I am assuming that you all know that moment when someone dear to you comes up with an incredibly tempting idea - your mind is instantly blown, and you wish for it to come true; and even though some things take more time to align or are a bit complicated, oftentimes that idea becomes a sudden, surprising and striking reality. It happened to me when we decided to go to Sagres, in the south of Portugal, for a new surfing adventure. Some friends and I met up and we would simply remember how cool it was to surf and to be in the water every day, training or simply having fun. One of them proposed to go again, I chose a different location still in Portugal (I felt I needed a change from tiny Baleal and beautiful Peniche, there is a lot to explore across this incredible country and it would be a pity to miss the chance of seeing new scenery with each given occasion), and one week later we were already there. Even though co-workers found it quite odd for me to be in London for a couple of days, then working 2 days in the office, and then away again to ride the waves, I could not care less about people’s opinion if I am satisfied and happy about my experiences. The flight was towards Lisbon and then we rented a car and commenced driving down south with our destination - mesmerizing Sagres of the southern Algarve, a 3-4 hours drive following the Atlantic coast of Portugal. Usually, first evenings in a new place make you feel a bit confused and disoriented, but it was not the case here in Sagres. After checking-in at Sagres Time Apartments, we decided to quickly explore our proximities. Our subconscious probably led us to one of the most thrilling sunsets I have ever witnessed, so dramatic yet so perfect, on Praia do Tonel. This beach is guarded by tall, rough walls, and it sometimes has tough currents, but it is still a dreamy place to simply be in, to sunbathe or to practice surfing. It is probably one of my favourite beaches of Portugal, because the sunset reflects deeply into the wet sand, creating breathtaking visions of above and below uniting each other in the ocean’s surface. We came across Artesanato a Mo, which is a rather big, white house, covered in decorative hand-made plates in the style of Portugal mastery – from here you can buy basically anything based on porcelain, even magnets to remember you of our beloved Sagres. I have probably told you this before, but as a surfer, you need to sleep well, to eat good and to have your mind balanced. Otherwise, this sport will be just a mystery or a mere burden for you. Thus, each evening was dedicated to going out, grabbing a bite and enjoying some local drinks for the fun of it. That’s how Dromedario crossed our path and we fell in love: the bar itself is very cozy and quaint, the bartenders are talented and always extremely nice, and to top everything, they have great music on in the background. 2 doors away from Dromedario Sagres, our culinary senses were spoiled by the delightful setup and the overall warmness of this cute place called Mum’s. Carlos Restaurant feels very traditional, a bit outdated to my mind. Of course, sometimes attempts go wrong, so we ran away from Telheiro do Infante Restaurant, which looked worse than a restaurant should have looked 40-50 years ago; Armazen is another one which we did not enjoy at all, too commercial and strictly destined for tourists. Have you ever seen that movie “What dreams may come”? I have, and I fully agree with this general idea that dreams may actually come true if wished for properly: I was craving for Indian spicy food, so guess what? In Sagres we found one – it is called Holi Diwalli! Next to the main supermarket which is also incredible (The central Intermarche). I love to eat in the first part of the day, so I would always prepare sandwiches or some sort of vegetarian dishes for morning and lunch, thus Intermarche proved itself to be the friend indeed when in need. But enough about food and drinks, I only allowed this short story because I wanted to emphasize that it is very important to eat good while in surf camp, because that is your strength source to paddle out, to breathe normally and to force yourself to give the best you can give out there in the water. This, and tons of water, of course, keeping everything hydrated even if you are under the impression that the ocean is nearby so your skin and body get enough water. Coming back to a subject you already know (if you have been reading my stories up until now) I absolutely adore: beaches. Beaches of Portugal give me the sensation of being home, of belongingness, of never wanting to go back to Bucharest from there. And in this southern charming part of Portugal, there are quite a few. In one late afternoon, we saw the twilight on Praia do Beliche, in complete silence, in complete alignment with our own beings, in complete loneliness, in complete meditation and odes of admiration chanted towards the ocean. Praia do Beliche can be reached by descending a lot of stairs, but it is totally worth it, especially for those who are loners. I spent another gorgeous afternoon sunbathing on Praia do Tonel, while my friend was trying to surf the waves which bathe this beach. Reading and simply being caressed by sun rays in the middle of October was everything I needed back then to be alive. As simple as that. One other amazing beach which I only saw from above is Praia da Ponta Ruiva. As the wind almost tries to blow you off the ground, you can still see the endless beauty which lies underneath, the grandeur of ocean waves going straight towards the shoreline, just to break in the last second, and kneel forever in front of the wavy, golden gathering of sandy particles. Praia do Mareta is one of the beaches in Baleeira area, close to the promenade, and pretty insipid as I felt it. Our surf school was located nearby, inside the Memmo Hotel in Sagres. In one of our nocturnal drives, we discovered a small, shattered marina near Mareta beach, entitled Praia do Baleeira – here, people often do whale watching. However, our day to day training area was in a nearby small village called Vila do Bispo, where we would go up and down some hills, and then, at one crossroad, we could take the way either to Castelejo beach, or to Praia do Cordoama (either way, in low tide they unite and simply form this very, very long beach). Cordoama is an incredible place with high energies, that sort of place in which you can simply sit for a lifetime and feel that time flowing stopped for you. To me, Cordoama was quite deceiving since from its hills you can see aligned and perfect waves which invite the overconfident you over, and when you go inside the ocean, you can simply feel that you have absolutely no control over it, and that you need to surrender and allow yourself to be carried on in order to fully enjoy the pleasure of being on this particular beach and among the waves caressing it. The weather was bad for just one day, which made us reroute from Vila do Bispo towards Lagos, trying out some of the beaches on the southern shoreline. The only one which could offer some good waves was Praia da Luz. I know the ocean is beautiful at all times, and I admire its strength in the greyness of a dark and cloudy day, and this was one of those days in which the ocean revolts and frightens. Afternoons and evenings in Sagres are very chill, at least from my point of view. It’s all about relaxing your body, feeding your mind and nourishing your soul. We tried to shop in several small shops, surfing articles are so cute, I bought a new wetsuit and some ankle bracelets, oh and some stickers, and it truly was a reason to be happy for. The other day, I borrowed one bike from our hosts and went again for a ride towards the main road to visit Surf Planet Surf Shop – I said it before and I will say it again: spending time on your own can and will do wonders! Out of curiosity, we paid a visit to Fortaleza Sagres and it’s good that we did, because I could get a better picture of how Henry the Navigator managed to direct its fleet from this point in his pursuit of conquering the seas for the Portuguese Empire. Inside this construction, we also saw the Church of our lady of Grace, simple and central, and an enormous amount of different species of birds and vegetation. And also a lighthouse and a “rosa dos ventos” (a compass) designed on the ground’s surface. The landscapes seen from inside the fortress are sublime. Like in Nazare, I felt my nothingness in front of Mother Nature, and I also felt complete in her arms, as if we, humans, are all pieces of the same, big, important puzzle and the entire picture, the grand finale, cannot be recreated with one of us missing or damaged. One more secret before I close this story: I took the trip to Sagres together with a loved friend, for the first time in years since I have known this person, and this despite that we are both acute travelers. In this trip, I found myself standing in front of myself with no regrets, and no fears (I’m still afraid of bugs, though!!), mostly alone, and happy, happy to be alive and still able to live all the emotions that run through me. Solitude is bliss, they say, but I think it really is. Forget me not Sagres because I will definitely never forget you and your enlightening paths.
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