After 5 bicycle tours and 3 caminos within, or going to or from, Portugal, Matilda and I had finally reached the end of our shared journey; and what a fitting way to celebrate it was, by being able to spend time with my Portuguese family and friends in Peniche and surrounds.
I had the opportunity to visit some previously neglected spots, such as Praia da Consolação, as well as to take in a jiu jitsu training session with my professor Alex Pereira at his new school in Casal Moinho. However, being able to share in the chill vibes at the skate and pizza block party, which was organised by Largo coworking space, and which is managed by my long time friend and ghostrider, Pedro, was the perfect end to this chapter in my life.
So, where to from here? There’ll no doubt be many more cycling and camino adventures ahead: and while I’ll still be visiting Portugal as often as I can, I’m now also looking to step much further afield, with trips to India and South-East Asia on the horizon, where I plan to engage in more indepth exploration, and not just of the outside world, but of my own inner one as well.
As this very significant phase of my life, which I have termed ‘re-entry’, has now come to a close, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to every single person whom I’ve met and shared time and conversations with, however short, during the past 7 years. It is the sum of all those interactions, including all the valuable insights that they have given me, which now acts as the fuel for my onward travel. Thank you, and see you again soon in the next adventure.
Back in 2017, upon awakening on a cold and rainy morning, with the autumn season in Finland already in full swing, I was smacked with an undeniably powerful urge to ride a bicycle from my home in Turku to my second home in Portugal, a journey of over 4000km; but why?
About 2 years earlier, I’d reached the end of the most significant phase of my life, my 18 year long marriage. Now I’d woken up to the fact that I pretty much had no clue as to what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life. In hindsight, all the signs that this major fork in the road was fast approaching had already been there for several years. Perhaps they’d just been hiding in plain sight, but I’d just not noticed them. However, it was most likely that I’d simply not wanted, or been prepared, to see and accept the truth and reality of my situation. I guess that it had just been much easier to go through life as a functional depressive, giving the people around me the impression that I was doing ok; but I wasn’t. All I had succeeded in doing was to put all the associated painful, unaddressed issues on ice for a while. Well, no matter. The universe had eventually lost patience with me, and decided that it was high time for me to face the music.
To clarify a bit more, the initial catalyst for my recovery, back into the world of the living, had been the Camino Portuguese pilgrim trek from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, which I undertook during the Easter break earlier that year. In retrospect, that had been my opening cry for help, which had ripped open the doors of the freezer that my heart had become, and directed the divine heat at all that had been lifelessly stored within. It was literally an act of resurrection!
From that time on, until this present day, I have completed many more adventures of exploration and discovery, which have included 4 separate bicycle tours around Portugal, as well as two long distance hiking treks, the Camino Finisterre and the Via Algarviana. Now, once again, I found myself at a new crossroads, as I reach 7 years of nomadic monkhood. While there are certainly many adventures ahead, and which I will tell you about later; here first is a video where my long-time friend and Ghostrider, Mr. Pepe, interviews me about the last ride with my trusted travel companion Matilda, on our two week tour of the Northern Portugal Coastline and Peneda-Geres National Park, as well about some thoughts for the future.
So, what’s next? In many ways, I feel that I’ve finally re-entered society, but now much more on my own terms. With that in mind, my focus going forward is on learning how to better serve others, both individuals through my coaching practice, and communities through the concepts of spiritual construction. The initial plans include a return to Portugal, but this time to the Castelo Branco region of Central Portugal close to the border with Spain. More specifically, I plan to create my own personal camino adventures, which will traverse through amazing places, such as castles, ruins and historic small villages, all connected by trails through the wonderful nature of Portugal. Ultimately, my desire is to offer previously untapped avenues of inspiration and personal development for my coaching clients, as well as fellow explorers; in fact, for anyone who is willing to make the necessary physical, emotional and spiritual effort to discover new and better ways of living and being.
Valleys of sorrow, the tears of the lost do keep. Their paths out, I seek.
‘The Path Out’ by Jyri Manninen
The more the world continues to move ever faster into an existence based around digital networks and the influence of artificial intelligence, my intuition, that feeling deep down within my belly, is to go in the opposite direction, back towards a more analog way of life, which is focused around the development and enhancement of real, organic relationships between family, friends, neighbours, communities, as well as strangers, and where the awakening of human consciousness is placed right at the forefront. Do you care to join me?
How quickly the time had passed from when we set out northward just 2 weeks ago, and now finding ourselves, as if in an instant, back at the doorstep of our origin. With just a nominal 35km to ride, it felt like we had all the time in the world to soak in the atmosphere of our home shire, as we passed through the last series of villages on our way back to the Atlantic coast and our starting point in Peniche.
Very soon after leaving Caldas, we would arrive at the famous medieval town of Óbidos, where I had actually lived for a while back in 2015. Despite the countless times that I’ve been here, it never fails to touch my heart. So much history, so many challenges, so many emotions, and each time that I’ve returned, it feels that I am, somehow, just that little bit more complete. Óbidos is also where the Life on the Run concept had arrived into my consciousness; and from which so many camino adventures, both walking and cycling, have been spawned. How blissfully nostalgic it felt to pass by the coworking space ‘Espaço Ó’, the incubator, and clarifier, of so many of the perspectives that would shape my direction and actions until this present day.
Before long, we’d reach the European surf mecca that is Baleal. With so much time in hand, we decided to roll over to Baleal island, via the connecting land bridge, to chill and do some people watching from a beach side café … while enjoying a Sagres of course! What a spot it was for Matilda and I to spend our final moments reminiscing together before the remaining short spin to our finish line at the Largo coworking space, which is managed by Mr. Pepe, my friend and ghostrider, who was also the manager of that coworking space in Óbidos. Round and around we go!
Matilda and I. As strangers we departed, as friends, we arrived.
‘My Matilda’ by Jyri Manninen
Upon arriving at Largo, all seemed quiet, so we just plonked ourselves down at the adjacent, and very aptly named, Café Ponto Final, to already commence the physical recovery process, by enjoying yet some more elixir of the Gods, as we waited for Pepe to manifest himself. After four tours around Portugal, which, themselves, were the sequels to our original epic ride from Finland back in 2017, this was to be my final ride with Matilda, before her retirement. However, the story has only just begun, and I look forward to sharing this mission of unfolding awareness, which my brother-in-arms, Sir Aragorn, and I have anointed as the Road to Righteousville.
run for your life 