It smelled very much like fire, and in the afternoon the sky became overcast. The sun disappeared, and every now and then it reappeared blood red. It was hot, I wanted to go to the beach with Mira.
A few days above 35º, and half of Portugal is on fire
It was wonderful on the beach. The water was green, nice and fresh (a little cold). I picked up a very nice orange mussel shell on the way, and walking back I suddenly came across a lizard! Just like that on the beach, close to the surf. A tiny lizard looked up at me with full confidence. Oh dear …
What are you doing here?
I scooped it up with my beautiful mussel shell, and took her with me, protecting her with my hand from falling and the sharp sun. At the car I gave Mira something to drink and the lizard too. I carefully poured a little into the shell, thinking of all the dried-out frogs and lizards I’ve come across in all sorts of places in the house over the years.
The lizard wasn’t moving anymore, so I actually thought it had died. But you never know, and the dunes are still not a good place for such a creature, so I just took it with me. Lizards can sit very still for a very long time.
To my surprise, back home, she immediately jumped off the shell when I held her above a pile of leaves outside. Until then she had always sat in the same position, which is why I thought she had passed on to the Other World.
Great. One lizard saved. It’s still a mystery how such a creature ends up on the beach.
It was nice, some fresh air. The valley is still full of smoke the next morning, and the sun is gone. From time to time she showes her blood-red face.
It’s mostly eucalyptus or pine plantations that cause a huge fire
Eucalyptus for paper, pine for building and furniture. Eucalyptus trunks are also used as roof trusses in traditional Portuguese architecture. Useful wood, therefore. After the disaster of 2017, it was decreed that everyone had to keep their property around the house clean for 50 meters. Olive and fruit trees were allowed to remain.
(When will something be done about the cause of that burning issue: filling half the country with exotic eucalyptus (meaning: not their home land) plantations for the paper industry? Rhetorical question, because the answer is probably: never. Too much money involved, and “that’s just how we do it.”)
I’ll leave the subject for what it is for now. It rained last night, the unparalleled fire brigade is being helped nicely with that.
“We can’t come” a camping guest emails, “we’re not coming through or past Coimbra.” We had already heard that from regular guests Marco and Rita, who drove this way on the first day of the fire. “Phew, here we are,” says Rita, smiling as she comes down the stairs. “That wasn’t easy, we drove past fire and smoke on the highway, scary.”
“We had to leave the road in the north, and we were diverted through all kinds of villages and such,” says Marco, “there was trouble everywhere.”
It feels a bit sad, today. The sky is crying along with many people (and animals) who lost their houses, cars and things. Almost all the fires are out, fortunately, and hopefully it will stay that way.
We pray for the victims, especially for the people, and all the animals, who lost their lives. There’s not much more we can do, except thinking of that tiny little creature that we were able to save at the beach. There’s a little comfort in that.
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We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, Holland to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal.
A big step, especially with two small children.
We are busy to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa which has been turned into several holiday houses, rooms and a campsite.
You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere.
Since 2018 we call ourselves the first B&B&B in the world – Bed & Breakfast & Bathrobes. You can buy a home-made unique bathrobe/housecoat with us.
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
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