the hot goddess

Peripatetic in Portugal ~ A Midlife Walker’s Delight

Do you enjoy strolling? That’s right. Strolling. Not scrolling. I do much less of the latter and much more of the former since my move to Portugal nine months ago today. I’ll take real-life interaction over online engagement any day. I’m not power-walking, but relaxing into a leisurely gait as I take in and savor the incredible beauty of my simple surroundings.

My normal walk to the village for errands is about 10 km roundtrip. Lately, though, I’ve been walking to town and then catching a ride home, as my back, hips, and knees have been acting up and giving me a good excuse not to discouraging me from doing the uphill walk home. Yeah, I’ve become lazy.

I thought I’d share a compilation of photos and video clips from different days so you can see what I see as I make my way to town without having a car here. Everyone told me I’d have to get a car to live here, but I am doing OK without one so far. There’s always a taxi or bus. And the other day, I was shocked to successfully request an Uber ride home from the nail salon. Maybe the start of tourist season here is bringing Uber to the village. Uber or not, getting around here without having a car is doable. So let’s get started on our walk.

First, we need to get up off our butts and leave home, which can sometimes be hard to do.
This mountain cliff path still is daunting to me, but going down the dirt path is the (easy) start of our walk.
The view still can take my breath away.
Once we’re down the cliff path, we’re met by a boardwalk…
…which leads to a paved bike/foot trail that heads away from the beach towards town.
Vacant buildings adorned with graffiti and wall art are among the sights along this paved trail, sprinkled in with houses and small gardens.
New, boxy construction is squeezed in everywhere.
The paved trail leads to another boardwalk as we enter farm fields.
Pumpkins have replaced earlier crops of cabbage, kale, and broccoli.
Then the boardwalk transitions to a paved pedestrian/tractor road.
This mountain hill path in the distance is a much faster walking route to town that bypasses the beach. We’re more likely to encounter stray or loose large dogs on that route, though, so I always opt for this longer walk. Plus, who wants to bypass a beach?
Corn joins pumpkin on this plot.
The road through farmland leads to a continuation of the bike/foot trail.
Often, at this point my bladder chimes in with encouragement to pick up the pace. In midlife, you learn to time your beverage intake accordingly prior to departure.
We pass through more farmland. Here, potatoes were being harvested.
Eventually, we reach the sidewalks that head into the village.
We know we’ve arrived when we see churches and dinosaurs. This church and former convent marks the center of the village.
Hey, TR! What’s shakin’?
THIS is how I imagined myself going into town. THIS is the cobblestone-road-riding-flowy-scarf-trailing-Keds-wearing-Portugal-pedaling-bike-of-my-dreams!
Hey, girl, hey! How cool is it to be stationed near the best liquor store/pumpkin seed tart bakery in town? Yeah, it sucks you’re stuck in this “newer” edge of town. But hey, booze and baked goods!
On our way back to the main church in the center of the village, where the taxi stand is also located.
That’s our one-way walk to town. An easy, scenic stroll. A taxi back home is approximately 5€.
Thank you for joining me on a walk to my small Portugal village. Who needs a car on sunny, 70°F days like these? See below for links to other modes of transportation available here on the Silver Coast.

Have a great weekend!

Rede Express bus

Rodoviario do Oeste bus

Barraqueiro Oeste bus

Portugal trains

All images are my own.

The Hot Goddess

Instagram: retired_rewired_inspired

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52 comments

  1. Ahhh….thanks for the diversion from my stale American suburban reality. It looks like a lovely walk with amazing scenery. I can also see you scarf-flailing, keds-wearing, and smiling on that bike! But what’s with the dinosaurs, I wonder?

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  7. What a wonderful walk! Thank you for sharing! I might have missed in a previous post about the dinosaur theme in town…is it because bones were discovered around there? Or some other reason?

    Would an electric bike be an option for you? I have seen some cool bikes around where I live and one is on my “someday” list – especially one with fat tires for rougher terrain.

    Deb

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    • Thanks, Deb 💜. Yes, the village is a major site for dino bone discoveries, and they are quite proud of that.
      I had planned to buy an electric bike or scooter after I arrived here, but then I saw how folks drive here, and the steep downhill speed of bikes zipping around the narrow, winding streets leading to the bike/foot path. I’m too chicken 😂.

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  8. The stroll rules! About how long does it take for you from beginning to end? And, I’m wondering if after you gather necessary items from town, do you then hike (stroll) back the same way you came?
    I especially liked your soundscape enhancements to your photos… focused on the sounds of your stroll without video distractions!

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    • Thank you for reading, Laura! 💜 I walk a 15-minute mile on a good day. On a bad (painful) day it’s a 20-minute mile. So, it takes me anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour each way. When I walk back instead of taxiing I do go back the same way. I don’t carry big loads, just what can comfortably fit in my backpack and one or two light shopping bags. My large grocery shopping hauls are delivered to my door by a supermarket that offers online shopping and delivery.

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  10. That is a good walk and the views are amazing, but it would be difficult to carry anything to heavy(tote bar, water, etc.) and I definitely could not roll my little shopping cart. Are the stray dogs on the other route threatening

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    • Thank you so much for reading, Jametta! 💜 I have my big grocery orders delivered to my door. Lifesaver! I’m always awe-struck when I see elderly Portuguese women rolling their shopping carts up and down the steep hills here. I live on top of a cliff, but there are other options that would make walking and shopping easier.
      I am afraid of large, barking, loose dogs, so to me they are threatening, but the locals pay no attention. I’m definitely a scaredy-cat 😂.

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    • Thanks for responding. Good to hear they have grocery delivery service, and I would be scared if those dogs too.😄
      Be well!✌🏾&🙏🏾

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  12. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to know you made the right decision to move to Portugal? And if you keep walking, you will always stay fit. The pictures are beautiful but I am sure the experience is even better in person.

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  15. I loved seeing how your walk looks! I also love that bicycle, but given the hills, maybe a Moped or E-bike would work better!

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  16. *sound of brakes screeching to a stop*

    You chicken? You’ve done something incredible with your life, something so many only dream of doing and who are living vicariously through you!

    I remember when I was a teenager we visited the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon near Newfoundland, Canada, and rented Mopeds to explore. We went on some deserted roads where we didn’t see anyone around for hours, yet we didn’t experience difficulties on the roads. Those vehicles don’t go fast, and it was surprising how many people seemed to know how to operate and fix them.

    If there are people riding them in your area, there will be people who know how to fix them too!

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  20. That walk isn’t too bad. What’s with the dinosaurs?

    Also, that cliff thing toward the beach reminds me of when we were in Croatia. The GPS kept saying we were at the beach, and we couldn’t figure out how. We got out of the car and saw that we had to walk down one of those cliff things to get to it. Needless to say, we never saw that beach lol

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