The unexpected is just as exciting as the planned anticipation. The plum blossom was a great example. This too, was a thrilling surprise.

On my drive to Vila Real, near the northern Spanish border, I witnessed what is known as prescribed burning, a common practice used to reduce fuel loads and strengthen landscape resilience ahead of the intense summer heat and heightened fire risk.

At first I kinda panicked and picked stuff up from my hotel room as nothing looked under control. The sight of water bombers rotating earlier in the day didn't help with the anxiety.

But standing there with it for a moment was oddly mesmerising. The wind dictated the whole operation. By nightfall, the fire had run its course across the hill and gone out on its own. This was a "great" opportunity to visualize how quickly a wildfire can spread and how devastating it can be.