in sight. I did, however, manage to see spools of wire, piping, and bricks strewn about. Shame they had to tear down the old buildings though.