PORTUGAL:


Long coat with “feet” made by hand from traditional blanket in Portugal

When I first went to Portugal for two months, I wrote my feelings about this place down and distributed it to all the portuguese that helped me have a wonderful time in their country (the Algarve)
Why I feel HOME in PORTUGAL (ALGARVE). ( winter 2003-4)
Introduction:
I am a woman of over 50 travelling alone with my own van in need of the use of a wheelchair. I know that not many people in my situation travel around on their own but I also know that many different cultures react differently to the needs of their tourists and/or invalids. In SPAIN I got overwhelmed with “help” from bored people as much tourists as locals, which led to indiscretion, taking over my life and taking away my privacy. So I decided to spend the winter in PORTUGAL instead. One of my best friends insisted that this would be the ideal country to try out such a pioneering travel.
I come from a tiny country called BELGIUM, I am ”flemish” (in Belgium there are 3 official languages, french, german and the largest group flemish); a language that no one speaks, that is “the same” as dutch (from Holland) but sounds uncomparably different. A language that few people bother to learn because it is so difficult to pronounce, and an area submerged by tourists due to their large coastline, and foreign investments with their central european position..... a bit like the ALGARVE,no?
From the moment one passes the border, coming from SPAIN entering PORTUGAL along the highway, one notices the difference: a large variety of trees, plants and here and there a lovely house with elegant gardens, less glittering commercials along the road, few petrol stations (but many sign boards “watch your fuel” )
After trying to camp in SAGRES I almost froze and wrote “the ten commandments for campers” , then I went to stay Hotel NAVIGATOR in SAGRES, with sleepy bored receptionists and ridiculous phonebills, a girl in LAGOS said “Ma’am, someone like you should not stay there, these are not portuguese people”
Then, in the YOUTH HOSTEL in LAGOS, - in the middle of the old town full of lovely houses, sculptures, fountains and pavements – with amicable helpfull personnel – the pavement having been lowered by the townpeople within one week after my arrival - the “cobble” streets full of challenging hills, which attracts lots of eyes and brings about scary hilarious events – everywhere sea vieuws, lighthouses, and, very important, a little bar next door for a good coffee, a chat, a soft sandwich, fags and phonecards (= sounds like the center of the universe) – I feel home.
My arrival in this YOUTH HOSTEL “for peace and understanding between all cultures” gave me a chance to communicate with the way of life of the portuguese, their attitude in making agreemants, their vieuws about economics, their attitude towards invalids and, every day I am charmed by their style, their taste, their highly evolved ethics and general friendly way of being. I see little competition and lots of solidarity.
youth hostel for peace and understanding.....

Somewhere in some historical tales they say that the portuguese language has been developed as a secret language to make sure that the spanish would not understand them. The more I learn their “dzje”, “che”, “ske”, “chje” and other strange ways of saying things the more I believe this tale. It’s amazing how portuguese has a likeness with spanish but the spanish do not understand them. “Portuguese understand spanish but pretend not to” said an OAT (old age traveller) whom spends every winter on a camping in Sagres - don’t know whether he has the “right corner of observation”.
“Portugal used to be the richest land in Europe, even the world” says a young bright fellow, “now we are the poorest in Europe”. “Our famous peaceful revolution has made us economically weak and even more depending on the solidarity of our
There is little racisme. “Le Pen got so many tomatoes and eggs thrown at him on arrival at the airport in Lisboa that he did not have the guts to leave the plane” says my guide. A large percentage of people are of mixed race. The old portuguese villager having a chat with a young black african at the local pub is common (have not seen much of that yet in our Belgium).
One of the reasons why I feel so easy in Portugal (and not, for example in Spain), is because the portuguese have a similar attitude as the good old, almost vanished, english gentlemen. Polite, distant and discretely helpfull. They do not impose their help, they offer it, “just in case”. It is awful having to defend yourself against help. “A damaged back does not include necessarely a damaged brain” is something I often think but dare not say, to the obtrusive “social workers” of all countries where I went in this wheelchair, drawing unwanted attention.
It is easy to be here thanks to the beauty, kindness and easy going nature of the portuguese much reflected in these YOUTH HOSTALS in LAGOS and PORTIMÂO. They seem to have understood my situation and “let me be” even if they find it a bit strange. The last month I lived in the van, parked in front of the hostal connected on electricity and use a bathroom for 4 euros a day, healthy wealthy breakfast included. It is so comforting to live “under their umbrella” on my first trip alone with a wheelchair without reservations........

PRACTICAL
* POSADA de JUVENTUD LAOS and PORTIMAO
The two wheelchairfriendly YOUTH HOSTELS in ALGARVE where I stayed, where the manager and his team of receptionists did everything necessary to make my stay comfortable and affordable.

* LAGOS (ALGARVE) where there is a large open space with terraces, banks, postoffice, and some shops are wheelchairfriendly
Where you will always have parking space for wheelchairusers near the busstation with easy access to the centre of LAGOS

* CAMPING LUZ at maximum 2 km from LAGOS where you get the key to the accessible bathroom and can have all meals daily at the accessible bar and basic shopping. (In 2004 : 11 euro per day electricity included)

* Organisation looking for wheelchairfriendly accomodation in the ALGARVE, mostly for short holidays at “normal” touristprices.

David Player Wheeling Around The Algarve
Rua Casa do Povo 1 Apartado 3421
8135-905 Almancil Algarve - Portugal
Tel: 00 351 289 393636
Fax: 00 351 289 397448
Websites: www.player.pt www.totalaccessproperties.com