Talking Location With author Louise Ross – PORTUGAL

20th May 2021

#TalkingLocationWith…  Louise Ross, author of Women who Walk and The Winding Road to Portugal – Lisbon, Cascais & Sintra Portugal

In 2014 I moved to Portugal from the U.S., having visited this western most European country half a dozen times during the two years prior. In 2012, Lisbon appeared to be suffering from the global financial crisis and the austerity measures imposed by Troika. Magnificent old buildings were boarded up, roads were in disrepair and much of the city was in need of maintenance. Portugal’s glory days as the wealthy, colonizing European capital were long gone. Lisbon had an air of a crumbling Havana. Nevertheless, it’s beauty was, and still is, very apparent!

Along the linha – the coastal train line running between Lisbon and the seaside village of Cascais – it’s a different scene of surf beaches and a laid-back beach culture enveloped by a salty, Atlantic sea breeze and sea-weedy smells. All of which reminded me of long, lazy days at my parent’s summer beach house in Australia, where I grew up.

Largo do Intendente: Viúva Lamego Ceramics Factory is one of the more spectacular examples of a façade lined with traditional Portuguese

During the summer season the linha beaches are a vibrant scene of sun worshippers from all corners of the world who, over the past 7 years (pre-Covid), have begun flocking to Portugal. News that it’s The European destination circulated the globe via a savvy Portuguese social media campaign showcasing all that’s on offer: sun, surf, delicious rustic food, world-class wine, gentle pace of life, friendly English-speaking locals, beautiful inland countryside, affordable …the list goes on.

Praia da Conceição, Cascais: Within a 5-minute walk from Cascais train station there are a number of lovely swimming beaches.

And with tourism, Portugal’s economy is on the move. Restoration of Lisbon’s streets and historic buildings means construction cranes now dot the skyline. New builds to meet the demands of foreign investment have flooded the market driving real estate prices up.

Monserrate Palace Sintra: With Mudejar Moorish influences and Neo-Gothic elements, the palace is a stunning example of Sintra Romanticism.

My new home near Cascais overlooks the Atlantic, the ocean at my doorstep. Fortuned with proximity to the beach, I quickly felt at home here. Plus, it was easy to meet other internationals on weekly hikes on trails around Sintra mountain. The fairy-tale village and UNESCO world heritage site is dotted with castles, once the holiday homes of Europe’s aristocrats. Noble families came to escape the summer heat in the cool of Sintra with it’s thick, moisture laden forests once flush with deer and other wildlife.

Bumping elbow-to-elbow in picturesque natural environs is a great way to solicit good conversation. My fellow hikers quite happily shared stories of where they were from, where they’d been, and how they came to live in Portugal. Like me, they had left their countries of origin for varied reasons.

The intriguing snippets I heard from some of the hikers, and other inspiring expatriates and immigrants I continued to meet, prompted me to request interviews with 20 women and then 20 men, exploring the age-old questions:

What compels someone to leave their country of origin, which is the story before their departure? And then what happens to them on the journey to the new place, which is the story of getting from one place to another? And what causes them to land somewhere and decide to say, if not indefinitely, then for an extended period?

Quinta da Regaleira Sintra: This Gothic palace is surrounded by luxuriant gardens and a park containing grottos and caves, lakes and fountains.

The women – from countries such as Lebanon, Scotland, France, Germany, the USA, Mozambique, Spain, Brazil and Australia—responded with stories that make up the book Women Who Walk, How 20 Women from 16 Countries Came to Live in Portugal. And the men – hailing from equally diverse cultural backgrounds, i.e. the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Angola and Ireland – make up the book The Winding Road to Portugal, 20 Men from 11 Countries Share Their Stories.

Sintra Hiking Trail: Around Sintra Mountain there are narrow roads and paths ideal for exploring small villages and the natural surrounds.

The women and men have in common multiple international moves before arriving at different times over the last 30 years either independently or with partner and or family in Portugal. Understandably, the favourable climate was a beguiling factor for some finding a home here; for others leaving behind political, economic and social upheaval was a motivating factor; and for several of the women, and a couple of the men, relocating to Portugal transpired because of their partner’s work.

If the global movements of the 40 were depicted pictorially, we’d see a tangled web of crisscrossing lines converging at the most western point of Europe. Ironically, in the 15th century it was from this point that the great Portuguese seafarers set off in their caravel to discover the world, and now the world is discovering Portugal!

Top Tips For Your Visit:

Lisbon is very easy to explore on foot, though you’ll need good walking shoes, as the pavement surfaces are uneven due to the calçada, a mosaic of cobbled stones. Built over 7 hills, wind your way through Lisbon’s main streets and alleyways where beautiful Portuguese tiles decorate the facades of buildings.

Take the train to Sintra from Rossio in the historic centre of Lisbon, grab a map of the mountain from the tourist office, and either walk, bus, tuk tuk or Uber to some or all of the castles – depending on how much time you have.

For a day at the beach, catch the Cascais train from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodre station and hop off at either Carcavelos, Estoril, or go to the end of line, which is Cascais. At any of these stops you can access lovely beaches within minutes!

Louise Ross

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