Finally, the rain has stopped and the sun is shining. What a joy it is to bathe in the warm rays, as it has been a dramatic winter in Portugal. For the best part of a month, Portugal has been battered and, in parts, decimated by torrential rain and gales, day and night. There has been loss of life and property, as well as the destruction of much agricultural land. Power and internet outages lasted a week in some places, and a state of emergency was declared. Huge areas were damaged as the weather came off the Atlantic coast and headed inland. It didn’t abate. It wasn’t normal - a strong indication, in my mind, of weather manipulation.

Thankfully, the north-east where I live, got off lightly. Apart from a ‘river’ flowing down the street outside my house, waterlogged orchards, a few fallen walls, and water running down my chimney, there was little serious damage. It is a mountainous region and the ancient villages appear to have a good network of drains to direct the water. Nonetheless, I was house-bound for the duration, except for grabbing half an hour here or there during a brief pause, to walk around the village a couple times. On occasional days where it looked like there might be a longer pause, I dashed out on the bike and got soaked to my knickers at some point during the ride. But I simply had to get out, even if the elements were hostile. All this, after the summer from hell for many, who experienced the worst fires in living memory (described in my blog, ‘A close call’).

Naturally, the rain stopped play regards looking at land – had there been anything to see! It also coincided with a pivot regards which country to look in (my last blog ‘Thinking the unthinkable’). In the final analysis, though, I was resistant to moving. So much time and effort, not to mention money, had gone into Portugal, that I really couldn’t stomach it. And I couldn’t bring myself to think that there wasn’t a single piece of land in the entire country that would fit the crazy planning requirements for my project. So, I decided to double down and broaden my search. All options on the table, except the hottest, most arid regions of Portugal. Thus began a search of a very large area.

Initially, I was delighted to find around 40 pieces of land that looked possible. However, getting a response from real estate agents was a big issue. Even when I got one, it was almost impossible to get all the information I had requested. And I needed this information to research whether the land was suitable from a planning perspective, before driving hours to view it. The whole process was extremely time consuming. It is astonishing how many agents do not know how to get a location from Google Maps! However, it became clear there was another problem with land further south (in the Alentejo region). While I could buy bigger pieces of land for less money, most were a single article (ie. one legal document), whereas in the north land was often comprised of multiple articles. And I needed several (all with their own access from a public road or path) to fit the planning requirements for my project. It is possible (albeit with difficulty) to divide a large article into smaller ones, but in most of Alentejo, the minimum size for a single article is 24 or 48 hectares. So it isn’t feasible.

I have been looking for land (full-time) for 18 months now. It has been challenging beyond my wildest expectations because of the planning rules. You would think a project that is ecological, sustainable, uses natural materials, is off-grid, farms organically and offers educational tourism, would tick all the boxes. It certainly does regards European directives. However, directives do not translate into national legislation, which is still in the dark ages in Portugal. What’s more, there isn’t a legal framework for community living in rural areas, which prompted several iterations of my strategy, to find a way of doing this legally.

It is a ridiculous situation. But I know I have not wasted my time. Life is about the journey, and this has been hugely informative. I now know how to navigate the terrain in order to avoid hazards such as areas prone to fires, flooding, lithium mining, high voltages electrical pylons, wind and solar farms. All are red lines for me.

In my quest to be entirely open-minded, I found my eye drifting off the Atlantic cost to the Azores, a small cluster of Portuguese islands some 1500 kilometres from the mainland. I had fancied visiting them (for pleasure) since I arrived in Portugal, though I was resistant to doing my project there, adding another layer of challenge regards resources and labour. More recently, after talking to someone who is familiar with the islands, I decided they would be worthy of consideration, after all. The most obvious advantages include plentiful water (very green and lush), moderate year round temperatures, uniqueness of the islands (each is different and apparently, paradisical), low fire risk (compared to the mainland), off the radar for lithium mining and large scale solar or wind farms. Excited by the prospect, I resolved to get over my dislike of flying and go and do a reccy. The largest island, St Miguel, was most appealing. Close to it is Santa Maria (one of the smallest islands in the archipelago), and the rest are quite a long way away.

But then, a bombshell dropped! I discovered something extremely disturbing which sickened me to my core. There has been a recent announcement that Santa Maria is to be used as a base to launch satellites into space (beginning this year), a project involving the US, Europe, India and other countries. I suspect, in time, the impact will be considerable for the islands regards air and sea pollution, launch debris, an increase in air and sea traffic and the building of support services. Not to mention noise and the eyesore of flares in the sky when the rockets are launched. Santa Maria is a wildlife and ecological reserve. It is pristine. The situation is tragic. I will visit the islands at some point, as I would like to see them. But the Azores is now off my list for the project.

To overcome yet more dead ends, I needed to find something else to focus on, alongside the search. So, I enrolled in an online course on Syntropic farming, a food forestry system and a whole lot more. It is an ingenious method of agriculture developed in the tropical climate of Brazil (with ancient origins), which is being adapted for use in Mediterranean and other climates. The idea is to mimic the way forests regenerate and create thriving eco systems. Core concepts includes the natural evolution of species, the succession of plants based on lifespans, the density and diversity of species, maximising photosynthesis and building soil quality by creating biomass from pruning (slash and drop). This builds a system that improves continuously, yields a huge amount of food, and does not require tilling, weeding, fertilisers or, in time, irrigation.

I have never grown food. My only experience with land has been the restoration and management of pasture for my horses. While I intend to work with an expert once I have found land, I am building my knowledge and interest in agriculture, as I feel a pressing need to eat food I grow for myself. And be the best possible co-creator with my land. Most soil is degraded these days, especially in a country like Portugal, and Syntropic Farming is a brilliant way to restore it. It also fits with my sense that one of the best strategies for protecting land from fire, is to cover the soil and keep moisture in the ground. Having a little knowledge will enable me to do what I do best, which is to ask good questions and apply my own creative process to evolve something unique. I am looking forward to this, which is precisely the inspiration I need to continue my search for the land that will become my own piece of paradise.

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