all images shown here were taken analog with my canon ae I
here, i am starting the travel blog for my owhc journey. over the coming weeks, you’ll find regular entries here about the different stops along the way.
my journey began on 17/09/2024 in porto. on the way there, everything seemed just fine: bright sunshine and a beautiful view.
when my sister, who was flying to lisbon at the same time, messaged me on whatsapp to ask if there were any fires nearby, i replied with, “i only see blue skies here :)”. little did i know what the next two days had in store for me. the closer i got to porto, the more dark clouds i could see gathering on the horizon.
soon, i was surrounded by thick smoke that didn’t clear by the time i arrived. the whole city was bathed in a diffuse, mystical orange light. it felt like sunset at every time of day. the smell of burnt wood lingered over porto, and ashes fell from the sky. google maps showed that the fires had reached the outskirts of the city. some areas had to be evacuated, and temporary road closures were in place. travelers were advised to check the current situation before arriving to prepare for any restrictions. authorities and emergency responders worked tirelessly to control the fires, and tourists were urged to exercise caution in forested areas and to follow official instructions.
on the first day, i let the city life carry me along – without any particular destination in mind. in the city, it was hard to tell that, just five kilometers away, others were fighting for their lives and livelihoods.
nice to see how the orange sun sneaked into every photo.
to be continued…