In the nick of time

It exceeded all my expectations and I sat on one of the highest rocks, gazing pensively as the sun slowly lit a magnificent landscape all around. I sat there. Thinking. Watching. Observing. Sun beams reached their slow fingers into the valleys.

I rose and strolled around the pinnacle. Castle walls stood firm from the time of the Templar Knights, and I came across an old brass plaque. It announced that a revered author had documented 50 or so castles that held the Portuguese nation together. Fifty!

I did some research and found a list of 62 castles covering the entire border of Portugal. An idea started percolating in my early morning brain. Imagine going on a journey to film all 62 of them...

In-between evading the scorching heat of the day and attending the obligatory town festival late at night, I ventured out on some more early morning missions.

I notched up a few additional castles, including those in the nearby villages of Sabugal, Penamacor and Penha Garcia; all beautiful, silent icons of history. I hiked around the Meimoa dam, dipping in for a refreshing swim and we lunched in Castelo Branco: shockingly cheap prices and fantastic food.

I visited Alpedrinha and interviewed some of the new locals: a large contingent of British expats have moved into this paradise over the years and are taking advantage of the cheap property prices and great lifestyle. It’s wonderful to see how well accepted they are into the local community.

Life up there is surprisingly liveable; my kneejerk reaction was to wonder how people can settle for such a remote environment, but in reality everything you need is nearby. Have a squiz at my YouTube channel to see if I can actually make the dream come true: filming 62 castles all around Portugal!