Day TwentyOne: A Castle on a Hill

Daily Word Count: 2,054
Cumulative Words Written: 49,473
Total Words Discarded: 6,100
Total Chapters Drafted: 20
Time Spent Writing Today: 2.5 hours

This morning, I decided to leave my castle and test my ankle. Jen and I hiked to the ruins of the Franciscan Convent of Our Lady of Mercy.

How’d my ankle hold up? So-so. But it was worth it for these gorgeous photos.

Messejana was founded by the Moors. In Arabic, it means prison because the Moors constructed a prison here.

In 1235, the Knights of the Order of Santiago de Espada ran the Moors out of this region, but the Arabic impact on Portugal remains today. Aljustrel, the nearest town, and Alentejo, the name of the region, are both Arabic. The Portuguese smushed the Al and Justrel together into one word. The Moors haunt the landscape in Al names all over southern and central Portugal.

The small bump atop the hill below is an ancient castle ruin. The view is majestic.

As of the last census in 2011, Messejana had 894 inhabitants. Many of the locals work at a nearby copper mine, one of the largest resources in the area. Farming is also prolific, with olive groves, vineyards, and cattle dotting these rolling hills.

I’m glad Jen hiked with me, because the convent ruin was loud. Ghosts hovered in crumbling nooks and corners and flitted through the air. We said hi to some sheep, picked fresh plums, and marveled at how large the convent had been. Ruins stretched across the field in every direction.

We never saw a soul…..unless you count the horse. 🙂

Messejana is a gorgeous place to create. I’m so fortunate to be here and can’t believe my residency is already half-gone.

To follow my residency at Buinho Creative Hub from the beginning, CLICK HERE and read forward.