Reaching Out

Furadouro in North Portugal, September 2021

Had not been in the north yet and therefore I decided to spend ten days in a village right by the beach nearby Porto. It did not really matter that I had missed my very early morning flight from Faro but unfortunately I could not then enjoy the view on the train ride to Ovar, when arriving with evening flight. No sight seeing.

Mirjam, who arrived from Berlin next day, occurred the same thing. She missed that super early flight and had to take the next one via Brussels. ( I am writing these words with an ease that actually should not be taken as such, given the fact that it was yesterday‘s 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.)

But anyway, we decided to spend a week by the beach in a really cool Surf and Yoga hostel and had an absolutely amazing time. Especially for me it was so important to see how much the surfing really means to me. Cause after more than a year not having been in a wetsuit in portuguese waters, it worked out much better then expected, taking in consideration my conditions. In fact, the constant paddling really helped to get rid of the rigidity in the left side of my body! Miraculously, I felt so much better and fitter, more agile and less fragile.

So it was for Mirjam. She did such good progress in her surfing! Her last time on a board was this year in february on Fuerteventura and she aswell thought initially she‘d lost her ability but that was not true. We were so bloody lucky with the weather and swell conditions as it was absolutely perfect for us. The last days, water was so warm that we could even go without wetsuit. The wild beaches have no facilities but the long stretched pine tree forests bare beautiful shady parking spots for vans and tents. Hardly any tourists around besides us, so all the waves are for the local community which is so incredible to watch at sunset, when in the ocean. We see quiet a few professional surfers who come around to train or just have fun there. Some of them even do big waves surfing in Nazaré. Damn. Very impressive.

We are just so happy with what we have reached these days and enjoy tremendously our middle-aged girls-time together. Mirjam suddenly comes up with a delicious belgian chocolate she got in her lay-over in Brussels, tasting like slow and easy sex in the afternoon. A glass of red wine and a cigarette; nothing more needed.