First day of our REI week-long hiking trip along the southern coast of Portugal: Lisbon to Sagres. From Sintra, we hiked 6 miles down to the village of Cascais, in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We walked through forests, along a rugged coastline with high cliffs and past long stretches of beaches.
In the afternoon we visited an austere Contemplative Capuchos or Franciscan convent. The monks believed in living in simplicity and in harmony with nature. Thinking a head of their time, I say :)
It was our first introduction to cork trees, found all over southern Portugal. The monks used cork to line walls and windows for warmth. Cork is a sustainable and renewable resource. Removing the bark from the tree does not affect the health of the tree and is done every nine years.
No comments:
Post a Comment