I am learning more about Portugal every day, especially the way of life and the habits of the people. That’s a good thing. But it’s also giving me the heads-up on what to avoid in finding the right location for my project, the Earth Collective. An anecdote in this episode explains. Also featured are some hairy cat ‘tails’, more bureaucratic madness and the spontaneous mantras that have saved me in recent moments of need.

Here is a brief extract: “At various times during the fires, I heard a continuous sound, like a monotone siren (which is an oxymoron, I know). I asked around and several people said it was most likely an alarm, the type that tells people to evacuate an area in the event of an emergency. Fortunately, it seemed far enough away, so I didn’t think it was relevant for me. And it might well have been that, because they are a ‘thing’. But as it turned out, it was something entirely different, and a sign that life continues as normal in Portugal, even in a crisis…”

Click the player below to listen to the full episode.

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