awakened life project central portugal

We are currently house sitting this property for our friends Glyn and Tinke while they have it up for sale. It’s a beautiful place and we wanted to put it on our blog in case there is someone out there who may be interested in moving here.  So take a look, have a read and if you are inspired by what you see feel free to contact us for more information.

The location is on a north-facing mountainside in the Serra d’Acor with breathtaking panoramic views. The nearest village is Mont Frio about 4km away, and the nearest town, Coja, about 7km down the mountain.

The property is wonderfully secluded and surrounded by eucalyptus plantations. There are three beautifully renovated schist buildings: an upper building (bedroom) with basement, middle building (kitchen) with basement, and a large lower building with bathroom, living room/bedroom and renovated basement (also suitable as a bedroom).

inside and wooden beams, some from the original house. There is also a neighboring ruin that could be renovated. Half a hectare of surrounding land that has been cleaned. There are pine, chestnut and a few olives trees and several terraces that could be cultivated. An old water mine that tunnels into the mountainside is a fascinating curiosity.

There are two natural springs on the land that provide ample water even during drought. One spring has been sealed for drinking water and the other open spring provides water for the house, which is pumped up to a tank in the basement of the top building. An almost-new Kubota water pump is included in the sale.

The existing solar panels and inverter are included in the sale as is a generator for back up power.

The upper building, which we are using as a bedroom, includes a huge wood burning stove that is also included in the sale. This warms up the room very quickly even in winter. The kitchen, in the next building down, includes a gas cooker in the sale. Outside the kitchen is a large patio area for beautiful views and sunshine (except in Nov/Dec).

We are enjoying living here with the views, the sunshine, the stars and the silence. We are here is show you around if you would like to view.

If you would like more information please contact:

pete@portugalproject.com

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Portugal. The trip was multi-purpose. I went to visit my friends Pete and Cynthia and to see their land and get a feel for Portugal (I’d never been there before!), and to visit a retreat Center in the Algarve, where I was thinking to hold a Yoga Teachers training.

My friend Nancy and I traveled together. Before leaving for Portugal, I was already seriously contemplating moving there, to join Pete and Cynthia’s project. I am currently living on the East Coast of USA in Massachusetts and I’m ready for a big change. I have been thinking about moving somewhere for the past year –somewhere warm and beautiful, where I have close friends. I have known Pete and Cynthia for a many years and I know spiritually we are on the same wavelength, which is the most important thing to me.

Seeing Quinta de Mizerela and the surrounding area of Central Portugal clinched it for me. I love mountains and forest and beautiful nature and it’s all there. The sky was blue the whole time we were there - late October, early November - and we could wear T-shirts during the day. The valley is lovely, enchanting and peaceful. I think what made me sure about going into this project was that as I sat overlooking the valley, I could visualize it perfectly, come to life, and I know it will happen. I really like the slate buildings and I could see them rebuilt and lovely, with patios and pathways and decks, overlooking that beautiful valley. And the valley thriving with abundant fruit and vegetables. Friends living together, meditating, growing and learning together. It’s all there, latent on that land, waiting to burst into existence.

Pete and I sat together overlooking the valley, the last day I was with them, and we entered into a time warp. We planned to meet Cynthia and Nancy in a nearby town at 12.30pm and sitting there talking we lost track of time. When we got back to the car, we realized we were going to be an hour late. Then when we got to the town we discovered that we were right on time because unbeknownst to us the clocks had gone back an hour for daylight savings!! So everything worked out seamlessly. This, a small incident, yet again gave me confidence in this magical flow which sustains us and allows everything to unfold perfectly. There is something happening here that I deeply trust and my intuition to join this project is coming from this place.

Somewhere in the middle of the eventful 4 days we spent with Pete and Cynthia, my friend Nancy miraculously and spontaneously bought a beautiful house in a little village, just 5 mins from Quinta de Mizerela!! It happened unexpectedly, in a matter of hours, and was another inexplicably magical occurrence. This house is a wonderful extension of our project. I’ll leave the full story to Nancy to tell…

The idea of living sustainably and off the grid is very appealing and makes total sense. I don’t know much about it but I’m willing to learn. We visited some of Pete and Cynthia’s new friends, who were living in a similar way, on renovated farms, and it was like going back in time to the early seventies, back to my roots. I must say I liked that! I even bought a Portuguese hippy-looking Poncho, whilst I was there! The Hippies were definitely onto something. I have started fantasizing about salting olives, having our own olive oil, making goat’s cheese and eating veggies and fruits picked fresh from our own land every meal!

It’s an exciting project… I don’t know where it’s all going, but I’m in for the ride and I’m profoundly happy about it! I know it’s all going to unfold, naturally, organically, mysteriously and perfectly.

With love, Jacqueline

PS The retreat center near Tavira in the Algarve, turned out to be a good thing and I have booked to lead a Yoga Teacher training there, next June/July. See my website for details www.froglotusyoga

It was Thursday afternoon I was home working on the computer and Pete had gone to the land. It was then that I got a call from Elsa (one of the people we are buying Quinta de Mizarela from). She speaks some English and said –there’s fire at the Quinta! We spoke briefly; I immediately called our friend Maggie to take me there. This was just the beginning of the convergence of good friends and neighbors helping us in a myriad of ways.

As I waited anxiously at the top of our track Elsa called back to tell me Pete was OK. For some reason it really hit me then what was happening. Once Maggie picked me up and we broke over the crest of the mountain I could see the smoke. It was big but not huge, my mind wasn’t thinking rationally and yet it was at the same time. My body was already in shock as the adrenaline raced though me. I was shaking and cold and everything seemed very quiet as Maggie continued to grab my hand and tell me it was OK.

We finally got there and our friend Dick was at the top of the track along with lots of other people. It was a relief to see him but all I wanted to do was run down the track and find Pete. Dick embraced me with a big hug and just held me to calm me down before he let me look for Pete.

As I ran down the track, my legs going so fast I thought I was going to dive head first. As I ran I heard Maggie yelling behind me to watch what I was running into. It was then I understood her concern, the smoke was getting thick and I could hear the burning of the trees. I stopped and knew that I needed to be careful. We both called for Pete and got no answer. We ran back up the hill and down another track toward the firemen and still I couldn’t find Pete. The fire had jumped the dirt track and was going up the mountain. Fireman and men from the village worked side by side. I ran back passing some oncoming fire trucks. I had no idea what they thought as they saw this woman running around the fire, I was just happy they didn’t stop me from looking for Pete.

Once again at the top of the track I met Dick. Dick said the police needed to talk to Pete. Our car was parked down at the entrance of Fraga de Pena so Maggie and I went down there and hiked up the waterfalls toward the land from a different direction. It was calming to be surrounded by beauty and the rushing waterfalls. It was surreal as I passed tourists at the waterfall that had no idea what was happening right above them.

Before reaching the land I found Pete coming down. He looked good and I was relieved. After a quick embrace we headed down the hill to speak with the police.

So many amazing things have happened since the fire began 5 days ago. I still feel like I’m in shock and denial. When I go to the Quinta I’m always a little surprised that it’s not all a dream. Little by little I am accepting things as they are and with this there is space to embrace the whole picture, all the love and support we have received, the fact that the houses and much of the land are OK and the ache in my heart when I think of the devastation of what the fire has done.

There are many people that stand out in my mind, the first and foremost is Antonio. Antonio, the spoon maker who is selling us the biggest part of the land. I will never forget as Pete and I drove back to the village after the police came to our house to take the report. We were so tired and yet we knew we had to go back and find Elsa and Antonio. I had no idea what to expect. When we drove up there was a group of men in front of the café, they all turned to look at us. It was dark so I couldn’t see their faces. From the crowd someone came toward us with their arms outstretched. It was Antonio. He embraced us both as the three of us stood together. I cried, Antonio and Pete had tears. In such a soft beautiful voice Antonio said, “Nao problema, calma, calma”.

No matter what happened after that it didn’t matter. Antonio was my main concern. He loves the Quinta so much and I feel honored that he is entrusting the land to us. There has been no blame coming from him or anyone, I think I find this the most touching.

Living here people have a different relationship to fire. Everyone has had close calls when doing controlled burns and some have even had small fires start. Everyone knows that what each person does could affect everyone. It would have been very easy for this fire to get out of control and threaten the three surrounding villages. I’m touched at the love and understanding that people have shown us in the midst of their own vulnerability when it comes to the danger of fire.

Elsa is a woman that doesn’t show her emotions, she’s always very relaxed and easy to get along with but sometimes I don’t know what she is feeling.  She loves the land very much and I was worried that she would be very upset.  When she originally showed us the land one of the houses roofs had caved in.  She hadn’t seen it like that and when she did she choked back the tears.  It was then I realized how much the Quinta meant to her.  So the night of the fire I wasn’t sure how she would respond. She had every right to be upset and angry but just like Antonio she was very supportive and didn’t show any anger or blame. I was so relieved.

Another Antonio from Pardeiros was also wonderful. As Antonio, Pete and I stood outside the café he approached us and gave us a lot of helpful suggestions on what to do. And it was much later that evening we found out that he was going to spend the night at the Quinta to make sure the fire didn’t restart. And it was a good thing he did – we met him there the next morning and the fire had re-ignited and they had to put it out again.

Alfredo – the President of the Junta at Benfeita (kind of like the mayor of a town), also stands out. After having some wine at the café the night of the fire Antonio and Joao (Elsa’s husband) thought we should go talk to Alfredo. This was important because Alfredo could calm people down if there was problem. This is when we witnessed first hand the beauty of the village system here in Portugal. Antonio, Joao, Pete and I drove to Benfeita. We met with Alfredo in the dimly lit room in the back of his café. Joao was very formal and calmly explained to Alfredo what had happened. That Pete had started the fire but had done everything right in sounding the alarm and fighting alongside the firemen.

Alfredo listened calmly, again with no judgment. He said there is no problem and all the people that needed to be talked to would be. He said to be calm and not preoccupy our minds with trying to find the other landowners where the fired had burned. He said that would be taken care of. Amazingly both he and Antonio told Pete that he could go back to the land and continue working and even start another fire but this time to do a few things differently!

As I sat there in this dimly lit room I felt honored to be a part of this community of people. Everything was being taken care of with humanity, seriousness and care, without anger, judgment or heaviness.

Alfredo told us to come back the next morning at 10 and he would call the police and tell them that we were good people and basically did all we could and that it was an accident. We did this and it was all very simple and quick.

After the meeting in the back room we stood at the bar of the café. Pete and I hadn’t eaten, we were in shock by all that had happened both the good and the bad. It was then that Joao ordered martinis for everyone. There is a specialty here – martini and beer mixed together and I have to say it tasted great! I couldn’t drink it all or I would not have been able to walk but what I did drink was perfect.

As we left Pardeiros that night Pete and I were both stunned. It’s hard to explain what we had experienced. All I knew was I was grateful that the fire wasn’t worse than it was and that we were surrounded by good friends and neighbors.

Maggie – our dear friend who drove me to the fire. She’s a very strong woman and her strength has helped me. We went to her house a couple of days after the fire and talked over tea. We told her how we wanted to replace the pines with indigenous trees and she was thrilled. She said she had 20 baby oak trees that she had sprouted from the seed and she wanted to give them to us for the Quinta. She already had this idea before we told her our vision so once again we found ourselves on the same page with Maggie.

Lastly there’s Dick. Dick actually told us about the Quinta when we first met him. He may do our renovation on the first house. Besides being there for me at the top of the hill Pete told me that it was Dick that helped sound the alarm. Pete had driven to Benfeita when the fire first started. He was running around trying to get someone to call the Bombeiros (firemen) and then he saw Dick. Dick took care of everything and Pete was able to go back to the land and save the bottom terraces from burning. I don’t know but I think Pete just knowing Dick was there was probably very comforting.

It’s been 5 days since the fire and the care from everyone we meet continues to touch my heart. I’ve been back to the land a few times and it is still devastating to see the blackened ground.

It would be so easy to be victimized and dramatic about all of this but that would be so disrespectful to all that has been given to us. This fire isn’t about how I feel; it’s about what is the right next step. It’s about bracing the reality of all that has happened and follow the same thread that guided us here in the first place.

There is a big scar on the mountain right now that goes up from the Quinta. It’s a black mark between the pines. As Pete and I spoke we both knew that we wanted to make this black mark colorful. We want to plant indigenous trees and flowers. It will be transformed from first a mountain covered in pines, to a mountain with a black scar to a mountain with beautiful Oaks, Chestnut, Alder and other trees we don’t even know about. The scar will turn into a marker to show what can come out of a devastating fire.

We are more inspired and urgent than ever to create this project. The people of the village have embraced us and it has infused us with energy to move forward.

I see the Quinta renovated, full of life, people, gardens, flowers and trees. We will need to plant many many trees to cover the affected area but I’m determined we will do it.

As I sit here five days after the fire I feel all that has happened is part of the trajectory that we were already on. It’s been hard but it’s been good. I would never say that the fire was a good thing but I will say that it has given us and everyone around us an opportunity to rise to our highest and to me there isn’t anything better than that.

Sending much love,

Cynthia

On November 1^st, All Saints Day, which is a public holiday here in Portugal, I went to the Quinta to work on the land. It was a pristine bright sunny afternoon and I decided to do some more clearing and make a small fire to burn some of the brambles and broom I had already cut down. Having worked in gardens in the past I had some experience of doing a ‘controlled burn’, but these ‘burns’ had been on the moist ground of England, and I did not fully take into account that not only was it a very warm November in Portugal, but it hadn’t rained hard since Spring.

On a fairly wide flattish area I placed a circle of rocks and sheets of slate as a barrier but what I did not do was adequately clear the surrounding land. My other mistake, I now realize, was that I lit the fire on a terrace and not at the bottom of the land. When a gust of wind blew up from the valley the flames whipped up and quickly jumped the rocks and set the surrounding dry grass alight. I tried desperately to quell the blaze by grabbing huge sheets of slate from nearby and throwing them on the fire. But the fire continued to spread and began writhing up the terrace above and amongst the pine trees. I knew I had no hope of stopping it. Terrified, but also somehow clearheaded, I ran to the car and drove as fast as I could to the nearby village of Benfeita to raise the alarm.

As it was a holiday I was afraid that there would be nobody around but luckily I saw my friend Dick. I told him what had happened, he said he would call the fire station, and I headed back up the mountain and down the dirt track to the Quinta. I had only been away for 15 minutes but the fire was now a huge inferno that was roaring up the mountain. While I had heard about the relentless destructive power of forest fire in this area of Portugal, the speed with which this fire was ripping through the pines was something I could never have expected. It was absolutely terrifying and I was afraid that it might spread to engulf the entire valley.

I drove back up the track to the road above to which some of the flames had now reached.

Dick was there, along with a number of locals. Luckily the wind had changed direction and was now blowing the flames back on themselves. All of us were watching helplessly, praying that the flames would not jump the road. Then the first Bombeiros fire truck came charging up the mountain and the fire was soon under control, being doused with water from above.

But I feared for our beloved Quinta down below. I could not see anything from above because of the smoke, so I drove down to Fraga da Pena and ran up the huge stone steps past the waterfalls and along the trail to the Quinta as fast as I could. While the firemen were advancing from above through the pines, some of the terraces were burning below and the fire was creeping down toward the valley floor. I grabbed a branch and began frantically beating at the flames. After the fire was out I was choking and absolutely exhausted. A few firemen came down with their hoses and doused the charred ground. I found myself embracing them and saying ‘Muito Obrigado’ over and over again.

As I looked around I was greatly relieved. All of the buildings were fine and the beautiful schist walls that we love so much were not burned. In fact I could now see so much more than before. There were walls and steps revealed that had been completely overgrown. With all of the grass, ferns and brambles burned away the true contours of the terraces could be seen and the ground even looked ready for planting. While many pine trees were burned around the houses, I saw that I would have wanted to cut most of them anyway, ironically, as protection from the danger of fire.

As I walked back to the car I met up with Cynthia and our dear friend Maggie in an explosion of love, relief, shock and hugs and then we went to meet with the police nearby. Despite being in a state of shock and exhaustion I was surprised that my Portuguese was flowing pretty well and told the three police officers everything that had happened. The head officer told me to calm down and not to worry. It was possible I may have to pay a fine but maybe not. In summer it would have been much worse he said. They were all remarkably friendly and there was no edge of stiff formality or blame at all.

After a very badly needed and very healing cup of tea, Cynthia and I drove to Pardierios to find Antonio and Elsa, who we are in the final stages of buying the Quinta from. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought they may be very upset and angry because of the deep connection they feel to that land, so I was readying myself to bear whatever I had to bear to maintain the good relationships we have with them.

It was dark now and as we got out of the car near the café I could see Antonio’s silhouette as he stood waiting for us. As we walked toward him he opened his arms to us and embraced us both with such love that something broke and we all shed some tears. I said I was very sorry and he said it was an accident and could have been much worse.

We then went into the bar and saw Elsa, who, while obviously distressed, accepted my apologies with no sense of blame. After a glass of wine and gestures of support from several of the other villagers, Antonio and Elsa’s husband, Joao, drove us over to Benfeita to meet with Alfredo the head of the village council.

He was behind the bar in a café off a beautiful cobblestone street. Joao ordered us all Martinis mixed with beer, before we could even ask for tea, but we were both pleasantly surprised at how good they were, and it definitely seemed to be easing the shock! Soon we were in a smoky backroom huddled around a table. The purpose of meeting Alfredo was that, being the village chief, he was respected by the locals and had leverage with the police. One of the things we were worried about were the pines that had burned further up from our land and whether the owners would want compensation. He told us not to worry, that he and Antonio would speak with the owners, who lived in Lisbon, and hopefully all would be ok. He told us to come to his office at 10am the next morning and he would call the police on my behalf and tell them how well I had responded and so hopefully there would be no fine! I think I shook hands with more people that day than I ever have in my whole life. The experience of genuine care and support from the villagers has been deeply moving. There has been no anger, no blame, no being ostracized as a ‘stupid’ foreigner, which I feared. In fact when I said to people that I had been foolish in where I had lit the fire, nearly all had some story to tell of a fire or a near miss in the past that they were involved with. Most just seemed relieved that it hadn’t happened in the summer and was contained so quickly and nobody was hurt.

So it is five days later now and while the shock still lingers and the terrifying images of burning trees still haunt me, together Cynthia and I was been ‘processing’ the whole event. I have definitely learned a very healthy respect for the fire danger here and a hard lesson about doing a ‘controlled burn’ in this country. We have yet to find out if we will have to pay a fine or any compensation for pines that were burned. Yet despite all of this I now feel the winds of something positive coming out of this event lifting my spirits.

The most moving thing is the depth of relationship we have forged with the community here, namely the Quinta’s local villages of Pardierios and Benfeita. It was quite something a couple of days ago when I was speaking with an old lady about the fire and the support we had received from everyone. She smiled, leaned toward me and looked me straight in the eye and said intently, “Here we are good people, and you are good people”. I can’t really convey the beauty with which she said this. It brought tears to my eyes.

On the positive side the fire gave the land a baptism of fire cleaning much of the land of years of overgrowth leaving the buildings unscathed. Once rain comes and washes away the ash it should look a lot better than it did before in many ways. The greatest damage is to the pines above the Quinta where a fairly large gash has been burnt in the hillside. While a pine forest can be a beautiful sight on a mountainside, pines are not indigenous to this area of Portugal. Grown for timber and pulp, along with the eucalyptus, they now dominate these mountains and surrounding lands. They grow very close together and crowd out any other species. A couple of nights ago we realized what we wanted, and felt called, to do with this cleared land. We want to plant it full of indigenous trees; chestnut, oak, mimosa and others that over time will grow into a beautiful varied woodland….and we also want to cover the hillside with flowers! One can now see old trails winding up the slopes that were used when this valley was inhabited before the pines took over. The views from the trails are gorgeous and could be strengthened and even a few benches placed in some choice spots next to new trees.

So we are going to be planting a lot of trees this winter, both on this charred hillside and fruit trees on the Quinta below. If you would like to donate a tree or three please use the paypal donation box at the bottom of the page or if you would like to send a contribution let us know. Also if you would like to come and help plant some trees you are very welcome!!

Pete

Reintegration massage will be something that I will be offering once this project is up and running. In the meantime Karen and Steve have been kind enough to let me use their therapy room at their beautiful Quinta for which I am very grateful!

The SaSenYin Method was created by Ria Panen Godesberg.

Reintegration massage is just a part of the SaSenYin method. I studied directly with Ria on the beautiful island of Ibiza.

Reintegration massage is about freeing all that is in the way that is blocking us from being fully who we are. How this happens is always a mystery.

Throughout our lives (and even past lives) many of us have experienced trauma. Sometimes the trauma is dealt with as it happens but often, for whatever reason, we are unable to face our situation and the emotional distress that is experienced gets deeply lodged in the body.

It may be days, weeks or even years before we are aware that we are holding onto something. Or maybe we know something is not quite right, but for whatever reason we haven’t gotten to the point where we are ready or able to let go and free ourselves.

Reintegration massage is where emotional and mental barriers, which are stored in the body, get revealed and potentially released. I help to reintegrate your energy, which transforms during the massage.

Every massage is different so we both won’t know what will happen until you are on the table!

Please contact me at 966333187 to make an appointment.

If you are interested in reading more about the SaSenYin Method please visit www.sasenyin.com.

Cynthia