DOURO INTERNACIONAL - WILD PORTUGAL TO DISCOVER

Hi everyone!

Here I am , FINALLY, with some pictures of a place that filled my soul with hope, dreams and love for the lost Portugal, abandoned by so many people, but where some wild souls still keep it alive, with their energy and good work. During 5 days I went to the interior of Portugal, to the Douro Valley, on the Northeastern border with Spain. There, at the Douro International Park, you can find populations of a large number of raptor species. I had a GREAT time! I met great wonderful people, from all over the country, with this same passion for wildlife and for the forgotten places of our country. To all of these people I say thank you, for your company and good laughs. I want to send a special THANK YOU to the Douro people: Ricardo, António, Jorge, Zé, Bárbara, Telmo e Filipa, and all the others. Thank you for the wonderful time you showed us, for great conversations, amazing moments of peace, reflexion and laughter, for giving us a place to stay, and for sharing your wonderful world with us.

Rapor ID and Conservation Course
(organized by Associação ALDEIA - www.aldeia.org)
Fotos by Marta Santos and Luis Violante

1. LANDSCAPES OF THE DOURO INTERNATIONAL / PAISAGENS DO DOURO INTERNACIONAL

When you look at these cliffs of the Douro region, you see the ages pass by and you realize how beautiful our country still is. Scattered among what seems to be a desert, you still see the trees that man planted, nurtured and still uses in his daily life, olive trees, grape vines, oak trees. This place is still alive, because of its wildlife, but also because of its people, that have been here for centuries. They have changed the landscape and everything else has ever since adapted to those changes. It is a fragile balance this one. So, with people abandoning their land and ancient way of living, moving to cities, not only do we loose this balance, we also loose all their wisdom, their knowledge in crafts, in the use of plants and land, their old ways and time colored stories.

Quando olhas estas escarpas do Douro, vês as eras passarem por ti e percebes como ainda há beleza no nosso país. Espalhadas neste aparente deserto, vês as árvores que o homem plantou, cuidou e ainda utiliza no seu dia-a-dia, oliveiras, vinhas, carvalhos. Esta terra ainda está viva, pela sua fauna selvagem, mas também pelas suas gentes, que aqui estiveram por muitos séculos. Eles alteraram a paisagem e tudo o resto se adaptou desde então a essas alterações. Contudo é um equilíbrio frágil este. Assim, com o abandono das terras e desta antiga forma de viver, com a migração destas gentes para as cidades, não só perdemos este equilíbrio, também perdemos toda a sua sabedoria, o seu conhecimento sobre artes, sobre o uso de plantas e da terra, as suas maneiras antigas e as suas histórias da cor do tempo.

2. SABOR RIVER / RIO SABOR

Without the construction of the Sabor dam, there are still places like this one to freshen body and spirit, and dream of better days for the environmental politics in our country.

Sem a construção da barragem do Sabor, ainda há sítios como este para refrescar o corpo e o espírito e sonhar com dias melhores para a política ambiental no nosso país.

3. PURE SOUL, GREEN SOUL / ALMA PURA, ALMA VERDE

Here are some of the faces of the people that went through this course, people with a lot of life, with whom I spent some of the greatest days of my life! Thank you guys!

Aqui ficam algumas das caras de quem fez o curso, gente com vida, cheia de garra, com quem passei dos melhores dias da minha vida! Obrigada pessoal!

4. ADVENTURE WITH THE DONKEYS / AVENTURAS COM OS BURROS

These amazing creatures are almost facing extinction because of the migration of all the people of the interior to the big cities, in the search for better lifes and jobs. The donkeys of Trás-os-Montes are now back, thanks to an association that organizes activities using these lovely animals. You can visit their webpage at (www.aepga.pt)!

Estas criaturas fantásticas estão quase extintas devido à migração da população do interior para as grandes cidades, em busca de vidas melhores e trabalho, e devido à maquinização da agricultura. Os burros mirandeses estão agora de volta, graças a uma associação que organiza actividades utilizando estes animais maravilhosos, mas caprichosos...
Visitem a AEPGA em www.aepga.pt!

5. HAWK WATCHING / OBSERVAÇÃO DE RAPINAS

Finally, I leave you some few but good pictures of the raptors of the Douro, the first purpose of my visit to the Douro. The visit ended up being so much more than that and I can't wait to go back there again, for one more day of observations, sharing, conversations, hapinness, and more than anything passion ofr our lands. Come with me!

Para terminar deixo-vos poucas, mas boas imagens das aves de rapina, o principal motivo da minha visita ao Douro. A visita acabou por ser tão mais do que isso e não vejo a hora de voltar àquelas arribas, para mais um dia de observação, convívio, alegria, e sobretudo paixão pelas nossas terras. Venham daí comigo!

Thank you to the authors of these wonderful pictures Marta Santos and Luis Violante!