The Portuguese Sea Was Surprisingly Salty

I found a post project on note called "#SummerSnapshot," which invites people to share photos of summer-like moments.

Seeing that, I immediately remembered the day I went into the Atlantic Ocean in Portugal this summer. I decided to participate with this one photo.

For me, summer is the season to go into the sea.

I go to see the sea all year round. I like looking at the sea from the shore in spring, autumn, and winter. And when summer comes, I go into the sea and play with the waves.

Shanghai faces the sea. However, it is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River where it flows into the East China Sea, and fine mud and sand carried by the river accumulate along the coast. Tidal flats spread out, and the water is easily muddied. Even though the city's name contains the word "sea," the blue sea that comes to mind when hearing the term "beach swimming" in Japan is not something I have close by.

That is why when summer comes, I leave Shanghai to go in search of a blue sea where I can actually go in and play. And this year, I headed to Portugal.

The journey began in Lisbon. From there, I headed south, and after traveling for more than 30 minutes by car from Albufeira station, I arrived at Praia da Falésia in the Algarve region.

Along the coast, reddish-brown cliffs stretched out like small mountains. Green pine trees spread across the top of the cliffs, and beyond them, the blue of the Atlantic Ocean could be seen. I was captivated by the scenery even before I went down to the sandy beach.

When I entered the sea, the waves were much stronger than they had looked from afar. The water was also surprisingly salty, and every time a wave washed over me, even the inside of my mouth became salty.

The sunlight was also relentless. Even though I had applied sunscreen, by the time I returned, my skin had turned red and was stinging. I had underestimated the Atlantic sun a little.

When I return to Shanghai, the blue sea will be far away again. Even so, being pushed back by the waves, the saltiness of the seawater, and the pain of the sunburn—all of it together became my summer this year.