CREATING AMAZING CONNECTIONS IN LISBON
Positive connections create the confidence to explore and push beyond our limits. Ben Lane travelled to Portugal to swim the seas and get connected
A recent trip to Portugal to swim the waters around Lisbon succeeded because our connections were good; they unexpectedly guided our journey, propelling the simplicity and beauty of an open water swim to a level of fulfilment we were not expecting.
After months of preparation and connecting with locals to finalise the trip, we were nearing our goal. After landing without incident in Lisbon, we were soon making the car journey from our hotel in Carcavelos to our first swim destination in Cascais, traversing the beautiful Estoril coast north of the capital. Our swim guide and driver, André Santos, raised our spirits and kept the conversation upbeat. We were enjoying our new face-to-face connection. Until then we had been exchanging vague ideas on social media channels; now we were in the real world, and our ideas were taking shape.