Lots of stairs and ups and downs in Porto, a very cool town to explore. With its old riverside centre designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

August 26, caught a bus from Lisbon to Porto, and went to stay in a lovely hostel. Exploring the town and taking things quietly. Both cities, Lisbon and Porto, sit on robust rivers. That seem to be rushing towards the Atlantic Ocean after flowing from sources in distant Spanish highlands. Porto sits at the mouth of the Rio Douro, Douro means “river of gold’. There are five bridges on the river Douro in Porto. The oldest is Ponte Maria Pia. It is a curving iron arc built in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel, (as in the Tower).

I went to the beach one day, but it wasn’t really much of a beach really. Met a new friend Reno from Paris at the hostel. We were interested in similar spiritual emergence and had some great discussions. I would do my daily meditation practise sitting on the floor of the hostel room.

The city is small and compact and you can walk or bike everywhere,. As long as you don’t mind going up and down. This hilly city, with its narrow medieval alleyways, baroque churches, wide modern boulevards and also little romantic like squares.  Porto is also known for Port wine.

On August 30, I took a bus back to Guarda, my time in Portugal was drawing to a close. Portugal is a place my heart holds very dear

July 12, flew from Leipzig to Lisbon, Portugal. The first stop was couch surfing. I stayed with Yelena and her family just over the bridge from Lisbon in a small village. She was Russian and this was the first time they had hosted. She wanted to meet people from other countries, and had never met a Kiwi before.

The family lived in a small apartment. There were only two bedrooms. The teenage daughter had cleared her room for me to stay. They also had a small son, and her sister was staying. So it wasn’t like they had a lot of space to host! They were so welcoming and kind to me, I was to stay two nights. Also there was a beach close to their house, and her sister took me there with the clear blue skies.

I went in to Lisbon on one of the days too, and had a look around. Ups and downs of steps and buildings intermingling together and beautiful tiling on buildings. Then I caught the bus to Guarda, for the next part of the Portuguese adventure.

Then it was back to Lisbon on August 18. After the festival, new friends, Monika, Daniel and I caught a train from Guarda to Lisbon. My whole system was run down, so the others went out that night with Carla, but I wasn’t much fun. So stayed back. I was fasting/Monika left to fly back to Amsterdam. I rested a lot. Daniel is very sociable and had many friends in Lisbon. He was out every night. We stayed in his parents beach apartment. I went to the beach and went for quiet walks. He knows Lisbon well and showed me a few of the sights.

Then on the 23rd, I went to stay with Carla in Lisbon, in her lovely flat. She took me to some lovely spots that she likes. I had met Carla at the Angel Art Festival.

Then on the 26th of August, Carla dropped me off to catch a bus up to Porto.

Volunteering at the Angel Art Festival.

July 14, caught a bus from Lisbon to Guarda. I was going to Domino Vale do Mondego, near Faia. This place was brought by a Dutch couple, Eelco and Karin. They organised the Angel Art Festival. Their Dutch friends and locals would come for a five-day festival. It celebrated the arts. I had found it online and then wrote to Karin to ask if she needed any volunteers. And she said I could come earlier too. It was once a neglected farm, and they had done great things.  Every evening all the guests and hosts would all eat together on one long yellow table.

I was staying in a tent, and doing a work exchange – 6 hours a day work, for free meals. Work was done in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to the river because it was too hot in my tent. I did different jobs, they made the most of my artistic talents and I painted signs and toilets! Also helping with serving food and setting the long outdoor dinner table in the evening.

Also had the job of painting the slide for the pool just before the festival. I didn’t have any days off. I just kept working. It was too hot in the tent to rest. It was better to be by the river! I gorged on the fresh fruit. I drank the pure water from the bore underneath their place. I swear my eyes changed colour. I loved filling my pockets up with cherries picked straight from the trees and walking down to the river.

I met a couple from Denmark, he was coming to do the dance residency for a performance during the festival. They took me to Guarda one day too.

Angel Art Festival

August 5th-9th, the Angel Art Festival took place. I volunteered doing different things during the festival, from working in kitchen and serving soup. Setting up tents, and painting astrology signs. I met many new friends, Carla, Timon, Maarten, Meta (many Dutch people). I took myself out of my comfort zone. I hosted two workshops. One was rock painting with the children. The other was painting for adults called ‘Don’t faint! Paint’ (referring to the heat). Two people came. It was the first workshop in art I have ever hosted.

I got roped in to part in the Shakespeare play too. Will Sutton was organising it. He does this event called Shakespeare Karaoke. It’s a thing he does in Amsterdam. It’s a way to get people involved and acting, even if they are not actors. As its all about participation. He insisted that I was in it. And be the Lion. I channelled my inner Lion, as I had to do a big ROAR. And Daniel too was roped in. I think it was A Midsummer Nights Dream. http://www.shakespearekaraoke.com

On the final day of the Festival, the people organising it invited me to the Sweat Lodge. The woman insisted that I should come. So I booked in. This was quite an experience. The lady also insisted that I should sit beside her in the centre circle (the hottest part).

August 13, Daniel came and picked me up with Carla. We all went to stay at his studio in Guarda, in the square. Monika came too.