Everything turned out differently

Another pleasant, long walk on the beach in the morning. I dressed in pink because that's how I see the world today. And something very interesting happened: I found a pink shell. For the first time ever. And then two more. Gerbeaudalso enjoyed a few minutes of off-leash freedom.

I really like that there are recycling bins everywhere. EVERYWHERE! And they collect plastic bottle caps in a separate box on the fence. And it works. Previous storms have blown so much sand onto the beaches that in many places only the tops of the bins are visible. The real beach season hasn't started yet, so I think they're waiting with the tidying up in case there are more storms before then.

Since the sky was very cloudy, I decided to catch up on my reports from Monday and Tuesday. I got so absorbed in it that by the time I noticed the sun was shining, it had already clouded over again. My plan for today was to go to the Benagil caves, which are about as far away as Lovas-Budapest, and watch the sunset there with the furry ones. I got everything ready, even portioned out their dinner so they could get a break from always eating at home. I also packed water for them, and everything was ready for the trip. Before we left, I took them for a short walk so they could relieve any unnecessary physical tension and there would be no whining for bathroom breaks after we set off. Then we jumped in the car, buckled up, and took off. On the highway, my attention must have wandered for a moment, because instead of Faro, I headed towards Spain. By then it was already past 2:30 p.m., and I decided that instead of getting upset, I would make the best of the situation and explore the surrounding area. It turned out really well! I wanted to go to Vila Real de Santo António, but the road was closed due to a bike race, so we were forced to explore Castro Marim instead. And we loved it!

Panka was able to walk without a leash in many places, for example, we climbed the narrow path leading to the castle. Well, that was funny! We were walking along when suddenly I spotted some large animal footprints. No, they weren't dog paw prints. I thought I had traveled back to the time of Hannibal, when he crossed the Alps with elephants (what a weirdo!). So, they were large footprints. Then there was fresh dung, which (based on my experiences in Malom Valley in Lovas) I was sure, it was cow dung. Or bison? From Hannibal's time, I suddenly found myself in the wild west of North America. Here, Winnetou's blood was already coursing through my veins. And about a 10-minute walk away, we caught sight of cows grazing peacefully. Simple, everyday, 21st-century brown cows. That's why the castle grounds were surrounded by an electric (?) fence! It's a good thing that Hercule Poirot's caution kicked in and I crawled under it almost on my belly. But at that point, I hadn't seen any tracks or poop yet. Aha! Who knows what I'll become by the end of this great adventure?!

Then we visited the hill "Colina do Revelim" opposite the castle.

„Ravelin Hill

Welcome to the Santo António Ravelin Hill

The recovery and requalification of this Hill and its surrounding areas finished in 2009 and involved the recovery of the Ravelin military structure, the Santo António chapel and the windmill. The Territory's interpretation centre which includes a cafeteria, was also created as a structure to receive tourists to the Municipality. The construction of an open-air Amphitheatre, a Garden of Andalusian inspiration, traditional vegetable gardens and a new green zone complete this great project that breathes new life into this historic hill, providing it with various functionalities and areas for walking and leisure. This project is vital for Castro Marim's cultural and tourist development and takes advantage of the unique landscape and the constructed heritage viewed from this hill.”

I just loved it!