Walking Europe's Edge
Reflections on Portugal
Stephen Powell
paperback
From autumn 2018 to spring 2019, British journalist Stephen Powell travelled the length of Portugal, following a zigzag path of nearly 1,500 kilometres on foot.
- ISBN 9781800420601
- Published Sep 2021
- paperback
203 x 133mm (186 pages)
1,500 kilometres on foot through the Portugal most visitors never see.
From autumn 2018 to spring 2019, British journalist Stephen Powell travelled the length of Portugal, following a zigzag path of nearly 1,500 kilometres on foot. Away from the mass tourism, he wanted to form his own unhurried impressions of this very distinctive country.
He discovered a very mixed reality. The dark side was the blight of rural exodus that is emptying so many villages. But he also found a profoundly generous, warm-hearted people with time to converse – a gift that is not found everywhere.
Stephen Powell is a Welsh journalist who worked for Reuters for twenty-seven years. He has lived and worked on every continent except Antarctica and brings to his craft a deeply engrained global perspective. His reporting has included civil war and coups in Africa and Brazil’s transition from military rule to democracy. He lives in southern Portugal.
Stephen’s travelogue The First Toast is to Peace, Travels in the South Caucasus was published by SilverWood Books in 2018. His second book, Walking Europe’s Edge, Reflections on Portugal, followed in 2021.
"Stephen Powell’s beautifully written account of his life-changing walk through Portugal enriches the reader with his insights and impressions of the country’s history, culture, scenery and spirit. For me, the book was a fascinating journey of discovery through Portugal’s lesser-known provinces, further enhanced with exquisite illustrations by two of his daughters, Megan and Rachel. Simply wonderful.”
Valerie Poore, memoir author
"
Long walk persuades British author to settle in Portugal" –
The Portugal News
Stephen is interviewed in the February 2023 edition of Alyson Sheldrake's newsletter
here.
July 2023: Stephen is featured in Tomorrow Algarve
here.
Read Stephen's guest article on Beth Haslam's blog
here.
June 2025: Stephen talks with Dylan Herholdt on the Portugal The Simple Life podcast. Listen
here.
“If you’re thinking of self-publishing, I hope you don't go at it alone. With a team like SilverWood behind you, you have the support you need to publish the best work you believe in.”
J A Higgins
