22.11.15 - Bueu

When a racing driver becomes a scubadiver!

19.7.15 - Cíes Islands

I have written and re-written this chronic over and over.
I've used proverbs and thought it was against all rules of good taste and common sense.
I've done the pin and wrote one thousand lines without leaving any I liked particularly.
July and there was no sun; with the raindrops threatening to fall.
The visibility was not the best: I dare I say it was the worst dive of my life; but the sample is so so small that only serves to joke. Nevertheless I saw bright algae, sea stars and cucumbers, cuttlefish, sea bream, two mullets, parrotfish; a small octopus dropped his ink when I tried to play with it.
Like the dip at Relaxe, I had no problems on ears compensation, which left me very satisfied.
And then, in the end, there is everything what diving worth, even when conditions aren`t the best: friendship.
Thanks Roças, Sandra, Sara, Paulo, Carlos, Simão, Pedro, Ricardo, Angelica, Teles.
At the end of August we returned to dive together; you`ll have stories from the Red Sea and I`ll have from the Great Barrier Reef. Stories that make the history of the CCD.

Diving: the last adventure border

27.6.15 - Cíes Islands

As everyone knows, I faced 2015 as a year of adventure: the premiere on classical motorbike Portuguese Championship, the Snowtrip by Switzerland, Austria and Spain, the bike trip that took me from Hamburg to Helsingborg or car journey from Memmingen to Budapest through Lubdjana, Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich; or the amazing trip that is coming up to Singapore and Australia.
When the tour of Australia was definitely scheduled, Cairns was obligatory passage point and therefore had to have diving.
Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan images come to my mind or Bill Murray and Seu Jorge, caricaturing the life of the French. Or James Bond, dry suit, to be able to with dive smoking; or, much better, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Ursula Andress or Carole Bouquet.
So, under the command of Master Roças and the rest of the CCD Porto gang, I started working at Senhora da Hora pool until finally went to the sea.
The location for the first dive were the Cíes Islands, a nature reserve in front of Vigo, known as the Caribbean.
An hour and a bit from Porto, joining him 15 minutes by boat, found the paradise where I fell down to the sea for the first time with a bottle on my back.
After the initial tension and the fact that I couldn`t compensate ears with the speed and dexterity that I liked, paradise opened. How wonderful!
I did two dives with clear water, translucent, full visibility. I saw octopuses, cuttlefish, mullet, sea stars, golden little fish and other hovering around 4 kilos. Beautiful! So much life, so much color transmitted by fish, algae and shells.
At some point I knelt on the sea floor looking up. Peaceful, assets, illuminated by the sun, I saw what seemed to be a race bream, such was the speed at which passed over me. It looked like it had plunged into a tank.
With a smile on my face, returned to Vigo, in the stern of the boat. Still smile at the thought of experience.
Thanks Roças, Sandra, Sara, Paul, Rui, Martinha, Carlos, Luis for being my dive buddies this first experience.
Sandra, without you had we haven´t photos to the blog; a very special thank you and hope to have you at Berlenga.

Time to plan

It's Friday and I´m leaving Loba office.
A few days ago I returned from tour in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and barely made it, I felt like packing up and leaving for another adventure.
Yes, I know that may not be so, no time or money for everything but if I could ...
With everything set up for August: Singapore, Australia and a few days in Switzerland, we must consider what to do before and after.
At weekend I`ll see maps, analyze hostels, airline and motorcycle rental prices.
I`ll brood, or consider to be more correct for, in principle, take the wisest decision.
On discussion are two ways: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, on motorbike, alone. Jumping cities, knowing what we have to know in a breakneck pace.
Or part of  Camiño de Santiago, Via del Plata. Several days walking by Spain, knowing who passes thought in life, the way forward in Camiño. Here in group. But what group?
If it were you, what would you prefer?

4.4.15 - Rubiães | Fontoura | Valença | Tui

Saturday Easter with sun and heat, the old desire to walk by Caminho de Santiago and a group of friends - one that even I was born! - that is to doing it on stages. These were the ingredients that led me to accompany them. The formula was simple: start at the hostel of Rubiães and walk to Tui, in Spain.
The beginning of the trail was extremely beautiful and peaceful by the Coura river small waterfalls,  Roman bridge, seeing workers in the field, sheep grazing. The more bucolic than Alto Minho can offer and that we can enjoy. Despite the inclination to São Bento da Porta Aberta, breathing the calm of the mountain, walks very well.
From São Bento is about 15 km down to Minho river, with Tui in sight. The landscape is changing and the miles pass.
In front of the chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos, in Fontoura, we found a small restaurant with free wifi and crowded with pilgrims. People frm Spain, Ireland, Germany and Sweden, which joined us in a tasting of beer, nails and roast smoked sausage. All teachers or consultants - as in "my group" - we talked about travelling the world and live the true spirit of it: an inner reflection but also with the spirit of sharing and fellowship very much present, allowing us to meet people from all the world, with the most diverse experiences.
From Fontoura to Valenç



a, at one o'clock, with a marvelous sunbathing and talking about cinema. In the fortress awaited us a "mini" because, after crossing the bridge, is just "cañas".
The Valença fortress has moved characteristic of a street-trading city, and where pilgrims are distracted between the windows and the search for the path of arrows. From the top of the wall we see the Minho river and Tui Cathedral, the goal.
However, before that, we have to cross the iron bridge that links the two sides and make it seem like Portugal continues to Finisterre. For me, I confess, a special milestone: the work of engineering, for its beauty and its meaning.
Up Minho river to the cathedral door was the last part of step that led us "to Spain on foot." More than 20 kilometers of living, knowledge of current stories and other times.
To my traveling companions, desire a good way to Santiago. One day I will also do.

7.2.15 - Manzaneda

Life isn`t only St. Moritz and Lech - at least mine! - and I was pleased that, to remember the old days, I went to Manzaneda.
I opening a Nordica boots, green cabbage metallized, and I was excited!
Just a little over two hours away from Porto found a friendly resort for those who want a day of skiing. The accessibility is good, the difficulty is minimal and the atmosphere is familiar; inviting picnic.

There was lots of people and resources are reduced. As soon as we arrived, we purchased the skipass  and hve lunch. It would be noon and the bocadillo of jamon and caña learned for life.
Recomposed the stomach, until five in the afternoon, was a ski festival! Dropped a snowfall during the week and the snow was very good. We went up and down several times the mountain, exploring off-piste through the trees, walked quickly and slowly went to the snowpark.
Despite the little difficulty of the tracks, I felt three times and each of the three were "falls to the world championship." But guilt was not the boots, indeed!
The access to the car was for a track off that crossed a stream and reached the road. I could go down from a little way of snow, avoiding walk several hundred meters.
Since there is no aprés-ski, we stopped in a village to eat another Galician sandwiches before we drive to Porto.