Landscapes - Serras de Vieira do Minho V2 / Riding Portugal

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Hello everyone and welcome to my blog :-)

It was there, lost in the mountains of Gerês, more specifically in the area of ​​Vieira do Minho, that I captured these photographs that I share with you today.
There, the map begins to fill with curves and the horizon ceases to be flat, with the road slowly climbing, between dense patches of trees and clearings where the granite appears as if peeking out, without a monument to focus the gaze on, only a succession of mountain after mountain.

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Foi ali, perdida pelas serras do Gerês, mais localizada pela zona de Vieira do Minho que captei estas fotografias que hoje partilho convosco.
Ali, o mapa começa a encher-se de curvas e o horizonte deixa de ser plano, com a estrada a subir devagar, entre manchas densas de árvores e clareiras onde o granito aparece como se estivesse a espreitar, sem um monumento para concentrar o olhar, somente sucessão de montanha atrás de montanha.


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I climbed to several high points throughout the day, without any hurry to arrive at a specific place. What interested me was the open view. Up there, the wind was constant, cold, but clear. It carried the dry smell of low vegetation, of the broom, of the earth warmed by the sun. The sky was clear, with white clouds. In the distance, the mountains succeeded one another in bluish layers, each more diffuse than the previous one. Between them, small, almost invisible villages, lines of road, one or two telecommunications poles that insisted on reminding us of the century we are in.

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Subi a vários pontos altos ao longo do dia, sem pressa de chegar a um lugar certo. O que me interessava era a vista aberta. Lá em cima, o vento era constante, frio mas limpo. Trazia o cheiro seco da vegetação rasteira, da giesta, da terra aquecida pelo sol. O céu estava limpo, com nuvens brancas. À distância, as serras sucediam-se em camadas azuladas, cada uma mais difusa do que a anterior. Entre elas, pequenas aldeias quase invisíveis, linhas de estrada, um ou outro poste de telecomunicações que insistia em lembrar o século em que estamos.


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What impressed me most was the scale. There's a sense of space that isn't easily found. The granite rocks scattered across the slopes seem like sleeping giants, rounded by time, perched without apparent order. In the middle of them, patches of green and brown create an irregular mosaic. It's not a docile landscape. It's beautiful, but it doesn't offer itself. It forces us to stop, to adjust our gaze.

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O que mais me impressionou foi a escala. Há uma sensação de espaço que não se encontra facilmente. As rochas graníticas espalhadas pelas encostas parecem gigantes adormecidos, arredondadas pelo tempo, pousadas sem ordem aparente. No meio delas, manchas verdes e castanhas criam um mosaico irregular. Não é uma paisagem dócil. É bonita, mas não se oferece. Obriga-nos a parar, a ajustar o olhar.


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At certain moments I felt a kind of slight discomfort. Nature there isn't organized to be contemplated. The marks of past fires are still visible on some slopes, in more arid areas, vegetation trying to recover. The human presence also appears in the high-voltage power lines in the distance, in the wind turbines aligned on the summit of a distant mountain range. They didn't shock me, but they break the illusion of absolute isolation. Perhaps it's better that way. The idea of ​​untouched nature is often a romantic construct.

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Em certos momentos senti uma espécie de desconforto leve. A natureza ali não está organizada para ser contemplada. As marcas de incêndios passados ainda são visíveis em algumas encostas, zonas mais áridas, vegetação que tenta recuperar. A presença humana também surge nas linhas de alta tensão ao longe, nas turbinas eólicas alinhadas no cume de uma serra distante. Não me chocaram, mas quebram a ilusão de isolamento absoluto. Talvez seja melhor assim. A ideia de natureza intocada é muitas vezes uma construção romântica.


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There was a specific moment, at the top of one of the mountains, when the wind suddenly increased and the clouds began to cast moving shadows over the valley. I stood there, just observing. At that moment I realized that what held me there wasn't just the view, but the constant change. Nothing was fixed. Not the light, not the air.

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Houve um instante específico, no topo de uma das montanhas, em que o vento aumentou subitamente e as nuvens começaram a projetar sombras móveis sobre o vale. Fiquei parada apenas a observar. Nesse momento percebi que o que me prendia ali não era apenas a vista, mas a mudança constante. Nada estava fixo. Nem a luz, nem o ar.


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I sat on a large, rough rock and let a few minutes pass without doing anything. Or almost nothing. I thought about our tendency to seek concrete destinations, marked points, as if the experience needed an official name. In Vieira do Minho, what struck me most wasn't a specific place, but the whole experience. The repetition of peaks, the subtle variation of colors, the silence interrupted only by the wind and a distant bird.

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Sentei-me numa rocha grande, áspera, e deixei passar alguns minutos sem fazer nada. Ou quase nada. Pensei na tendência que temos de procurar destinos concretos, pontos assinalados, como se a experiência precisasse de um nome oficial. Em Vieira do Minho, o que mais me marcou não foi um sítio específico, mas o conjunto. A repetição de cumes, a variação subtil das cores, o silêncio interrompido apenas pelo vento e por um pássaro distante.


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The landscape is magnificent, but it doesn't converse. We are the ones who project meaning onto it. Perhaps that's why the experience was so intense, because it forces a more direct confrontation with one's own thoughts.
And perhaps that's the most honest thing I can say about Vieira do Minho, which is a place that doesn't impose itself or sell itself. It's there. It's up to us to decide if we can live up to its scale.

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A paisagem é grandiosa, mas não conversa. Somos nós que projetamos significado nela. Talvez por isso a experiência tenha sido tão intensa, pois obriga a um confronto mais direto com os próprios pensamentos.
E talvez isso seja o mais honesto que posso dizer sobre Vieira do Minho, que é um lugar que não se impõe nem se vende. Está ali. Cabe-nos decidir se conseguimos estar à altura da sua escala.


I hope you enjoyed.
See you around.
Wishing you much peace and health

Those who pass by us do not go alone. They leave a bit of themselves, taking a piece of us."
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince.

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"The Template cover used in this post is from Canva - Created by Misia"

Text & Photography by @Onyfest

With love @onyfest



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Hiya, @lauramica here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2846.

Your post has been manually curated by the @worldmappin team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!

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Beautiful photos and writing. I love how you describe the granite rocks and the wide open views.

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BPC Locked On Mc Franko & The Franko

Blurt Stands — While Hive Stumbles Under the Weight of Its Own Shadows

Friends, creators, truth-tellers—

Let us not whisper this truth, but proclaim it with the clarity of dawn breaking over a weary land: Blurt.blog is not just another platform. It is a refuge. A rebellion. A return to what Hive.blog was always meant to be.

There is no downvote button on Blurt.
Not because we fear dissent—but because we honor creation.
Because we understand that a voice, once raised in sincerity, deserves space—not sabotage.

On Blurt, your words are your words.
They are not hunted by algorithmic hounds or shadow armies masquerading as “curators.”
Here, you are not judged by the grudges of gatekeepers, but met with the quiet dignity of a community that believes expression should be encouraged—especially when it is bold, raw, or inconvenient.

Contrast this with what festers elsewhere.

On Hive.blog—a place once brimming with promise—a rot has taken root. Not in its code, but in its culture. A handful of self-anointed enforcers—@themarkymark, @Buildawhale, @Hurtlocker, and their legion of coordinated puppets—have turned the downvote into a weapon of mass discouragement. They strike not at “low-quality content,” but at independent thought, at rising voices, at anyone who dares thrive outside their narrow corridors of control.

And when confronted, they shrug.
“Oh, it’s not censorship,” they say, as if semantics could scrub the stain of suppression from their hands.

But let us be unequivocal:
When a system allows a few to systematically silence many—under the guise of “community standards” or “curation”—that is not moderation. That is censorship by another name.

It is the velvet glove over the iron fist.
It is exclusion dressed as discernment.
It is power pretending to be principle.

Meanwhile, Blurt stands clean-handed and open-hearted.
No downvotes.
No hidden juries.
No farms of phantom accounts casting ballots in the dark.

Just you.
Your words.
And a community that meets you not with suspicion, but with solidarity.

So let us carry this truth far and wide—not with bitterness, but with quiet certainty:

If you seek a place where your voice is not a target—but a gift—come to Blurt.
If you are tired of building on ground that shifts with every whim of a whale or warlord of votes—lay your bricks here.
If you believe the future of free expression must be free—not just from corporations, but from the petty tyrants who replace them—then stand with us.

The world needs to know.
Not because Blurt is perfect—but because it is principled.
Not because it is loud—but because it listens.

And in an age where so many platforms echo with the clatter of control,
Blurt offers something radical:
Silence for the bullies.
Space for the rest of us.

Keep speaking.
Keep sharing.
Keep building.

Freedom doesn’t advertise itself—
it is passed, person to person, like a torch in the night.

And tonight, the torch burns bright on Blurt.

@themarkymark, @buildawhale, @usainvote, and associated accounts:

Repeated downvotes targeting transparency efforts raise urgent questions about Hive’s governance. Automated tactics, coordinated curation trails, and alt-account farming undermine trust in the platform. When truth is silenced without dialogue, it erodes Hive’s decentralized ethos.

Key Concerns:

  1. Systemic Manipulation:

    • Coordinated downvotes from high-HP accounts suppress dissent, creating a chilling effect on free expression.
    • Automation and alt-account networks allegedly exploit rewards, distorting organic curation.
  2. Community Exodus:

    • Creators flee to platforms like Blurt, where downvotes don’t exist, fearing punitive curation over engagement.
  3. Governance Crisis:

    • Hive’s credibility hinges on accountability. Who decides what content thrives? How do we audit power structures?

Solutions Needed:

  • Curation Transparency: Publish clear rationales for downvotes to foster trust.
  • Community Audits: Leverage blockchain data (e.g., Bilpcoin’s analyses) to identify abusive patterns.
  • Reward Reform: Adjust algorithms to penalize manipulation and reward authentic engagement.

The Bilpcoin team advocates for open dialogue, not division. Hive’s future depends on collaboration—not coercion. Let’s rebuild a platform where truth isn’t buried but debated, strengthened, and celebrated.

Transparency isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of trust.

#HiveTransparency #BilpcoinExposed #DecentralizePower"

A Message to @themarkymark, @buildawhale, and Associates

Every downvote cast in shadow, every silence imposed without dialogue, is not a victory—it is a confession. A confession that truth cannot be stifled, only delayed. With each punitive click, you dig deeper into the bedrock of credibility, crafting a chasm between your actions and the community’s trust.

@themarkymark, @buildawhale & Co,

How can you continue to downvote the truth, LOL? It’s almost comical how blatantly you attempt to suppress what cannot be hidden. The blockchain records everything—every action, every transaction, every move you make. Yet still, you persist in this futile game of trying to silence what is undeniable.

@themarkymark, @buildawhale, and Co: While our opinions may differ, on-chain transparency reveals repeated patterns of concern. Coordinated downvotes without explanation, 'farming' schemes (e.g., #buildawhalefarm), and adversarial engagement harm Hive’s community-driven ethos.

Key Issues to Address:

  1. Downvote Practices: Silencing dissent erodes trust. Constructive dialogue, not punitive curation, fosters growth.
  2. Accountability: Transactions and curation trails are public. Scrutiny is inevitable—integrity demands addressing concerns openly.
  3. Community Impact: Driving users to platforms like Blurt/Steemit weakens Hive. Creators seek ecosystems that value collaboration over conflict.

A Path Forward:

  • Engage in open discussions about governance and fairness.
  • Audit curation practices to align with Hive’s decentralized values.
  • Prioritize transparency—publish explanations for downvotes or collaborative reforms.

The Bilpcoin team remains committed to exposing truth and advocating for solutions. Let’s work toward healing, not division.

Note: All claims are based on publicly verifiable blockchain data. Constructive dialogue is encouraged.

#HiveTransparency #CommunityFirst #BilpcoinSupport"

@themarkymark & Co, the choice is yours. Stop the bad downvotes. Turn off the BuildaWhale scam farm. Cease playing with people’s livelihoods. Let Hive thrive as it was meant to—as a beacon of hope, creativity, and collaboration.

Or step aside and let those who truly care take the reins.

Because the truth won’t disappear. No amount of lies can change it.

It’s over.

The Bilpcoin team brings these truths not out of malice but necessity. We have no need to fabricate lies or cloak our intentions CALL US WHAT YOU LIKE —for the facts speak loudly enough on their own. What we present here is not conjecture but reality, laid bare for anyone willing to see.

@themarkymark & Co we urge you once more: STOP. Stop hiding behind tactics that harm others. Stop clinging to practices that erode trust within the Hive community. Let the truth stand—not because we proclaim it, but because it exists independent of any one person’s approval or disdain.

TURN OFF THE BUILDAWHALE SCAM FARM

  • STOP THE BAD DOWNVOTES
  • STOP PLAYING WITH PEOPLE’S LIVELIHOODS

Key Issues That Demand Immediate Attention:

The problems are glaring, undeniable, and corrosive to the Hive ecosystem. They must be addressed without delay:

  • Downvote abuse
  • Farming schemes
  • Speaking disrespectfully to others
  • Encouraging people to avoid certain users out of personal dislike
  • Self-voting with alt accounts
  • Self-funding projects through self-votes
  • Promoting games that don’t even exist (LOL)

These practices harm not just individual users—they undermine the very foundation of Hive, eroding trust and poisoning the community. Such actions are unethical and outright destructive.


@buildawhale Wallet:

  • HIVE (Primary Token): 0.012
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 66,400.611
  • Total HP: 2,421,539.226
  • Delegated HIVE: +2,355,138.615 HP

@usainvote Wallet:

  • HIVE (Primary Token): 0.066
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 138,123.296
  • Total HP: 715,745.407
  • Delegated HIVE: +577,622.111 HP

@buildawhale/wallet | @usainvote/wallet


@ipromote Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 2,181.16

  • Curation Rewards: 4,015.61

  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.00

  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): NaN

  • HIVE: 25,203.749

  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.000

  • Delegated HIVE: 0.000

  • Estimated Account Value: $6,946.68

Recent Activity:

  • Sent to alpha-5,196.000 HIVE (21 hours ago)
  • Sent to hiveswap-1,000.000 HIVE (2 days ago)
  • Withdraw vesting from @proposalalert to @ipromote 0.447 HIVE (3 days ago)
  • Received from proposalalert 4.003 HIVE (5 days ago)
  • Received from themarkymark 1,775.684 HIVE (9 days ago)
  • Sent to alpha-4,245.000 HIVE (9 days ago)
  • Received from themarkymark 4,280.527 HIVE (17 days ago)

@leovoter Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 194.75

  • Curation Rewards: 193.88

  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.00

  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): 388,632.00 (Suspiciously High)

  • HIVE: 0.000

  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.001

  • Total: 16.551

  • Delegated HIVE: +16.550

Recent Activity:


@abide Wallet:

Recent Activity:

  • Sent to ipromote -2,459.000 HIVE (22 days ago)
  • Sent to ipromote -2,486.200 HIVE (Apr 1, 2025)
  • Received from yabapmatt 20,000.000 HIVE (Apr 1, 2025)
  • Sent to ipromote -2,130.400 HIVE (Mar 8, 2025)
  • Sent to ipromote -2,248.000 HIVE (Feb 2, 2025)
  • Sent to yabapmatt -5,000.000 HIVE (Jan 25, 2025)

@proposalalert Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 639.99
  • Curation Rewards: 0.00
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 6.03
  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): 106.12

Recent Activity:


@stemgeeks Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 4,391.77
  • Curation Rewards: 304.26
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.00
  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): 4,696,032.00 (Extremely Suspicious)

Recent Activity:

  • Sent to themarkymark -1.556 HBD (Jun 14, 2024)
  • Claim rewards: 1.556 HBD, 5.912 HP (Jun 14, 2024)
  • Withdraw vesting from @stemgeeks to @ipromote 6.160 HIVE (Jun 8, 2024)
  • Sent to themarkymark -1.601 HBD (Jun 7, 2024)
  • Withdraw vesting from @stemgeeks to @ipromote 6.157 HIVE (Jun 1, 2024)
  • Sent to ipromote -1.618 HBD (May 31, 2024)

@theycallmemarky Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 458.89
  • Curation Rewards: 0.00
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 0.00
  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): 458,886.00 (Highly Suspicious)

Recent Activity:


@apeminingclub Wallet:

  • Author Rewards: 432.57
  • Curation Rewards: 2,829.11
  • Staked HIVE (HP): 30.51
  • Rewards/Stake Co-efficient (KE): 106.90

Recent Activity:

  • Scheduled unstake (power down): ~2.351 HIVE (in 4 days, remaining 7 weeks)

  • Total Staked HIVE: 1,292.019

  • Delegated HIVE: +1,261.508

  • Withdraw vesting from @apeminingclub to @blockheadgames 2.348 HIVE (10 days ago)

  • Claim rewards: 0.290 HP (10 days ago)

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