November 6 & 7, 2024
We awoke to a decent day but as we looked at the U.S. election results we felt totally deflated….
I consider myself to be a relatively liberal conservative on policy issues, by Canadian standards, however, I do not vote slavishly for one party or the other. Obviously, by U.S. standards I would be a moderate to left Democrat. However, to me, this is NOT the point. I was raised to respect the character of a leader, be it my football captain or the leader of my country. I am not naive and know full well that people, leaders included have failings (including our current Prime Minister). We have tried to instill this sense in our children …
What characteristics does a leader exhibit?
From the Ivey Business Journal (and I am sure you can find many other good definitions), “Leaders of good character have integrity, courage and compassion. They are careful and prudent. Humble in their awareness of their own limitations, they seek out the knowledge and counsel of others. They constantly learn and others want to learn from them. Their decisions and actions inspire employees to think and act in a way that not only improves the bottom line, but that contributes to the well-being of the organization and society”.
By any definition, Donald J. Trump is a fraud, rapist, racist, liar, bigger liar, maybe the biggest liar of all time and wants to emulate Putin, Xi postulating his admiration for authoritarianism. My parents fought against a Fascist and yet here we are facing a duly elected Dictator. The “Maga-ists ” (they are hardly Republicans, those folks are long gone from the political arena) have drunk the kool-aid and believe this liar will somehow make their lot better, bon chance >>> they have however demonstrated that they are MORALLY BANKRUPT.
The USA is not my country but it has a dominant role in the world and as Canadians, we will be directly impacted. We need to hope and pray that our government will have the capacity to somehow cope with the menace on our southern border. Just think of Immigration …we are already at maximum capacity with our health, housing and other resources seriously strained. Yet if Trump acts on the mass deportation program outlined in Project 2025 and he has “promised” to do so, it is not unlikely that we may see a flood at our borders… There will be many other repercussions on so many levels and those “Maga-ists” will in time see how great this fraudster will make America! We will see whether he will ensure his place in this unholy pantheon of dictators like Stalin, Pinochet, Mussolini, Mao Zedong etc.
ØØØØØ
On a lighter note, we drove to Lagos a 50-minute drive from the condo and then a few kilometres south to the Ponta de Piedade trailhead. Interestingly we have found that most parking lots and park entry are free as opposed to Italy where that was the exception rather than the rule. The name of this headland Ponto de Piedade (Point of Mercy) is believed to have originated from the religious significance of the area. The cliffs were once a popular spot for pilgrimage, with many people visiting the site to pray for good fortune and safety at sea. In any event, it is a major tourist attraction, which we found to be justified. For those who love sculpted rock formations, they are all here: dramatic limestone formations and grottoes sculpted by the sea over the eons, impressive sea stacks, arches, and tunnels. This is a low-stress visit as you can take as much time as you want, walking this roughly 3 km route while enjoying the many viewpoints and several accessible beaches…
Camilo Beach is reached by descending a wooden staircase to a lovely sandy beach where a nearby tunnel through a cliff leads to a second beach…well worth the effort:
Camilo Beach staircase
Camilo Beach
Tunnel to 2nd Beach
Several viewpoints before reaching a long vertical staircase of some 182 steps (no I wasn’t counting) from the cliffs to sea level…it really gives one a close and personal sense of the power of the sea …and today the waves apparently were not that intense…
Staircase to the sea…
Sea level
Here are a few more images of the shoreline, this time from above…this is where I wish I had a drone!
There is also a lighthouse at the tip of the headland …however, it is cordoned off so there is no chance of pics from the top:
A few more shots of the amazing rock formations and we are done….time to head to nearby Lagos for a quick look at this town…
Cormorants roosting
Lagos has a long history linking it to the sea. Its original name, Lacobriga, reflects the fact that the first inhabitants of this port, in roughly 2000 years BC, were of Celtic origin. After them came the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, but it was the Romans that brought growth and prosperity to the town. Today the town is focused on tourism but the Centro Historica retains a level of charm….we are visiting off-season so I am certain once the bus hordes descend it will feel less appealing. The Old Town is surrounded by a wall and castle as well as the Ponta da Bandeirahe Fort located at the point where the Bensafrum River meets the Atlantic Ocean. This position was of great strategic importance, being close to the walls of the city but with easy access to the sea…
Outlet of the Bensafrum River
Ponta da Bandeirahe Fort
Ponta da Bandeirahe Fort
We bought sandwiches and sat on a bench on the square outside the Church of Santa Maria de Lagos warmed by the sun enjoying the goings on around us…
Church of Santa Maria de Lagos
Church of Santa Maria de Lagos
Church of Santa Maria de Lagos
After wandering around the Old Town we felt we should return as it seemed a bit more to our liking than Albufeira…it also has a wonderful beach and boardwalks which we did not have a chance to explore, so another reason for a return visit…then homeward bound.
Lagos Old Town
Lagos Old Town
Bridge across the Bensafrum River
Have always enjoyed your travels. Keep Bob on your list.
Condolences to you and your family…..I see your e-mail here and will most certainly add you on subsequent posts…
Thanks for your thoughtful words about the absolutely depressing, disturbing and devastating situation that had unfolded in the USA 😔.
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Thankfully you and Annie found some sunshine to lift your spirits ☀️😊.
It is disturbing but it is real and there will be repercussions worldwide, some perhaps positive many not so much. Enjoy your travels…
By now you will know of the bizarre selection of characters DJT wants to appoint to his”cabinet”. CNBC has suggested that they may be stalking horses for the appointment of other “adults”, don’t bet on it! Some strange facts DJT actually got a million fewer votes than he got in 2020, he also won Dearborn Mich which has the most muslim voters than anywhere else! We will be living in “interesting times” for 4 years, pity the Palestinians, Ukrainians and any ethnic minority persons living in the US!
There is a revolution coming and we will be witnessing it live …stay well!
Thanks Mark for your thoughts on the disaster that is unfolding before our eyes.
Really enjoyed your travelogue too as it reminded me of our trip to Albufeira. Would love to return one day.
Enjoy your travels.
Appreciate your comments …well if they are so stupid not to see what they are getting into then so be it….TBD