Discovering new places, meeting new people. These are some of my favorite activities. These are also some of the reasons why I like traveling that much. Especially when you feel a special connection, an intense feeling when you meet someone. While exploring a new area, I bumped into two birds. They both impressed me. Not only with their beauty, they had a very intense vibe that attracted me.
It looks like she is crying, although it's Vin Diesel's antenna
Where is this place?
I was staying in the Southwest of Portugal. In the town of Vila do Bispo, I already checked out most places in town. Most of the days I was exploring the area's and beaches around. From Castelejo Beach you can see an abandoned building in the distance on the cliffs, when you look Southwards. There was some graffiti on it and I wanted to check it out. I like Urbex locations. Along the coast there are several dirtroads that lead you to beaches and remote houses. I managed to find the building on the satellite images and started exploring the roads to get there. With my green van Vin Diesel, it was actually quite easy. Although after a ride, Vin Diesel had a different color, totally covered in white dust.
At one side you can see Praia Castelejo and the beaches more up North
On the other side you can find natural platforms, that make you wanna jump in the ocean
(only recommended when you are a bird)
Hangout
I parked the van there and I already saw 1 very attractive bird. I didn't want to approach her immediately, so I wandered around the complex. It seems to be a former Customs checkpoint and the building is still in a pretty good shape. Especially when you think about the location; on top of a high cliff in the strong winds hitting the Southwest tip of Portugal from the Atlantic Ocean. The roof fully intact, the glass in the windows is missing. The sanitary is a bit destroyed and the electricity is turned off. The place is full of graffiti and some of the wall art is worth to look at. There is also an old brown leather couch to chill on. In one of the other rooms you can find a chair and mirror, to check out if you look good enough for your date to come over to this remote place, with stunning views. It's such a nice place to hangout. And yes, when you walk around the complex....take a look at the ocean. Over and over again you will be surprised about some jawdropping views of the coastline. The cliffs, the waves, the noises of the wind and the seagulls...and on the other side the peace and silence. Hardly known by anyone, this is a perfect hangout spot for locals and adventurers.
The hangout also has a comfy couch
Who's that bird?
Let's get back to the main topic. I was attracted by this bird...a beautiful woman. Shining bright in the sunlight, with dancing hair in the wind and she was a special colorful person. It was 'Mural'...she got a bit stuck to this place. No matter the weather, she kept shining. I kept looking at her and introduced her to Vin Diesel. We did hangout together for some time, until another bird showed up. This new bird kept fluttering around, trying to get my attention. She seemed to like my van and wanted to get in. At some point she was looking at herself in the mirror of my van, after looking through the windows several times. I kept looking and secretly took a picture with my smartphone. It looked like a lucky shot, but it was not fully sharp. She was such a pretty bird (and also Mural) I really liked to look at. I decided to approach them for a photoshoot. The little fluttering one, was a bit shy in the beginning, but in the end she agreed.
Connecting
I asked the shy one something about swallow... She seemed a bit shocked by my question, she also turned a bit red. Maybe it was the wind and I repeated my question: "What kind of swallow are you?" She was a Red-rumped Swallow.
By now you know that I am talking about a real bird, a Red-rumped Swallow. This curious bird kept hanging around. After the little photoshoot, I jumped in my van. She didn't want to say goodbye yet, flying in front of my side window and kept looking at me straight in the eyes. It reminded me a bit of the story with the Robin in Sardinia earlier this year, although this was next level.
And Mural? I think she got a bit jealous, that I was distracted by the Swallow. On the image it looks like she is crying. I went back to her another day, for a single meetup. I even got in contact with her creator Def-Notes, because I recognized the style of the art I saw earlier in another abandoned ruin in Portugal.
In another abandoned building, I met Mural's sister. They are from the same creator
There was a bit of kissing involved
The Climax
It was such a nice afternoon with them at this special hangout spot. It was time to leave...alone. At least, that's what I thought. A bit further on the dirt road, I opened the windows of Vin Diesel. And WTF?! I was driving and the swallow flew into the cabin of the van. She kept hanging next to my face (fluttering), while I was driving...looking at me and making noises. She kept singing for a while. It was so special. I told her I had a girlfriend, so she could not come with me.
The truth
When I arrived back at the apartment, I told my girlfriend the truth. She took it pretty easy and said it might be a reincarnation of someone close to me. Maybe the bird was not a SWALLOW, but a ReinCANARY...