Sem Dias Maus

Ola to All,

Cathy and I are long past due for an update – plus it’s getting towards the end of the year when catching up with friends just feels good.

2021 was one of the most intense years that we’ve had in a long time – and for those of you who know our past, that say’s a lot.

As the year began, I would have guessed that moving to Portugal was going to be the lead story, but as fate would have it, our daughter won that title.  Willow was diagnosed with cancer at the end of February, underwent surgery and endured the subsequent cancer treatments from March until the end of May, suffered some truly bizarre and life-threatening side-effects of said treatments, and somehow managed to not only stay positive throughout the entire process, but to devote her extra time and energy to helping others who are going through similar experiences.  It’s nice to be humbled by the deeds of our children, and not to slight our daughter, Bree, who, as an educator, also works daily to change lives for the better.

For sure one of the best parts of living in Portugal has been showing off some of our favorite sites to friends who have come to visit and sharing our home and stories to all of the cyclists that pass by and stay for a night or two.

Back to the “fate” thing – perhaps the biggest upside to this year was the lesson of “letting go.”  Hell, maybe that’s been the upside and the lesson of Covid as well – you can plan all you want, just don’t get too attached to your plans.  

Regardless, when we first arrived in Portugal we had some fun plans, fate intervened, we went with the flow, and ended up living in Peniche, not someplace we’d ever considered moving to in our original thoughts, but now a place we can’t imagine leaving.  We passed through this town in 1998, the first time we biked through Portugal, and my journal entry reads, “industrial fishing port, canneries and all of the associated odors, nice campground and a fun beach but not much else happening.”  I have to laugh at how perspectives change.  Rightly so, back then I needed to live someplace where there was “more happening”, now, I’m very happy to live someplace where “not much else is happening.”  I wake up to the seagulls chatting, go to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing, and fill the time in between peaceful bike rides, beach walks, cliff scrambles, shopping at the mercado and trying to learn Portuguese (not as easy as Spanish for sure!). 

In the hopes that there are no more major speed bumps on the horizon (such optimists we are), Cathy and I are planning a three-month(ish) bike tour next summer (not too attached to those plans 🙂 – June through August, which means our surf-pad is going to be available during high season should anyone be interested.

Hoping you all have happy holidays, and a wonderful 2022.

Here’s to hoping for a Covid-free year!

CnC