With a lot of bells and whistles, depression “Francis” was announced, which would mainly affect Madeira and the south of Portugal, but we already received an orange alert. For next year, so who cares?
One day 2025, the next 2026
Indeed, a world of difference! I had arranged to take a New-Year-farewell-hike with a friend and her friendly dog. Near her, and not far from us, there’s a beautiful hiking area. There are even very old pine trees, all haphazard and crooked, simply grown where their mothers dropped them.
Quite rare in this part of the country where almost all Portuguese live (in the coastal strip, in the concentration of the concentration in the stretch from Porto to Lisbon). You see a lot of plantations here. Eucalyptus for paper, pine trees for wood, olives for oil.
Last day of 2025, blue skies and the sun was shining
I left my coat hanging on an olive tree because I didn’t feel like walking back, and after two minutes it was already too hot with it. I didn’t want to carry it all the way, and we would pass this place on the way back. Despite the altitude, there were still some mud spots, because the rainwater needs a while to trickle through all those rocks towards us in the valley.
No problem, you can always balance around it. The dogs, especially Mira, find it incredibly interesting to see a human do something so idiotic. They just wade right through it, on their bare paws. Muddy belly? Who cares! Goat aroma in the air! Much more interesting!
And yes, there was the shepherd with his flock. “Shouldn’t we go back?” J. asked a little anxiously, because her dog is small, and she hasn’t had him very long. “No, sheepdogs are usually well-trained, you know, and not aggressive. And Mira knows them and the goats; they pass by us sometimes.” Indeed, all good. A bit of sniffing, a bit of bleating, and one male-goat looking a bit defiant, like: Youwantsome? Comeonthen! A quick chat with the shepherd, and then on we go.
A nice walk with the dogs
“Happy New Year, have a nice evening!” we wish each other as we part.
The next day, that wretched Francis was there, as promised. I’m not so early, as you might expect on New Year’s Day. We’re doing the same walk, but in reverse, Mira and I. Gray, mud, drizzle, no goats – a completely different experience.
Welcome, 2026
Last year certainly was a good year, but you’re starting off badly, Twenty-six! Oh well, like this, it can only get better, don’t you think?
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(Disclaimer: I’m a bit tired of the keyword stuff and Google’s dictatorship. So here they are, and I’m also hoping for the cleverness of AI in this matter that it will still be found and read, but that I don’t have to force myself to use the right terms in the title and headings.#NewYear’sEve #2025-2026 #hike )
We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal. We started to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa. You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere.
Since Covid we rent the houses for a longer period of time, not as holiday houses anymore.
Each week a little blog about what is happening around us. An easy read. A few minutes in another world. A little about what it going on in Portugal. If you plan your holiday to Portugal, it might be a nice preparation.
In the weekend we publish it on Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.