Registrations are open for Stephen’s Travel Writing Course in the Algarve: https://stephenpowellauthor.com/travel-writing-course-in-the-algarve Check out Stephen’s book “Walking Europe's Edge - Reflections on Portugal”: https://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/walking-europes-edge-by-stephen-powell In this episode, we sit down with former Reuters journalist Stephen Powell at his home in the Algarve to discuss his incredible journey walking the entire length of Portugal. Stephen shares his path from acting aspirations to global journalism, and why he decided to write "Walking Europe's Edge" after hiking 1,500km through Portugal's lesser-known interior. Discover fascinating stories about unique Portuguese towns, hidden Muslim history, and what motivated this Welshman to make Portugal his home after Brexit.TakeawaysBefore his 27-year Reuters career, Stephen originally wanted to be an actor but chose journalism after traveling the world for two yearsStephen decided to walk Portugal's interior rather than coastal areas to discover places most tourists never seeThe Douro Valley's beauty is partly natural but also man-made, with thousands of laborers shaping the terraced vineyardsTomar brands itself as the town of Knights Templar - Portugal's king simply renamed them when the Pope abolished the orderMértola celebrates its Muslim heritage and has a museum showing cultural similarities between southern Portugal and MoroccoA unique Sufi warrior monks settlement once existed near Aljezur - the only one in EuropeBrexit was a major factor in Stephen's relocation to Portugal in December 2019Stephen found Portuguese bureaucracy challenging but values the cultural differencesChapters00:00 Introduction & Stephen's background00:41 From acting aspirations to journalism01:49 Two years of world travel03:52 First radio journalism experience05:41 27 years at Reuters as global correspondent09:42 Transition to writing travel memoirs11:07 The Caucasus calling - first book15:05 Why walk the length of Portugal?16:50 Walking tradition in travel writing19:32 Focusing on Portugal's interior20:03 Most memorable places: Douro Valley22:36 Tomar and the Knights Templar25:25 Mértola and its Muslim heritage27:22 Sufi warrior monks near Aljezur30:53 Brexit's influence on relocating to Portugal32:44 Moving just before COVID lockdown35:30 Comparing Portugal to other relocations37:30 Advice for people relocating to Portugal38:33 Cultural differences in efficiency and service39:54 Portuguese bureaucracy challenges41:58 Stephen's travel writing retreat43:48 Rural depopulation in Portugal45:44 Decline of traditional Portuguese industries➣CONTACT US for relocation assistanceGet on a free discovery call and we can outline how we can work with you.https://www.algarveaddicts.com/contactCheck out my Instagram on / algarveaddicts - I enjoy a little bit of Insta!#PortugalWalking #TravelWriting #AlgarveLife #ExpatsInPortugal #KnightsTemplar #MértolaPortugal #BrexitRelocation #PortugueseHistory #HiddenPortugal #DouroValley #RuralPortugal #PortugalInterior #SufiHistory #WalkingEurope #PortugalRelocation

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