Portugal - December 2017

We were quick as lightning. The co-worker dropped us off at a parking and then we jumped in the van of the Polish man who drove us to a town nearby the Portugal border.

This guy was so positive and fun to be around. We made jokes all around and i learned some more Polish. I choked from the alcohol he gave me and i had to clean the van afterwards.

We arrived in Vigo on Saturday and he had to wait there the whole weekend to deliver a package at Monday. he could not deliver it in the weekend because the man he was supposed to give it to was not around.

So we stepped out and walked towards the highway. hitchhiking was the way again. I slept a little bit near the spot and Anna tried to chill also. We had all the time in the world and sometimes you forget that and you think you need to be on your way in one hour or so; When Anna let this thought go of wanting to rush, a car stopped.

he dropped us off at a spot nearby. So we were basically at the same spot but then with a different view. The police tried to scare us by telling us: "You are not allowed to hitchhike in all of Spain."

When they went, we still casually stuck our thumbs up. and there a car stopped in front of us. A tall guy with a backpack stepped out and waved at the car when it went away again.

This was Lennie. A German who had spend the last weeks hitchhiking around Spain. he walked over and greeted us.

As we talked, we still stuck our thumbs up and then a car stopped to take us all three to Portugal. Just across the border.

Lennie was a weirdo. and Anna and i love Weirdo's, so he could join us for awhile. Every time we walked around and we saw a cat, we had to wait for a second because Lennie was trying to be best friends with the cat.

When we got to the next hitchhiking spot it took only a minute for a car to stop and take us to Porto. 'Who said hitchhiking with three people was hard?'

Lennie and i were amazed at the beauty of this city. We walked around and went to this small cafe with great vegan food. Here it was were Agatha joined us. The childhood travelling friend of Anna. I observed the German hippie mother who sat on a table next to us with her baby, or better said: The baby would run around and explore and walk the stairs and do many other things and the mother would switch inbetween sitting on the chair to relax and jumping up to run after her baby to save him from a car.

Lennie saw a cat. And Anna talked Polish with Agatha to inform eachother of their stories so far and to make plans for the evening. They translated for us and the plan was simple: Anna and Agatha had this Portuguese friend who owned a farm somewhere close by, This Portuguese guy liked Anna very much when they met one year ago and she could come and go whenever she pleases. She was the one to invite Agatha and now Lennie and I were also part of the travelers who could take a rest there.

Anna wanted to show me the place and to meet the owner. he was in Morocco so that wasn't happening but we still went. We took the train 20 minutes and then we waited to get picked up. An Indian guy named Prasiand came with two girls to drive us to the farm. There was not enough place for everyone in the car so Anna and Lennie walked the ten kilometres to the farm. it was not so warm during the night but there was not another option.

So , the Farm life began.  they had two sheep and one cat. Anna wanted to be alone but that was not happening. Lenni and I got to see first hand what the ritual was of this farm.

Give the sheep and cat food, walk to the petrol station, take a coffee there, spend a few hours talking, go back to the farm, spend more time talking and relaxing, go to sleep.

I did not want anything to do with the Petrol station so i wrote in the sun and read. I think i would have gone away if Anna was not there and of course if it was not for something magical that happend.

And i mean, Magic magic. As in my fingertips caressed the fabric of beauty. As in my whole life was found in that moment of observation.

A girl came by. A friend of the farm had met these two Polish girls in Porto and invited and brought them to the farm.  There names were Oela and Ola. Two girls who were like sisters to each other and had spend travelling all over Portugal for the past two weeks.

I saw Ola first, in the morning. Lenni told me that two girls had entered the farm when i was asleep that previous night. ( I went to bed quite early every day.)

Her blond hair was tide in a ponytail and her facial expression was not the one of a bursting energy so i did not say hello then. Later on i met Oela on the petrol station. A very bright, energetic girl.

Then Ola came and i introduced myself. She even excused herself from not saying hello to me in the morning. Ola was the one who captivated my eye, and i could tell that the storyteller inside of me had found her newest story.

The next girl, being born in the forest of untold wisdom was located. And my ears wanted to capture every word she gave away from her lips. She was playful, but down to earth: knowing that the secrets of life were surrounding the silence.

The first night, Ola and me found each other sitting across from each other with no one around in the farm and she began to speak. Speak like i have not heard anyone speak. She spoke like the stories ans words that came out of her were just words and stories that were being brought up because she respected them. Not because she wanted to explain anything. And i had my hands under my head and i listened. "I love stories." She said. "well, i am a storyteller."
"Tell me a story."

And i told her the story about Elise and Hirma and later on stories from my own life and she had her hands beneath her head and listened.

A fire was crackling outside and she wanted to go sit with the others.

I heard her speak and i saw how Agatha was captured in her beauty and could not get out anymore. And then i said something what wondered me.

"You remind me of a good friend i have, Stacjek. i met him in the Dessert. Your accent is the same. ( they are also both Polish so that helps)

"Stacjek?" she said
"Where does he live?"

Before my eyes could know what happened the magic was revealed. Stacjek and Ola knew each other. and not only that. they were good friends when they grew up in Wroclaw and as Ola said:

"Yes, first i bought weed from him and then he bought weed from me."
"I had risen fast." She said this with her beautiful reassuring smile.

The perfectness of live was laid bare for me and it was my job to take the fact in as if it was normal.

How could you possible think that i saw Stajcek in France at complete random, somewhere in a little village, living in a castle and not even a week after i meet Ola in Portugal, somewhere in a little village, living in a farm.

But i had to take it easy,

"May i kiss your cheek?" That was what i said on the two mornings that still remained.
And she would jump quickly after a second of thought, to me with her cheek ready and i would kiss it.

Ola went to Poland with Oela to Study music. She could play the violin, the sax, the piano and she wanted to learn how to sing Opera and to be close to her family after five years on the road.

Oela gave me a braid in my hair and i felt that she had some strong roots of her own. She was very feminine and had a good feeling.

It was Agatha's birthday Saturday but we celebrated it all week. We drank wine all day and i bought Ice cream all day with Lenni.

Anna woke up and saw Cestmir sitting there with Wine in his hand and knew she had to send him away. The Birthday was filled with very, very, very good food and lots of wine.

After the birthday it was time to go
i went to Jo, the friend i made two years ago in Lisbon.

He moved to Costa de Caparica which was a very chill village. He still did some crazy things but not every week.   We talked about some stuff and i stayed there for a few days and then Anna came with Lenni. because i needed Anna to meet with Jo and Lenni was joining the ride.

It was a bad idea to bring Lenni to Costa. He had nothing to do there, he needed to go to Morocco because that was his plan. And to make matters worse.... or more fun..... he was in  love with Anna.

It was on the beach that i told him that i was sorry for neglecting him. but he was a trespasser in our story. he needed to go walk his own and it was a mistake i made to invite him.

He thanked me so much for being honest and he felt the exact same. So that night us three went to the boat to Lisboa to wave him goodbye, Jo had these bottles of wine from 1899, which tasted like liquor and there we had our talk. I got emotional and talked about the true love that was somewhere out there. Anna went away after a while and Lenni followed her to tell her that he loved her. He saw her pissing instead. He laughed so hard when he got back to me, understanding the metaphor that was given to him. But then they talked and Anna was not in love with him and so on.

The next day i could feel that the magic was around. It did not touch me but my two companions. Anna and Jo had the time to come together and they became the most magical duo that i could ever witness.

Both were painters and Anna needed  a rolemodel. a painter friend who walked the lifestyle she wanted to walk. She found it in Jo and i was the happiest man alive. And Jo needed a apprentice. Anna came to be that one. And i hope that they will share much and more with each other.

I could see them in the kitchen talking to each other and i could only smile like a baby for seeing these minds and energies collide.  I have to be honest here, they had energies and i had no idea how to handle it sometimes. I could see that they knew.

So i left them together and went to France and Belgium and the Netherlands to Join my footsteps.