Conversations and Reflections as the Sun Goes Down

 Sunday 04/09/22



Christine and I have been living out if our back packs for 12 days. We have carried a couple of changes of clothing, the bare essential of what we need to be able to walk and take care of ourselves through the Portuguese countryside, plus one or two luxuries for 130miles. We are again having a rest day and Christine’s husband Stephen has joined us. After spending the day at Nazare beach Christine and I indulged in a deep tissue and lymphatic drainage massage which was my belated birthday present to her. It could not be said it was an enjoyable experience, I felt as if I had been though a washing machine. However had the desired effect of loosening our tired muscles and relieving our aches and pains. 

At lunch time we had a delicious barbecued fish lunch and brought the left overs back with us. We now ate it  on our balcony with some bread,


tomatoes and yogurt that we had been carrying for our lunches. It was a lovely picnic and as the sun went down our conversation turned to what we needed and what we could do without and how during our walk we realised that we could manage with much less.

There seemed to be some irony and contradictions in our discussion and our present situation. We were privileged friends sitting on the balcony of a beautiful hotel, after our massage, eating left overs talking about being less materialistic and wasting less food. I wonder if we really have learnt anything and will we make long term changes to our behaviour?


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