Infinity - this is what I feel while looking at the carpet of succulent plants, with pink and violet flowers, covering the tough soil of the cliff. A few seagulls rhythmically cut the blue sky. Bees are buzzing while sitting on petals, finding food even in such an inconvenient environment. Always a few meters behind us, the street dog following our steps. An abandoned summer “problem” who needs a bath as much as food and some kindness.
The raw nature on Cabo de São Vicente (The Cape of Saint Vincent) is soothing but also intensifies senses and feelings that we are just a little part of the enormous universe.
We are getting to the edge of land, to the most southern point of Portugal. A white lighthouse crowned with red copula is just a small part of the whole complex of a former fortress. Situated on the extension of land into the sea, surrounded on three sides by water, it protected sailors from hitting the steep walls of the cliffs.
The rhythm of the waves hitting the rocks is surprisingly calming. Standing on the windy rock, 75 meters above the level of the ocean makes me feel small but not meaningless. I become a part of their beauty, an ingredient of their power.
In medieval times, this place was the end of the known world. Standing on the tip of the cliffs now, when travelling is not possible as it was before, makes me feel that this spot is the furthest I can go at this moment. During the Roman Empire, this place was called Promontorium Sacrum - Sacred Cape. It was the very last place on land where people could see the sun spilling its colours on the surface of the ocean.
Cabo de São Vicente stopped being the edge of the Earth when Infante Dom Henrique, son of Filipa de Lencastre and João I, started a new era in the history of humanity. The period called by some as the epoch of Geographical Discoveries, was for millions the beginning of the ages of colonisation and slavery.
After a long while, we are heading to Sagres, the town situated 7 kilometres from Cabo de São Vicente, which is surrounded by attractive spots such as Loulé, Tavira, Lagos or Faro. Because of that, it is a good place to stay for longer, calm vacations. This town, in comparison to other Algarvian coastal cities, kept its uniqueness and idyllic vibes. Instead of being a fully commercialized touristic resort, Sagres has a laid-back atmosphere which coexists perfectly with beautiful nature. That is why it is an ideal destination for people who appreciate a slow life and practice shinrin-yoku.
In the centre of Sagres, a quite long, flat building stretches its arms on the end of a big cliff. Fortaleza of Sagres is unusual - it has only frontal walls. High cliffs and the warning roar of the ocean protect it on the three other sides.
Through the years, this place was considered as a location of meetings for the Escola de Sagres, the School of Sagres. In this place, you could hear people speaking in different languages. See the Jews, Muslims and Christians peacefully discussing new discoveries and sailing techniques. There was no difference between scientists and sailors as they were working arm in arm to create maps and the most efficient plans for new escapades.
Even though the idea of the school created in 1418 by Henry the Navigator seems very interesting, for many researchers it is just a legend. They believe that the Portuguese learned how to sail while already on the ships. The multicultural schools seem to be just a picturesque and romantic vision of Portuguese myth.
It's hard to overlook the sandy beach right at the bottom of the cliff that we are standing on. Shining, transparent water slowly drifts into the golden sand. It is a perfect place to immerse yourself into sounds: the distinctive sing of seagulls, waves hitting the shore, the wind blowing between raw rocks.
I look at the line of the horizon, never a perfectly straight line. With its little curve that cannot be mistaken for anything else. I remind myself of all my friends that I met on my way to this place. Not to Sagres, but to this point in my life. And, together with the waves, I send them my thoughts, full of gratitude that they are a part of this world, an ingredient of the same universe. And I hope that soon there will be a time when we can meet - in a better world, where all of the “summer's problems” are solved better, with kindness and respect.
