Yesterday was one of my favorite days on the trip. I really didn't know what to expect of Portugal's southwest corner because Clint had researched this portion of our adventure. Do you ever do so much research for a trip that you already know what the main areas look like and know your way around town before you arrive?! Sometimes it feels that way!
We decided to rent bikes for a family ride out to the end of the world—Europe's lower-left corner in Sagres, Portugal. Not only was the dramatic scenery jaw-dropping, but there was a perfect bike path to enjoy it from. The weather was warm and the little surf town was a gem. We saw more surfers in the ocean from the cliffside than we saw in the last two towns this week—no joke! You can imagine how stoked Clint was to see their camper vans—hashtag vanlife!! The chill SoCal vibe made for a great spot to have lunch before our ride home.
For thousands of years, it was believed that Sagres was the end of the world. The earth dropped off just beyond the horizon.
The cliffs rise 200ft above the sea
On our way back, Kate spotted a 28-inch long sea turtle that had washed up to shore. We were amazed to see this beautiful creature up close but saddened by its passing. Most sea turtles die from fishing nets though we are not sure what happened to this big guy. We said a little prayer for him and Clint reported him to wildlife rescue.
At sunset, Austin and I had some super-fun mother-son bonding. We traded in our road bikes for a BMX bike and had a blast riding the pump track at our resort. I think we found our new favorite hobby!! Maybe we will turn our backyard into a pump track when we return!!!
FUN FACT Temperature determines the sex of the turtle. Warmer nests produce female hatchlings and cooler nests produce males. NOT-SO-FUN FACT Increasing temperatures due to climate change is disturbing the natural gender ratio making it possible that the population of sea turtles could be completely female in the future.
