I started writing this entry on September 16, having just begun a five week trip with my wife to Portugal and Germany. This account has been sitting, incomplete, until now. It may be equally interesting to consider why I’m posting it now, as why I didn’t do so months ago.
Also, why nothing else since the August “Hiking with family” account? Where is it best to begin . . .
The daily events of life take over, even in retirement — especially in retirement! — and I’ve been neglecting the self-care and reflection that is this blog / journal. Obviously the trip was a significant distraction and I’m consciously not using this blog as a platform to share “excellent things that have happened to me and what a wonderful (curated version) life I have”!
Rather, I have attempted to keep based on reality and what I have learned through some of the experiences since stopping full time work, and how this part of life may go. So: no accounts with social media worthy photos of famous tourist sites in Portugal that would be the basis for a different sort of blog.
But now, as motorcycle and other active adventures fade, I’ve initiated writing again after a break.
My last published note was written in August but I didn't published it for a few weeks which explains why, when I was looking at my numbers in September, I had zero readers. Although I’m mostly writing this for my own reflection, the apparent lack of interest diminished my sense of duty to keep this up. I did notice that once on-line there is some attention so that’s sufficient motivation, I’ll see what I can do.
To recap: August and September of 2023 included a lot of daily life activities, such as:
- Went blueberry picking
- Sailed Fire & Water to the marina to over-winter on dry land..
-Welded the truck back bumper pieces together. (Maybe that adventure deserves it’s own entry.)
- Brought the motor boat and dock and boat lift in. Packed up the garage for winter storage.
- Finalized plans for a trip that involved visiting parts of Portugal, Spain, and Germany. We had booked Marrakesh as part of that trip but then we made some changes, leaving Morocco off due to the earthquake that caused massive destruction and loss of life.
- Packed sufficient supplies for the five weeks of adventures that covered several different seasons and activities: sightseeing, hiking, bycicle touring, beaches, museums, cities and mountains.
- Flew from Thunder Bay to Lisbon, via Toronto.
Again I began writing this on September 16th, 2023, while in Lisbon, after we had seen some great sights, eaten great food, heard great music, walked great distances up and down many hills. We were in a little apartment in the middle of the Alfama, where every street and alley goes in circles and up and down stairs and slopes; there are tiny restaurants everywhere and small shops, mostly no vehicles because they’re not able to get up and down stairs and through narrow alleyways, public squares surprisingly appear out of nowhere and sudden vistas over the rooftops and towards the water.
Lisbon is a wonderful city, and I could have continued my written accounts (quite probably should have) as we travelled to Madrid by train, then Seville, Faro, Evora, across Southern Portugal to the coast, down along the coast to the southwestern tip of Europe, back north through Portugal and to Porto, a week-long bicycle trip with friends along the Douro Valley (some were on regular bikes, I chose the e-bike), then to Munich with a few beer gardens in October and the Bavarian Alps and hiking but such travelogues ultimately bore me to read, I want to experience things directly, and so I didn’t write much although as noted I probably should have even if just to get my own pleasure in the recalling. Well maybe some other time.
Another reason for my hesitation: I’m conflicted regarding tourism, and am particularly disturbed by the concept of over tourism, or “loving a place to death.”
Thousands and millions of people, tramping over the same place, crush anything worthwile out of that place.
Why can’t we just stay home?
I really have always loved to travel. I like the minor inconveniences, the unexpected discoveries, the opportunity to eat wonderful food, explore a world unlike my own daily surroundings. But I’m not writing more about it right now I will, however, publish this in my blog for the sake of posterity.
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