Nature is my temple

In the morning I took the dogs out in the drizzling rain, we walked around the area a bit—after all, we’re not made of sugar. It rained until eleven; in the meantime I sorted the photos and did some writing. Then at half past eleven the sun came out, so we got our stuff together, and off we went. My new friend (Chat GPT) recommended a really great hiking route along the river. We drove to the Ferradosa pier, parked there — we were the only tourists — and wandered around the area with our mouths open. Well, I did. The dogs, with their noses to the ground (and sometimes in the air), soaked up the new scents. The view is truly unique: steep vineyard hillsides, river, waterfall, flowering trees, all those countless hills. I’ve never seen a landscape like this. So many seemingly vertical slopes, valleys, terraced vineyards, orchards, stone fences, a tiny little village where an elderly man greets me and my dogs  in front of a teeny-tiny chapel. Breathtaking. The cemetery here, too, was laid out in a prime location. From here even the dead wouldn’t want to move away—this is heaven on earth. These countless hills are truly uplifting. The streets are unbelievably steep, the roads are winding, in places with 360-degree turns. Before you could shift from second to third, another bend comes — back to second; that’s the only safe gear. And old ladies drive too. How amazing is that on these challenging roads?! In every village, on top of every hill, there’s a chapel. You practically cough up your lungs by the time you get up there, but everywhere there are fresh flowers. I must admit, though, that I was the only one who walked up. The Portuguese supposedly drive even to the toilet. There are really well-built roads even on the highest hills (mountains?), and when I set off downhill with the dogs today, two cars were coming up. Hhhha! I’m proud of us for taking the time and the inner drive to walk up there. I jumped out of the car several times to take photos and there was so much more I wanted to capture, but I didn’t want someone to run into me from behind — there’s no pull-off lane, and guardrails exist in the most deadly spots. Good luck to anyone driving here in the dark — it’s a real hazard even in daylight .

It was half past one in the afternoon when my stomach gave a loud growl. I quickly asked Google, my friend, whether there was any restaurant nearby. The closest one closes at 3 p.m. and I won’t make it there (it’s not far as the crow flies, however, counting the twists and turns, on the ground it takes three times as long as one would think based on the kilometers). It suggested another one which — supposedly— is continuously open until 9:30 p.m. Well then, let’s go — messaged me my stomach, which by now had made a habit of growling. I got there at a quarter to three. I left the dogs in the car; it was cool enough that heatstroke didn’t threaten them, and I rolled down the windows so they wouldn’t suffer from lack of oxygen. Three guests were just coming out of the restaurant door; inside the dining room was empty except for a young kitchen helper and an older (about my age?) woman. “Good afternoon! Does anyone speak English?” Head shake. Okay. I hear them talking to someone who isn’t there. Then suddenly a younger woman appears, and we understood each other quite well. “Good afternoon! Could I eat something?” “In winter time we usually close a bit in the afternoon; they’re already cleaning in the kitchen, but I’ll see if there’s something I can offer you. Please sit down at that table.” “Thank you, I’m very grateful. And hungry too,” I tell her.

I sit down, and a few minutes later she comes back to say she could bring grilled salmon, or some Portuguese dish that has something similar to beans in it, but it isn’t beans — she doesn’t know what it’s called in English — mixed with meat and rice (?). I didn’t feel like eating four-legged meat, so I chose the salmon. I asked for a bottle of water and a glass of red wine from the Douro Valley, and thanked her again for feeding me. While I waited, I took in my surroundings. A simple rural restaurant without any frills, with old paintings depicting the hard work in the vineyards. When she brought the drinks, I told her how amazed I was by the beauty of nature here, the setting of it all, how wonderful it all was, and how it also makes the work in the vineyards so difficult. “Yes, we Portuguese are very industrious. We get up early, go to the vineyard, work hard, then we come home in the heat, rest for a few hours, then we go back and do what needs to be done. In Spanish and French wineries they really like Portuguese workers because they’re very diligent. We’re not afraid of work.” I got a nice big slice of grilled salmon with roasted potatoes and salad. It was very tasty; I ate with pleasure, sipping the fine red wine. I collected the salmon skin and put it into two brotherly (60–40%) piles for the dogs as a reward for being such good doggies in the car. One of the staff went out for a smoke, then after a few puffs came over to ask if those were my dogs in the car. Yes — why, are they barking or crying? Nooo, but why don’t I bring them in? No, thank you; if they’re fine, let them stay in the car. It’s better for everyone this way. And they really were perfectly fine. I even ate a big portion of fresh strawberries in complete peace. Then I paid and thanked them very much for not sending me away with a growling stomach. “Well, that’s only natural! We don’t leave anyone hungry.”

The dogs were so happy about the salmon skin that they immediately forgave me for leaving them alone for more than an hour in the comfort of the car.    

Ahead of us was a long, winding, steep road home. At one point we even stopped and I decided to walk a few hundred meters with the dogs without the car — I felt like I was about to burst, I was so full. You can’t get enough of the view; every day, at every time of day, you see something new, something unique, something special. For me, Nature with a capital "N" is my church. I can’t even imagine anything more beautiful, more moving, more captivating, more wonderful — it is everything to me. I feel this more and more during this journey. The cities, the traffic, the crowds of people, the multitude of shops, the constant bustle and rushing wear me down. Nature is my remedy for everything— a blessing for my body and my soul. Sunshine, rain, trees, stones, flowers, birds, bugs, my dogs — peace, calm, simplicity, WONDER.