Our Walk Along the Rota Vicentina Fisherman's Trail

Surf's Up on the Rota Vicentina Morning on the Fisherman's Trail This morning began with the familiar sounds of a rooster crowing.  He was joined a few minutes later by the soft but persistent 'hoo HOO hoo' calls of what were likely Rock Pigeons but could possibly have been something more interesting – but to be honest, at 6 AM I was more intent on enjoying my snuggly bed than racing outside to identify bird species.  With a short trek of only 16 km today from Vila do Bispo to Carrapateira we admittedly relaxed and took our time.  We made instant coffee in our room and ate croissants while sitting on the steps of the home we were being hosted in.  We watched as the sky shifted from its soft pinks into a beautiful blue and we could feel the warmth of the day already building.   Having enjoyed our morning repast and coffee we slowly folded and stuffed our gear into our backpacks.  Ready to head out, we left a small note of thanks to our hosts and placed ...

Birding the Fisherman's Trail Birds along the Rota Vicentina Festival observacao de aves Today is May 1st, which is a holiday here in Portugal.  While usually this gives way to challenges when hiking or on pilgrimage in Spain and Portugal, the fact is that in this region some things may stay open in the tourist oceanside towns.  However, we couldn't be certain, and in any case, we are still in the habit of leaving early, before most cafés and bars open in the morning.  As a result, we began the day enjoying the croissants we bought yesterday and the instant coffee that we made in our room.  A little after 7 AM we headed out into a gloriously cool morning (15°C) which is almost perfect weather with a backpack on.  The sky above the ocean was stained a soft pink by the rising sun, and the streets were still sleepy and quiet, with few people out and about yet. Even so, we passed a man watering his garden wearing jeans, a sweater, a down jacket, and a woollen hat wh...