Category: Place

Travelling with Cultural Baggage

One of the challenges of travel is having to bring myself with me. If the trip is going to be more than passive entertainment, I have to try to erode my preconceived notions, prejudices, blindspots, and cultural programming. This week I felt shock when I first saw the scene pictured at the top of this…… Continue reading Travelling with Cultural Baggage

Snapshots: Hiking the Rota Vicentina, Southwest Portugal

The Rota Vicentina is a 450 km trail system in southwest Portugal. It includes the Fishermen’s Trail along the rugged Atlantic coastline, the Historical Way that heads inland through rolling countryside, and loop trails that connect both worlds. The system is good for point-to-point hiking where we moved to a different place each day, and hub-and-spoke…… Continue reading Snapshots: Hiking the Rota Vicentina, Southwest Portugal

Cataplana

Walked a relaxed 22 Km south on a ridge trail, to a village with fab coffee, over rolling hills, to our final stop on the Rota Vicentina trail system: Vila do Bispo. Choosing fish for dinner was too difficult so we ordered Cataplana, a wonderful Algarve version of bouillabaisse.