Daily Archives: Friday October 6th, 2017

Oeiras is also a land of squatter gardens. The previous days served us to follow the course of the Jamor, always inside the county of Sintra. On this day we pass to the other side of the IC19 (complementary itinerary 19) and we arrive at Oeiras.   The river Jamor is born in the Serra da Carregueira (Carregueira hill), county of Sintra, and flows into Cruz Quebrada, Oeiras municipality. It crosses two municipalities, both of Greater Lisbon, making Jamor an urban river, since it is born, runs and flows in a metropolitan area, Lisbon.. This is also one of the most populated regions of Portugal. Dona Maria, Brejo, Belas, Pendão and finally Queluz. This is the route that Jamor does, and that we visited in the municipality of Sintra. On this day we entered the municipality of Oeiras, in Queluz de Baixo. Here the right bank of the river narrows […]

Log Book I Day 7 I How to squat a river

When in the middle of the city the field breaks out The gardens in Queluz are impressive by the contrast they create with the surrounding buildings. It seems that the countryside is invading the city, finally the triumph of nature.   From the promenade that is over the huge plain that accompanies the Jamor, near the train station of Queluz-Belas, there are always many people working the land. On that day, we set up a conversation at the distance with two gentlemen, who, down below, watered with a huge hose what appeared to be baby cabbages. We wanted to know how to get off. They shouted at us that we would have to go to the end of Miguel Bombarda Avenue and enter through an opening between two buildings. We found such opening and walked along a path, along the left bank of Jamor; we saw how the river there […]

Log Book I Day 6 I How to squat a river

Senior squatters between Belas and Queluz. At the entrance of Queluz we learned to apply a new concept: farm squatter.   Mr. Patrício is a squatter at Quinta das Andorinhas. It is a squatting that lasts for more than 40 years, which makes Mr. Patrício (and we affirm it with all respect) a senior squatter. He divides the land, which is private property, not from the state, with at least one other person. This squatter farm is located between Belas and Queluz, but it is not the only one, in the surroundings. There are dozens of other farms squatted on the terraces, well-treated, both down (toward the river) and up (toward the hills). In the case of Mr. Patrício, the Sintra City Council (CMS) made him sign a declaration, in which he undertakes to vacate the land, if there is interest in this, either by the owner or by the […]

Log Book I Day 5 I How to squat a river