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24 hour in Portugal, part one
The spring hasn’t been the very best in Sweden for surfing or wave sailing. My last few month has mostly been work and all that every day activities that maybe isn’t the most fun (well some of them are, but taking care of water leaks in the house, repairing the car, helping my sometimes stressed kids with various school related stuff, all that shopping, driving, cleaning… well all you with families of your own knows what I mean). I just realized that I really needed to get away from it all a few days. Tickets to Portugal was cheaper than usual – so I just booked a 4 days surfing trip and went. No that is not all true; my fantastic wife Johanna asked why I went for such a short trip and suggested that I prolonged it – said and done and a quick phone call to TAP airline and my trip would be 5 days of surfing!
I had planned to sleep on the flight down (I was in desperate need of sleep) but next to me this very interesting women sat that told me here story including her moving to Dakar, Senegal, to run this start-up with her boy friend. I have never been there, but a part of her story was that there was really good surfing there. I’m not sure, but isn’t one section in ”Endless Summer” from that very part of Senegal? OK, no sleep yet, but it was evening and soon I would get my sleep – I though.
Landing in Lisbon late Friday night I realized that I might be able to get intro the ocean before dark. Picking up my small rental car and of I drove against Costa Caparica, 15 minutes drive south. Lisbon is so very beautiful with the hills, old bridges and houses, and of course the ocean. Some traffic made the drive a little longer but the sun was still up. Two local surfers was just going into the water and pointed out where the best place to sit were. On with the fins on my 6’2 and the 3.2 on myself. Super clean chest high waves in light off shore wind!!!! So easy to paddle out, catch waves and surf. The sun changed color from yellow to orange and then dark red before it set. Wow – the trip started so good. Now I just needed a good meal and somewhere to sleep.
After surf moment in Costa Caparica
My plan was to call Peter, a friend living in Estoril a short drive north of Lisboa. But that was not very planned and he didn’t answer his phone. Then the very friendly local surfers asked me what I was up to. I said I needed dinner and they offered to take me to this very local little restaurant. I accepted. The few minutes drive got prolonged by this Fatima Saint festival. The main roads in the village was blocked of and a all the local Portuguese were out celebrating. A large statue of the Fatima Saint with candles was carried in the front of the parade, followed by a long line of people in white dresses carrying candles. We parked the cars and watched. When the parade and most of the people had moved down the street we walked to the little restaurant. I had a very good tasting soup, then ribs, coffee and cake and drank two beer. It costed 8.5 euros. OK, now it was midnight and after four hours in Portugal I had all ready surfed, made new Portuguese friends, had experienced a local major happening, had ate a fantastic dinner – NOW I JUST HAD TO SLEEP. I folded the back seat in the rental care, put the board bag under my camping mattress and suddenly my little care was a perfect micro camping van. Of some weird reason I could not sleep, might be because I started to listen to Neal Young’s ”Archives” that I had down loaded from Spotify. Some amazing songs I never had heard before and some wonderful previously non released versions of his classics – I just could not stop listen. Well, about 4 a clock I past out. And 4 hours later I woke up by people making noise around the car. I just sat up and drove the one hour drive north to a very nice surf spot in Ericeira. Portuguese surfers are well know for not getting up that early – if I hurried up, I could have really good surf without crowd!
My micro camper van (?)
OK still only 12 hours in Portugal, and this is only the beginning of a totally crazy day – check back soon. I will try to find some time to continue writing about this short but major adventure!
Teaser: Surf, surf competition with dogs, wonderful wave-sailing, driving like crazy to various back yard shapers to get epoxy resign and glass to repair a borrowed wave sailing board, dinner, deep male talk, bear, whine, foam, drinks, shoots, epoxy (again), Italian, Polish and Brazilian women… major party… as said; stay tuned!
/Jesper
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