Touristification

As we heard in the talks last week, this area is rapidly becoming a tourist destination, and some of the changes are not so good. As foreigners, I don't feel qualified to comment, really, and aware that more tourists means more jobs for the locals, maybe even bringing some of the young people back to the region.

Today we launched the kayak from the old ancouradouro (a jetty, which isn't there anymore) at Monsaraz. Walked round a typical abandoned monte (farmhouse), but also paddled past another that we've explored in the past, looking very different now (see extra, and link below); will probably be a holiday home. Certainly bears little resemblance to local architecture.

Gratefuls:
- getting out on the water again, and a good swim out to an island, from the first place (note original monte) we ever swam here
- a cool house to shelter in for most of the day afterwards (41C max today, even hotter tomorrow, help!)
- Eden and Julia looking a lot better today