wellness around the world: the european edition / PORTUGAL

[welcome to the final installment (part 6) of my 6-part mini-series, wellness around the world: the european edition. as my family and i traveled through six countries in europe, i shared wellness habits from each. previous posts in the series: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5. today’s spotlight is on portugal.]
 
 

 
 
my family and i are at the end of our fabulous, but hectic, journey through europe.
i’ve slept in a total of fourteen different beds over the last five and a half weeks.
we’ve packed and unpacked, packed and upacked, packed and unpacked.
 
although my body is fatigued, my mind and heart remain full.
i will be processing this experience for a long while to come.
 
four weeks in, we adjusted our itinerary in order to spend more time in italy.
then ran out of time for a few scheduled locations on our list.
(including the lower mediterranean coast of spain that we had wished to explore.)
 
our beach stop in portugal remained intact though.
and it became a priority to hold fast to that plan.
to stay at the enchanting casa vida near arrifana beach.
our home in the algarve region for three glorious days.
 
 

 
 

 
 
the gorgeous beaches with golden sand and breaking waves.
the palm trees and wild prickly aloe plants.
the traditional white stucco villas with their red roofs and blue or yellow trim.
the brightly colored moorish tiles (azulejos).
the medieval castle ruins on the hill overlooking the town of aljezur.
even the lively surfers with their customized boards, loud music, and hippie vans.
 
 

 
 

 
 
and the cats.
with their portuguese meows.
everywhere.
(i loved them all.)
 
 

 
 
how do the residents of portugal incorporate wellness into their daily lives?

• outdoor water activities
• clean environment
• slower-paced lifestyle
• famous spa resorts and treatments

 
my take-away:
 
portugal, with its whitewashed buildings and beaches, is clean clean clean.
the very air invites one to step into a world of calm and unpressured living.
 
 
[descriptive words that immediately came to mind upon my first visit to portugal.]

 
 

are you a physically active person?
do you pamper yourself with sense-awakening stress-relieving rituals?
make a commitment to ATTENTIVELY CARE FOR YOUR BODY AND SOUL.
(and let me know about your plan in the comments.)
 
 
[a summary of the six european wellness commitments introduced in the mini-series may be found at the end of this post.]
 
 
 
 
get my free course!