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Tuesday 9 July 2013

Portugal 2 - getting connected

I mentioned in the last post about us not making any plans for the second part of our time in Portugal.  We thought mayyybe we'd get a coach across the border to Spain so that I could show Llewellyn Sevilla, where I lived for a year.  But we weren't sure.

As I said, we didn't have the money, or the local knowledge to book anywhere in advance, once our stay at the luxurious apartments was over.  But I've also always wanted to have a bit of a spontaneous adventure.  Nearly all my travels abroad have been as part of team, with most things - especially accommodation - planned for me.  Although I've been to a lot of places, I've not done the 'proper travelling' thing.  I also have read and heard a whole lot of stories of people who free up a few days/weeks/months, and then ask God each day where He wants them to be - and trust that He'll provide the means for it to happen.  I always thought that sounded like an exciting way to live, and so I was really glad when Llewellyn also suggested it, before I'd said anything.  We're learning to trust Him to provide for us financially in Cornwall, so why not take another 'step of faith'?

Neither of us were particularly worried about it - I think if it had just been me I might have been - mainly safety wise - but since there was the two of us we thought worst comes to worst we can sleep on the beach...

At the festival we'd both immediately noticed Alana, Isaac, and their friend Peter... partly due to their dreadlocks, tattoos (and Peter's humongous beard!) and soon got chatting to them.  Before long Peter was playing his didgeridoo with us in the square, Isaac had joined the drummers and Alana came out dancing with us in one of the bars.  When Alana asked what we were doing once the festival had finished and I said I didn't know, she invited us to come and stay with them.  Funnily enough, her mum didn't know this had happened, but had also noticed us and felt like she should also invite us to stay!  Seemed almost too easy, but of course we said Yes!


So after our time in lovely Lagos, we took the train back east to Faro and were met by Isaac and his dad who took us to their home in the countryside north of the city.  When I saw their place I smiled because it had a whole load of my favourite things... , a campervan, a hammock, and a roof terrace!!  Happy Katrina. One day, one day, I'm hoping and praying for all those things :-)  Oh and two dogs and a cat, which Llewellyn is praying for. Haha!



Isaac is an awesome drummer and his dad organises rock concerts, so Llewellyn got to talk lots about music and watch tons of Youtube videos with them.  Happy husband.  One of their best friends is an amazing tattooist so we spent quite a bit of time at his studio.  And yep we got tattooed.  More happy husband!  We talked lots, ate lots, went to the beach, went to a craft festival, ate more, watched 'Falling Skies', drank port/whisky/wine/cider, prayed, chilled, and laughed a lot.


I also discovered some other random (or not random, depending on how you look at it) connections, like with 24-7prayer but also, a few years ago I stumbled upon a blog by a lady living in a rural community in Portugal and it was one of those blogs that make your heart hungry for adventure and for wanderings and for  a life lived outside the box.  Anyways turns out that the lady who wrote the blog is one of their good friends, and one of the main reasons they moved from Italy to Portugal!  AND I met her sister while we were there - an amazing craftswoman who's married to the tattoo artist! Crazy.


Love it love it.  love connections. love people that you feel immediately at home with. love an adventure.

Here's to many more!


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