“. . . it’s the human-made landscape, not the natural one, that will shape our actions – including the ways that we’ve remade the physical environment. Geography isn’t ‘unchanging’, as Kaplan writes, but volatile. And where we’re going, the old maps won’t help.”
– Daniel Immerwahr
After having lived on the quinta fulltime for two years, I cannot imagine living in an urban space again. That is not to say that I never will, as one never knows what the future holds, but for now I rejoice in the silence and peace that is an integral part of the landscape, and as a consequence, my life. I love the solitude and slower pace of life, but unlike what I dreamt of sitting on our brown couch in Abu Dhabi, this doesn’t translate into a simpler life. A simpler life will equate to one with less complications, not more – a lock-up-and-go kind of life. And life on the quinta, ironically, is anything but that. I am also, more than ever before certain that just as we impact on the physical environment, so does it impact on us – on both our physical and interior lives.
With the world population reaching 8 billion in mid-November, I wonder what a simple life so many people dream of, actually looks like, or if it is even possible.
Distributed across 150 million square kilometres of land, human beings have created a home for themselves despite difficult climatic conditions in many parts of the world, but with climate change a lot of these environments are becoming even more challenging to live in, which means people will either have to find ways to adapt or move. It is already estimated that 50 million people today are climate refugees, outnumbering political refugees.
In many parts of the world mass migrations to cities for work or a better life, are leaving the countryside empty, or with a rapidly aging population, as is the case in many parts of Portugal. Compared to 1960 when only 1 billion people lived in cities, today more than 5 billion do. Since the Covid pandemic people have started moving back to rural areas, so it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on the way we live and interact with the natural environment.
On my Plate & In the Garden
With our first sprinkling of frost on the 6th of November, I had to rush to get the avo, mango, and macadamia nut trees covered, as well as all our newly planted citrus trees which are all sensitive to extreme cold in the beginning.
The olive harvest, despite the fact that our olives weren’t much affected by olive flies and looked really good, turned out to be a huge disappointment. At a conversion rate of 16.85 kg of olives for 1 litre of oil, it was an expensive year for oil. Not only did it rain on the day we harvested, but the constant rain in the days before the harvest all negatively impacted on the yield, as the olives absorbed a lot of water, which added to the weight, and consequently impacted on the amount of oil that was pressed.
As the month progressed and the weather got colder, the zucchinis, eggplants, chillies and peppers started waning. The coriander is growing well, and is flavouring most of my meals at the moment, including a generous sprinkle of bright orange petals from calendula flowers, which provides the sunshine I am craving at the moment.
People often refer to self-sustainability, either as something they dream of, or as something they think we dream of. Truth is, we don´t, as that is not just almost impossible to achieve, but it is a sure way to complicate a life even more. I honestly also do not want to live with that kind of pressure. Crops fail regularly for various reasons, and I want to have fun growing a vegetable garden and orchard.
Weathering the Weather
Wet, rainy weather has set the tone for the month, and although the land is rejoicing as it is soaking it up, my emotional and mental well-being rely heavily on sunshine, which meant November posed certain challenges at times. That said, the rain has not been constant, and the skies did clear every now and then, even leaving some days filled with glorious sunshine, so it wasn’t all that gloomy.
We’ve had a total of 114 mm of rain, and although there is no water in the sharka yet, the ground is saturated and the wells are back to their normal levels. A dusting of snow fell on the Serra de Estrela on the 18th, lacing the wind with an extra chill, and where the first day of November was 20.4°C, the last only reached 8.8°C.
Officialdom
After nothing has happened since our application for rezoning the land in April in order to build an agricultural building, I, on the advice of the Architect, made an appointment and went to see the municipal architect who has to give the go-ahead and sign off on all projects in the area, to see if we could find a way of moving our project forward. He sent me to someone else who works at the forestry department, and although she was lovely, took all the details, and said she would get back to me at the end of the week, nothing has happened, and another three weeks have passed. This of course means that I need to go back to see her without irritating her, as that can be a very fine line between being helped or not.
As we are still in the process of developing infrastructure and waiting for our residence visa processes to be completed, the biggest frustration, stress, and complications come from dealing with the various official processes. One day this should all come to an end, but for now, those uncertainties and drawn-out processes add complications in ways we never thought possible.
Midnight & Lily
Despite all the rain, we’ve managed to go for our daily walks on most days, enjoying not just the incredible beauty of the landscape, but also to look for fungi, and generally just spending time outside in the fresh air. Lily, perhaps because of some pent-up energy, often charges past me and Midnight, scaling every tree that comes in sight.
Midnight & Lily bring a lot of joy to my life, but they also complicate life, as I cannot just impulsively jump in the car and go away for more than two days, without having to get someone to take care of them. And that is much more complicated than one would think. When I recently wanted to, on the spur of the moment, go visit a friend in the Algarve, all the pet sitters in the area who were recommended by friends were busy, so I had to scrap that plan. Spontaneous plans are really impossible when one has pets or live on a quinta where one keeps animals. This is why I either stick with day trips, or only spend one night away, as the cats cope perfectly fine with that.
If you feel like taking a stroll with Midnight & Lily, you can watch the video of our Autumn Walks HERE.
Portuguese Words
Moving to a country where one has to learn a new language is anything but simple. It is an added layer complicating many interactions, and even when one starts to recognize some words, interactions are still crippled by the possibility of misunderstandings, especially when dealing with official processes. Also, living (and wanting to live this way) away from people, opportunities to practice the language are limited. There is often a lively debate happening in my head, but getting proficient in Portuguese always loses to living the kind of life I wish for. But, as I know just too well how every choice has specific consequences, I also know that I have to make peace with the fact that it will take me a long time to get comfortable with the language, and that I will just have to cope with the challenges that come with it.
Highlights
There is a Mushroom Festival in November each year in Alcaide, which is dubbed the mushroom capital of Portugal, and this year was my first visit. It was bigger, more interesting, and much busier than I thought it would be, so I will definitely put it in my diary next year.
Best of all was that friends and I joined a Portuguese hiking group, and spent the morning hiking from Fundão to Alcaide through a gorgeous landscape in which the vines and cherry trees added stunning autumn colour to the landscape. Although I do a lot of physical chores on the quinta, I did realise that I am not hiking fit, as I breathed rather heavily on the uphill areas – some of which were covered in sludgy mud, but it was so enjoyable that we vouched to join them more often.
It is a good year for fungi, and I marvel at all the varieties popping up at different times. Below are different stages of the common ink cap before they dissolve in a slimy, inky mess. The most abundant variety on the quinta are death caps, or Amanita phalloides. If it were the Middle Ages, I guess I would have been burnt at the stake already, as I’m sure the prolific growth of this fungi would have branded me as a witch.
Another highlight, again to do with fungi, was a medicinal mushroom workshop. It was a fun day out, and I learned a lot. So much so that when I found some blewits (those purple mushrooms in the baskets below) a couple of days later, I was confident to pick and eat them. They were delicious.
To Visit
This year, as always, I indulged in my birthday ritual of going away on my own to celebrate and reflect. This year, I chose Quinta das Lágrimas in Coimbra, not just for its beauty, but also for the love story linked to it, but more about that next year in my Discover Portugal series I am planning to add to our site.
I had my birthday dinner at Arcadas Restaurant (part of the hotel), and it was as pretty as it was delicious.
I’ve never stayed at a hotel where the attention to detail or the staff are as good as here, with the exception only of Qasr al Sarab and the Al Sahel Resort in the UAE. They even picked up from my passport that it was my birthday, and at breakfast surprised me with cake and a candle. Not once, in all the years of going away for my birthday has any hotel picked up on that, as I always tend to be very low key about it, so that alone warrants a return, which I hope Michael and I can do together in the not so distant future.
To Read
Move: How Mass Migration Will Reshape the World – and what it means for you by Parag Khanna
Written by: Jolandi
I can sympathise with the dilemma you face regarding improving your Portuguese language skills and your love of solitude. I find social occasions exhausting and don’t go out as often as I should. If I also had to try to speak in a foreign language each time I went out I would definitely be in a mess!
I am so pleased you found such a wonderful place to stay for your birthday! What pretty food you ate! I also loved the video of the walk with Midnight and Lily; what a pity you weren’t able to find cat-sitters for your trip to the Algarve.
Hiking with friends, a mushroom festival and a medicinal mushroom workshop! You are at least managing to have a bit of a social life and are acquiring useful knowledge. I am sure that the language skills will come quicker than perhaps you think they will <3 <3
Michael keeps telling me that he thinks my Portuguese is better than I think, Clare. I hope the language will eventually stick, and I am committed to keep going at my own snails pace. It feels like I have to repeat every new word a thousand times or more, before I remember it! I guess there is a lot of rewiring that has to happen in my brain too, and growing older isn’t exactly making it easier. 😣
I am lucky that despite my reclusive tendencies, I do manage to get out to practice my social skills every once in a while. I have made lovely friends in the area, which is such a blessing. – Jolandi
A marvelous update, Jolandi. Thank you for bringing us to Portugal for a few moments. My favourite series is the collection of Midnight and Lily photos, and how much fun to see Lily climbing trees. You make an accurate comment about being self-sufficient, that I don’t think I’ve ever heard another acknowledge, and that is that being self-sufficient is impractical, and difficult, and not reliable due to conditions outside your control. I agree that if my vegetables were a main source of food, I would not find it fun at all to care for my garden. It made me smile that you add yellow petals for sunshine in your food. <3 I'm delighted with the fungi and glad you are able to harvest mushrooms right from your own land. I am envious. I was told by a doctor that the time of year when you start seeing mushrooms is right about the time of year when your body needs a Vitamin D boost, and mushrooms are a good source of D. Thank you Mother Nature. Your landscape photos here are just beautiful, the way you have showcased sunlight and shadow.
Mother Nature really is amazing – I love this mention of mushrooms appearing when we need a Vitamin D boost, Crystal. I need all the support I can get at the moment, as we’ve had so much rain already, and there still is no end in sight. It is of course a good thing, but I do miss the sun when the skies are grey for too long. It is a stormy, rainy day as I write these words, so I’m not sure I will even have an opportunity to dash out for orange petals today. 😅 Isn’t it amazing what colour can do for one’s mood? – Jolandi
You’ve reminded me that when we had a house we put a huge effort into establishing a garden, and I would dream of the day I would simply sit in it with a good book. Needless to say, there was always too much work to be done for that day ever to arrive.
It seems mere weeks away that the heat was bringing you undone. Soon it will be time to retreat indoors more often…
Your memory makes me giggle, Gwen. Yip, the picture we often hold in our minds and the reality of it, hardly ever overlap. The ironies of life! I have learned to carve out moments of joy and relaxation despite a never-ending array of chores, so I guess that is a huge step in the right direction. Michael still needs to learn that, as he often feels overwhelmed with all the work every time he visits. – Jolandi
I can well understand how Michael would be overcome on his visits. So much to do, so little time. And always a deadline looming.
Meanwhile you can settle to the rhythm of the land and your life in it. A lot of hard work, and some of the chores must seem repetitive and even mindless at times, but also scope for contemplation and as you have discovered, joy and relaxation can be found if you leave yourself open to it.
You’ve said it well, Gwen. 💚
So nice to read a post from you updating us all on life on the quinta. Nice to read that life is going well with a few challenges. Wishing you happy holidays and hope you find special moments and joy throughout the holiday season.
Terri
Thank you, Terri. Happy holidays to you and your family too. 💚 – Jolandi
Your adventures in farming remind me why I never got into the profession, even though I enjoy working outdoors and growing plants. You really are subject to the whims of nature and climate. I’m sorry your olive harvest was such a disappointment, especially when olive oil is selling for premium prices. (Even in California, where we have huge olive orchards, local oil is very expensive.) Hopefully your other fruit trees mature soon so you can reap the harvest from them, for profit and personal pleasure.
Self-sufficiency is ridiculously difficult, unless you’re able to drill your own well with your own machinery, get all of your energy from solar panels or other passive resources—or you’re an engineering genius and are able to build your own hydroelectric dam, reservoir, and transformer station. Not to mention food: I don’t know of anyone who makes their own flour, sugar, or other basic staples. (I’ve seen YouTube videos, sure, but what a lot of time and work to make a cup of sugar!) It’s possible to raise your own meat and vegetables, but when the cow you spent a lot of money on suddenly becomes ill or dies, there goes your plans for a freezer filled with beef. I’ve had similar experiences with gardens filled with tomatoes, peppers, corn, and squash: bugs or rodents get to them before you do, or a mysterious blight ruins the fruit, or a freaky early winter/late spring/sizzling summer destroys everything. I’m glad the local farmers have enough to sell at the markets! Otherwise we’d be living on packaged food all year around. I love reading your updates. I hope with the winter you’re able to write more.
I also hope I will be able to write a bit more during the winter months, Hangaku, as I have a couple of half-finished projects lying around. I currently still feel a bit uninspired, but from experience I also know that one can’t sit around and wait for inspiration. I just need to start putting in the time. Hope you will have a blessed holiday season. – Jolandi
I always enjoy your updates so much; your days and weeks and more flow in such a different way than mine these days, but I always feel like I’m not far from being able to take such a step myself. Still, I can’t imagine it will happen with my current spouse (who I believe will remain my spouse!), so I follow your life on the quinta with great happiness. You seem to be getting so much done, and yet when I read the “Officialdom” section, I am always amazed by how very long some things take. (It does not escape me that those things are the ones not controlled by you!)
In spite of your gray weather, there always seems to be a brightness lurking around the edges of the clouds. Your photos are so calming, and the one with the tree covers looks like an art installation of some sort! 🙂 Enjoy this hibernating part of the year!
I had a good giggle about your ‘current spouse’, Lexie. A partner definitely has a big influence on the trajectory of one’s life and choices. Accepting and living with the things I have no control over is the most frustrating part of life here, but I also know that despite these challenges the life we are creating here is worth putting up with these challenges. There is no paradise on earth after all, so expecting to ‘have it all’ is a bit silly. We all have to contend with challenges in one form or another. Wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday season. Hope your trip to Malta was wonderful. – Jolandi
The scenes you paint with your words and photos, Jolandi, are magical – you must be proud of what you’ve created. Your writing makes me reflect on the farmers and ranchers where I grew up ~ they had a “simple life,” as many people dream, but it does not mean a simpler life. The reliance on the weather and Mother Nature and being adaptable every day and every hour to changes are part of the beauty of the silence and peace of the Quinta. And to do it within a new country and culture is a beautiful adventure, and very happy you share it with us. I wish you a wonderful holiday season ~ with enough days of sunshine to brighten the mood!
That is so true, Randall. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and good amounts of sunshine too. – Jolandi
This really echoes our journey and you describe the challenges so well. We still struggle with the local accents but as we love living in the woodland away from people we do not get enough daily conversation. However, I did spend an hour chatting with someone who gave us a lift to Seville and surprised myself. Trevor keeps up with his Portuguese through a zoom link . We are fortunate to have a visiting cat but I do miss having my own special companions. A happy birthday to you too.
I’m glad to hear that you surprised yourself with your ability to converse in Spanish, Georgina. The process for me is really slow, but there are Portuguese words that I now just know and remember, so my hope is that eventually I will have a better grasp on the language. Kudos to Trevor for keeping up with his Portuguese. It really takes some effort and dedication.
Thank you for the birthday wishes. – Jolandi
It’s always mind-boggling to learn about how many of us are now on this planet. Eight billion! That’s crazy. I have been intrigued by life in the countryside, but I know it’s a lot of work and I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. Looking at those photos of Lily up on the trees, was there ever a moment when she was stuck and couldn’t go down on her own?
Happy belated birthday, Jolandi! Looks like you had a great dinner!
Yip, eight billion people – I agree with you that it is crazy.
Lily has never been stuck in a tree. She is quite courageous. Midnight, the first time she ran up a tree when she arrived on the quinta got ‘stuck’ for a while, which had me in a bit of a panic, as she ran up one of the tallest oaks with no branches lower down, but she did eventually built up the courage to come down. Both cats are now very comfortable in the trees. I guess there is some kind of instinct that kicks in.
Thank you for the birthday wishes, Bama. Yip, like you, I really appreciate some good food. – Jolandi
Beautiful, rich, busy, calm, this is how your life sounds. What lovely hike companions and that group hike, just perfect. Not to mention your birthday. I wish you wonderful holidays and another happening new year.
Ah, thank you, Manja. Happy holidays for you and your loved ones too. – Jolandi