The scenery over the past two days has been stunning. Verdant forests sweeping down to fields dotted with sheep and cattle. But those forests hide a dirty secret — they are dominated by eucalyptus trees imported from Australia! ‘Dirty’ because apparently (according to my guidebook) they are an ecological disaster — sucking up water and creating a monoculture that eliminates native species. Planted to supply the pulp and paper industry, eucalyptus now cover a cover a quarter of all forest land in Portugal. It is a bit disconcerting to suddenly realize that all the trees around you are growing in orderly lines — It makes me feel like I’m caught in some weird dystopian alternate reality.
eucalyptus ‘farm’ around me.
Not only do these trees displace native birds and plants, they also force people out. I passed more ruined buildings than occupied ones today.
And — the clincher — eucalyptus trees are prone to fire (kinda like lodgepole pines). The 2017 fires that swept through central Portugal killing 26 people, were blamed in part on the flammability of eucalyptus.
For the weary hiker, they do have their benefits. They are tall and create shaded trails. And as long as they are not lining up in a menacing manner, they smell quite nice and make a pleasant rustling sound in the faintest breeze.
I made it to Sao Luis today — relaxing on my patio as I write this with a bottle of Portuguese vinho verde. Quite pleased that I managed to open it with my Swiss army knife! Off to Odemira tomorrow.
