Tranquility

We've made it back to our Land - just as the sun was setting. It's looking very neglected, but the electricity and water are both working, and the trees we planted are still alive, though not exactly flourishing. 

When I saw we were passing the Serra da Estrela, Portugal's highest mountains, on the way back, just had to go in and have a look. We followed a stunning U-shaped glacial valley up to its head, where there's this magical place at 1420m (Ben Nevis is 1345m) - a peaceful stream, lined with silver birches, which is the source of the Zêzere River; it's called Covão D' Ametade. 

It's strange doing tourism in these times. On the one hand, places are pretty deserted; on the other, a lot of things are closed. And you have to wear your mask wherever there are other people - mine is very hot, hoping I can find a cooler one. And not easy to have conversations with folk.

Gratefuls:
- that we've made it home and it's not wrecked - we weren't planning on leaving it for over three months when we left!
- all the beauty we saw today
- a huge banner with a detail from one of my favourite paintings, Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt, in the cathedral in Guarda