The Ultimate Relationship & the Earth Collective

A long shot

I have had two expeditions in the last 10 days, viewing land with ruins for my future home and the Earth Collective project. So far, I haven’t found the property of my dreams, the one I hope to fall in love with. But it has been interesting and by no stretch, a waste of time.

My efforts to find a property of the right proportions in the green and lush northern tip of Portugal failed. Most properties are 1 hectare or less, if you are lucky 2 hectares (which is equivalent to 2.5 to 5 acres tops) and I am looking for 20 acres or more. So, it was a question of casting my eye further down the map towards the centre, where large (and I mean seriously large) properties are plentiful at reasonable cost. Obviously, there is a reason for this. In the summer it’s extremely hot and arid, and has a savanna feel to it. But I felt a need to satisfy my curiosity and see if I could handle the heat. It was a long shot.

Castle wall with tower at the end, rocks and grass at the base
The castle tower in Penamacor

After several days researching and liaising with agents, I had two full days of viewings booked, plus a property to see on the way down and another on the way back that were privately listed. The drive down was long and got progressively hotter, about 6 hours in total including a detour to see the property. It was big, 50 acres including half a mountain with a terraced basin at the bottom, ancient ruins, plentiful water and big views at the top which, naturally, I wanted to see. The agent and I bush-bashed our way through the undergrowth (actually, overgrowth) to the summit in 32 degrees of heat. It was worth it. I had been keen to view this property but, sadly, overall it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Context is everything and you can only see so much when exploring online maps. Oh well!

I stayed for two nights in the fabulous hill top village of Penamacor, which is close to Spain on the eastern side of Portugal. The house was lovely. The church bells less so. They were too close for comfort and chimed every 15 minutes, sometimes with an introductory tune. Other times, they chimed twice, from 6 in the morning until 12.15 am. Coupled with the dog from hell next door, I didn’t sleep too well, even with windows closed, air-conditioning on and earplugs in. The first day of viewing was hot (around 34 degrees). I saw three properties between Castelo Branco and Penamacor. I discounted the first on arrival, so as not to waste time or expend unnecessary effort. However, I walked for three hours in the heat to inspect the large expanses of land on the other two. Unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives. On the second day, I viewed another three properties with a different agent. This time, two were discounted on arrival and the third was disappointing. C’est la vie! It was interesting to see more of Portugal and explore a few nooks and crannies that were off the beaten track.

Cobblestone lane in shadows at sunset with centuries old houses on each side
Traditional cobbled street in Penamacor

I had booked accommodation for the third night, close to the property I planned to see on the way back the following day. The location of my stay was idyllic, except for the smell from an industrial plant in the local town, which reaffirmed the importance of exploring the local area of any property under serious consideration. However, just before I set off in the morning, I had a change of heart and made a decision to abort the trip, which would have taken me half an hour further south. I already knew the general area was too hot, so there was really no point in going. Much of what I had seen looked like a tinder box that could go up in smoke at any moment, and that felt edgy. Instead, I detoured to visit an English contact I met on a Portuguese forum, who had been very helpful with local intel’. I stayed the night with him, thus breaking the long journey back to the north where I currently live.

The little car and I survived the four day trip of over 1000 kilometres, despite negotiating some very long unmade tracks to view a few of the properties which, according to the agents’ details, were ‘suitable for any vehicle’. Yeah, right! One was so bad, I caught the right side of the fender on a lumpy section and it pulled away from the car. I managed to push it back in, but it kept popping out and will need to be fixed.

Clay tiled roof tops, with old village below and hills beyond
View from my accommodation in Penamacor

As soon as I got back, I set about researching properties half way between the north and the centre, which I think will be the ‘sweet spot’, combining ample land, reasonable cost and a more favourable climate. I also needed to refresh myself with an interlude of cycling and swimming before setting off again. So, it wasn’t until yesterday (another hot day) that I ventured out with an independent property agent and his interpreter, to view three properties, one of which looked promising.

Grass and reeds in foreground of large lake, forest and blue sky beyond
The almost idyllic place I stayed at on the third night

Sadly, it was ‘Groundhog Day’. The first was discounted on arrival and the second was rejected after a short trek round the part of the land that was accessible. We arrived at the third (favoured) property early in the afternoon - 60 acres (tick), high up on a hill (tick), ruins of an ancient hamlet, around 7 or 8 buildings including a chapel (tick), several sources of water (tick), long reaching views (tick). One particular concern I had from my research though, was a massive ‘meat processing plant’ (aka abattoir) less than a kilometre away. In fact, we followed a huge truck up a tiny road, loaded with pigs going to the slaughter, on our way to the property. Poor things. When we met the local representative at the property, I asked him whether there was any smell from the plant. He said there used to be but not since the factory was modernised. Nonetheless, as an animal lover (who doesn’t eat meat), I was not keen to be so close to the energy of death, or to be reminded of it every time I passed by. Sadly, the property was under a flight path and the south facing view was marred by a new highway on the other side of the valley (a recent addition not shown in an online search) and a row of electrical pylons. I much prefer to look out over nature. Also, neighbours were too close to the ruins for my liking and the proportion of usable land to scrub, was the wrong way around. It was definitely the right idea though, and helps with the ‘lining-up’ process for me and the agent.

True to life, it’s a question having plenty of exposure to what you don’t want, so you recognise what you do want when you see it. Bring it on!

***

NB:

  • I publish short Notes on Substack in between blogs, mostly insights and observations about my new life in Portugal, plus the odd epiphany.
  • If you would like me to notify you when I publish new posts, click the Subscribe button below.
  • My content is free but you can support my work by making a donation. All proceeds go to the Earth Collective project.
  • For information about my book, ‘The Ultimate Relationship… the one with yourself’, click here.
  • If you enjoy my content, please share it. Thank you.
Leave a comment
You must register and be logged in to comment

Leave a Reply

We use essential cookies only. By using this site you confirm your acceptance. Read more in our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions