Thursday 10th October (Day 50)
Fifty days away and still happy to be so! After breakfast we filled and emptied and left the camp site bound for Coimbra. On the way we passed several hundred people walking in fluorescent jackets to - well where? They were spread out over more than 40km. Arriving at Coimbra which is Portugal's equivalent to Oxford, both being the oldest university towns In their countries. It should be said that 1096 is the start date for Oxford (or 1167 if you count from when Henry II banned students from going to Paris to learn). At 1290 Coimbra gave it a good shot. That said it was not until 1537 that the teaching stopped switching between Coimbra and Lisbon; again thanks to a King, this time King Joao III. Crossing into the town by the footbridge and seeing the water jet we found that the town had a 'buzz' to it, partly due to the number of visitors but also the large number of students. After the Tourist Office our next stop was the 'Sardine Shop'. A beautiful store selling only sardine fish in tins. Then up and up. No castle but the old cathedral and new cathedral and university were at the top of the very steep hill. The old cathedral dates back to 1100's (we didn't go in). The new cathedral from the 1500's - hardly new. At €2 for both of us a bargain; pleasant enough but this trip we have seen much much better. Next two 'silver surfer' tickets for the university. First the main ceremonial hall (stunning). Then St Michael's Chapel where we had to knock on the door to gain entry (again an impressive place) and finally the Library. This is on three floors. The ground floor was where the cells were for unruly students. (They let them out every morning for classes but then they had to return each evening). The first floor housed a few thousand books and then the top, or 'Noble' floor. It was like a scene from Harry Potter. Absolutely brilliant. "No Pictures" was the cry - well yeh. We then found a cafe for a coffee and pastry before descending back to the river and crossing over. There were three things to view on this side of the river and we only saw the one; the Quintas das Lagrimas Gardens which was very dissapointing. Then back to the motorhome where we saw three canoeist practising what can only be described as canoe basketball, flicking the ball around using their paddles, very intriguing. After dinner we had a relax as we ate too much then just before 21.00 we walked back into town to see it at night. Walking along the main shopping street we noticed the grand buildings and, at the end was a scene, which again, was from Happy Potter. There were over a hundred youngsters of which about half were in university gowns and the other half were dressed 'normally'. There was a lot of chatter and laughing and the gowned people put cardboard notices on the others and cardboard donkey ears. It was something to do with freshers at the university. A slow stroll back and then bed.
Friday 11th October (Day 51)
Well, while walking in town yesterday we saw what was clearly to be a concert venue being prepared. The notification said 12th / 13th - so the weekend. Also we could see quite a bit of work was needed. HOWEVER, when we were in bed at about 22.00 it started. It was a night club type venue - outside - for fresher students. The bass made your teeth vibrate and, although the most songs were in English I recognised only one or two - and that was with several thousand singing students. Why we did not move, either to the farthest reaches of the carpark which was about 500m away or to a picnic site by a river and hour away I really do not know but we stayed and so had a rubbish sleep. We left just after 09.30 bound for near Porto. A stop on the way for a few shopping items and the cheapest diesel to date in Portugal (€1.26/l). Again, although much fewer in number, we saw more walkers in fluorescent jackets. Then by 12.00 we were stopped at an Aire at Parque Biological de Gaia, Avintes, Porto. It is about 4km outside of Porto itself. There are Aires much closer but all have reviewed that they have suffered a theft. This is a secure site and at €17 a bargain with EHU as well. Once settled we had lunch and then went for a walk into the 'wildlife' park that this place actually is. As we were camping it was free entry. Three hours later we came out of it having had a very pleasant afternoon. We then sat and chilled in the sunshine until it disappeared behind the trees and things started to chill.
Saturday 12th October (Day 52)
So today it is into Porto. After fruit for breakfast we walked and caught a bus. Well we nearly missed it but the driver saw us walking down some steps and stopped for us - so Portuguese. €4.40 for the two of us for a twenty five minute journey seemed good value. Then the Tourist Office for a map of the city. We decided against a 'hop on hop off' bus for the reasons that applied in Sevilla - it is just a time waster. With a bit of planning a walk gets you seeing more of the city and it really is not that big. Similarly the 'Magic Train' which also include a port tasting visit was boycotted. We can do that ourselves. We have decided, rightly or wrongly, that churches and castles are out also - unless they are free as we have seen so many. So we passed by the cathedral, which from the outside at least, looked fairly plain. Walking down to the River Douro gave us some great views and we could see all the port producers on the opposite bank. There was also a bridge that is mostly pedestrianised but it started at the top of the hill and we were decidedly at the bottom, a long way down. Never mind underneath the high part was another road / walking bridge on our level. Over we went and looked in at a few port producers to see which to visit. In the end we went for Calem. The British are / were the main producers here hence Sandeman, Taylor's, Croft etc. Calem was a Portuguese one, at least until a Spanish bank stepped in. We had a nice tour with three ports at the end of it. White, Ruby and Tawny. The man who showed us around had a good balance between a bit of info without boring and a bit of fun. A good hour spent. Then we walked up to the hilltop where there was a monastery. A wedding had taken place so we popped our heads in to find two musicians practicing for another wedding with a violin and piano, which sounded marvellous. Wanting to return back to the main part of the city we went over the high bridge shared with the metro. Again good views as we crossed. Time for lunch - never easy with Chris! We walked and rejected many; to be fair a lot were quite expensive. Returning back down by the water front at lunchtime in a major tourist location Chris commented it was busy! We sat and were given menus at two restaurants but moved on. Eventually opting for the third. Here we spent an hour due to the speed of service. That said it was all freshly cooked. We both had 'Francesinha du Carago' and chips. It is two slices of bread. In between them is a piece of beef steak, thick ham, chorizo and smoked sausage. The top and bottom has cheese on it. This is cooked and a fried egg planted on top of all this served with a mildly spiced tomato sauce and, of course, the chips. It really was very nice and filling. We then continued our trundling, visiting the main shopping area and the great avenue with the Pacos do Concelho (Town Hall) at the top of it. Although old looking it was started in 1920's. Arriving at the bottom of the grand avenue with suitably grand buildings either side we made our way to a church (!). En route we found a 'Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata'. These small custard pies, are a national treasure and delightful so four were purchased.. We could not get in to the church as a wedding had taken place and all those involved were still blocking the way. We walked to the the far end of the building where the bride and groom were on some stone steps and were joined, not by the parents, but the best man and bridesmaids all who donned blackcapes. Meanwhile about fifteen men in black with various instruments sang while waiters served beer or water to the guests in the street. Entertaining and, for us unusual. We had a quick 'once over' in the church and were off again. A visit to the railway station was recommended and it certainly was very different. With tiling all around. We eventually arrived at the university where two routes of old tram cars met. We paid our cash and went on a circular thirty minute ride on one of the routes. At one point we could not pass a parked car so a few of us 'bounced it' a few inches and then folding in the door mirror meant we could squeeze by. Back at our starting point we decided to visit 'the most beautiful book shop in the world'. We had to queue to buy tickets and then queue to get in! That said it was a lovely book store rightly deserving the accolade and very 'Harry Potter-ish'. Our tickets got us two small booklets 'The World's Most Beautiful Bookshop - volumes I and II. By now we had been in Porto for 21000 steps or over nine hours, so we felt it time to return home. We had the bus timetable but it would appear to be for weekdays. We found we had missed a bus by ten minutes and another was not due for sixty five. What to do? A bar, a glass of red wine; and some people watching was the answer. Eventually, and on time, we boarded the bus and off we went. At one juncture, due to some parked cars, two lanes squeezed into one. A car driver decided to move over while the bus in front, which had right of way, did not want to give ground. The inevitable happened. This resulted in a delay while some words were exchanged, presumably to do with people's parentage. Anyway we were soon off again and by about 21.15 sitting back comfortably at home with a glass of vino. Another good day.
Sunday 13th October (Day 53)
So time to move on. During the night it started to rain and showers continued into the day. We were so lucky yesterday as Porto would have been so different if it was wet. We 'filled and emptied' and paid out €17 a night fee and were off. Only 800m as we went to Lidl - HORRORS no fresh milk. This would need addressing. Our target stop was on the River Douro at a place called Pinhåo. We searched along the route for a supermarket for fresh milk. We identified an Intermarche, 40Km away, so that was our next stop. Well it was Sunday and we drove up and up into nowhere. My thoughts were (a) if it is open it is a result; (b) if it is a large store that is brilliant; and (C) if it sold fresh semi skimmed milk it would be a miracle. Well I have to report miracles do happen. We continued on along the Douro valley. I drove for about 40Km in third gear as either the engine had to slow us on steep downhill roads or we needed the low gear to climb after hairpin bends. It was, for me, a great drive but we had to stop for a while as Chris felt a bit queasy. We then stopped at a motorhome stop for lunch. There was room to stay and for €3 with full services including lecky it was a bargain. We were not detracted from our destination and off we went. Good old satnav and coordinates. If they are wrong you get into real issues. We drove down a 1:2 cobbled hill through a narrow arch with a ninety degree turn and then through a second narrow arch to find ourselves........ on a footpath by the river. With the help of Chris and a local man we managed to do a three point, well twenty three point turn, and return whence we came. Even the hill was an issue with a lovely smell of clutch. Eventually we found the right place and parked up. A stroll along the small village followed and then we sat at a bar watching the sun go down chatting to a man from Cornwall on 'honeymoon' with his Californian wife. Returning to the MH we cooked, sat and chatted and then sleepy time.
Monday 14th October (Day 54)
Plan A was a boat trip today, but during the night 'cats and dogs' fell from the sky and the day started, well the polite saying is, rubbish. We sat for a while hoping for a miracle but no. So the decision was made 'move on'. We had identified two possible stops. One was in the middle of nowhere at the top of a hill with only raptors for company; the other was the city of Salamanca back in Spain. The first was on the way to the second. The day started a bit butt clenching because as I bowled down the road , maybe a tad overconfident, and at a sharp bend, we met a 52 seater coaching traveling towards us. He stopped and we did - just. A slight skid and we would have met (the road was wet). I had about five or so centimetres between the roadside wall and us and maybe fifteen between us and the coach. A slow careful manoeuvre followed and we both passed successfully. Onwards again - more cautiously. The road, however, continued to be a challenge and another forty to fifty kilometres continued with us mainly in third gear to either slow us up going down hill or give us enough 'oomph' going up. Lunchtime saw us a Almeida, apparently a stunning town with original and complete castle walls - star shaped. Also a free stopover including EHU. (UK when will you learn!) So what did we do? Had lunch and moved on. Almeida was just a tad short of Spain and so we soon 'lost the hour'. Spain treated us royally with motorway all the way to Salamanca. That said the scenery was quite desert like. Eventually we we stopped in a car park less that 400m from the city centre. Others were here already and it took us four attempts to park so that we felt we were not an inconvenience to locals. Then, well, the heavens opened. We sat and waited patiently and about 18.00 walked into town wearing long trousers and jumpers which was the first time since leaving home in August - it is only twelve degrees! This is a lovely city with stunning buildings and winding narrow streets. We were looking for somewhere to eat and, despite it being a city, we did not really find a restaurant that appealed. Fortunately we were saved by 'O'Hara's Irish Pub'. Guinness and wine with free tapas! By the time we left food was not a major issue! One thing that now is an issue is going to the loo. In Portugal, when doing No2's you should put the toilet paper in a bin when you have used it; It has taken me ages to get this sorted. Now in Spain it reverts to the 'normal' way of disposal. In addition, we are back to a language that is spoken very fast with lots of tongue between the teeth (the 'Thh' sound). While still problematical for me it is an easier to understand language than the Russian sounding Portuguese language. Anyway, returning to the MH we decided a British bacon sarny was in order before a relax and then bed.
Tuesday 15th October (Day 55)
Well as some footy commentators would say it was a game of three halves. After brecky we walked back in to Salamanca. The cathedral (old) circa 10th century and the new one (circa 15th century) were fabulous buildings from the outside so we decided inside needed a viewing. They were OK but we have been spoilt and seen better. Then a stroll around the city before a coffee and cake. The first half is over! Back to the motorhome and the second half starts, so off we go. First stop about an hour away for water. Then stop two Carrefour for some 'essentials'. Lunch in their car park and off again to Brievesca. We stopped in the footy car park and by the evening there were six others. To get a bit of exercise; the third half started and we went for a walk into the town. The main square had the church of Saint Martin so being religious 'groupies' we had quick look. For a smallish town it was quite impressive. That is more than I can say for the town which had more shop units for sale or rent than open. A quick stop to help their economy then back to the MH to plan our next journey towards Chris' friend Jo in Charras, France for a Friday meet up. Dinner and chill time followed.
Wednesday 16th October (Day 56)
Some days are just a mixed blessing! After breakfast we did the 'fill and empty' routine before leaving for our next stop called, believe it or not, St Pée Sur Nivelle. During the night we were disturbed by the pump occasionally coming on. This signalled all was not well and, indeed, we found the pump was leaking. An absorbent cloth to remedy the situation and then off we went for a journey of about three-ish hours. 'Beep' went the satnav and the 'lady' informed us of a problem ahead, the problem being a car on its roof and serious congestion. Then the gantries also informed us of this issue. Well the 'lady' found a good alternative adding only about twenty minutes. A result! More to the point the new route was a delight. Roads winding gently between mountains and hills covered in trees with leaves of colours from the dark green of the evergreens to the light green, yellow amber and red of the rest; absolutely beautiful. Throw in a few tunnels and bridges for good measure made for a great drive. We needed some bread for lunch though. Surely not an issue? Hah!!!!!! Looking for grocery stores along our route we were taken to a couple the size of a small corner shop that we could not access; a large supermarket chain with a 2.4m height barrier; oh and the 'zone commercial' that was a small car park at the bottom of a narrow road with a 3m access gap and NO shops. Eventually we found a Mercadona where we managed to shop. This meant a late lunch - in their car park! Surely our testing time had ended. Well it would have if someone (of the male persuasion) had not entered the coordinates of our stop incorrectly. We arrived at a car park for about ten cars - nowhere near a lake and to turn around we had to drive a short distance the wrong way up a one way street. Another ten or so minutes and we were parked up. We then spent some time trying to find a French Chausson dealer on our journey route who could fix the pump issue. Friday morning in Anguoleme is our hoped for salvation. By now it was around 17.00 so having parked by a lovely lake we opted for some exercise around it. A pleasant walk of about 3km. On the way we found a restaurant that serves moules and frites so that is tea sorted. Moules and chips! I have never had so many moules. The may not have been huge but a hundred each was just amazing. A slow (stuffed) stroll back and bed time beckoned.
