Masks, Meseta, and Misericords

 It was a little frosty yesterday morning so we took the opportunity to lie in - to around 815am (yes, the fluffy one thinks that this is lying in).

Our morning sky

The Iberian Museum of the Mask and the Costume within the walls of the castelo opened at 9 so we strolled up the steep path to discover that dogs aren’t allowed in - sigh. I went in first and paid the 2 euro 26 cents (weird pricing) for both of us. It’s a fabulous collection of costumes worn in winter festivals in several villages around the region of Tras-Os-Montes and into Spain. According to the information sheet they are known in English as the Feasts of the Boys (Festas dos Rapazes).They are ancient pagan celebrations that have been integrated into the Christian religious calendar. Unfortunately the lighting and the glass cases did not make for great photos and it’s a shame there were no videos of the events but the collection itself is very interesting. Some are very similar to traditional British folk costumes, particularly the paper tatters and te straw man. They have a folk dance tradition called Pauliteiras which is very similar to morris Dancing. You can find videos on YouTube if you want to check it out.

Familiar face

Paper tatters

Straw chap

Cute smile

Having had our fill of demons and skeletons we popped into the supermarket to stock up on fabulous Douro and Alentejo wines then bid farewell to Portugal. The route took us across the dry, flat meseta to our next stop Léon in Spain where we parked by the river and walked into the old town to peruse the grand cathedral and find a restaurant. It’s one of the main waypoints on the Compostela and we’d been before several years ago. It’s an impressive cathedral but we both found it strangely devoid of atmosphere - maybe it’s just us. There’s an impressive altar of course and some amazing carvings and stained glass windows. The old town was buzzing with bars and cafes but, as we were eating early (around 730 and most kitchens didn’t open till 830), the only place we found to eat was a pizza joint. Very good it was too.

Understated altar

Cute green man

Mermaid misericord

 We’re now still on the Compostela in Carrion De Los Condes. Just about every restaurant is closed but we found one with a menu del dia for 14 euros - three courses with wine. Excellent.

Our overnight stop

Waymarkers on the footpaths

Child Bride and Perky Duke

Around 800 years ago a Spanish princess, Isabella of Aragon, married a much older King Dinis of Spain just near where we were parked at Trancoso in the mountains of Portugal. She was later canonised for putting up with her husband’s affairs, looking after the children he had with his many mistresses, and turning bread into flowers. I’m sure there was more to it than that but you get the gist. There is a lovely pair of statues of them both outside the walls of the fortified city - apparently the woman is smaller than the man as she was only a child when they married. The town had a very chilled vibe, mainly because it was Sunday and everything was shut but we managed to catch another castelo (yes, with washing hanging on the walls) and a small Jewish centre. 

More washing on the castle walls

Rather like chess pieces, we thought

Our night in the car park was uneventful but for Graham waking up to a strange light show outside. Was it someone checking out the van in an attempt to break in, or was it the spirit of Isabella paying us a visit? It turned out to be the full moon making an appearance through a slit in our skylight, much to the fluffy one’s relief. (In case you’re wondering, I have no idea why this paragraph is sitting in this position on the page)

The drive today took us through the high Douro River regions with vast stretches of vineyards, a few goats, and yet more olive groves along the route. At one point we were driving through clouds and could barely see the road ahead but Graham’s masterful driving got us through unscathed and we arrived in Bragança just in time for a yummy lunch at a restaurant we’d visited many years ago just inside the castle walls.

Unfortunate angle of Duke Fernando

Our last Portuguese castelo

Tasca Do Zé Tuga is a traditional (but slightly overpriced due to its location) Portuguese restaurant with an old fashioned interior, very nice jazz music, and the best chocolate ice cream we’ve ever tasted. Our waiter was very friendly even after Hugo tried to bite him for giving him a pat on the head. We later strolled around town and learned that all the museums were closed (of course) but we hope to see the Mask Museum in the morning before we head to Spain.

Perfection 

Loving this cute interior

Up to the River Below

 On our road north the view is changing. When we look up we no longer see storks on sticks but osprey, vultures, and the odd flock of lapwings swirling above our heads. It’s getting a little more mountainous and a lot more ‘rivery’. And there was a random woman walking beside the road with a large plastic bucket on her head - no hands.

Easy walking

Does this look like two turtles kissing to you?

Yesterday’s route started out as very relaxing as I calmly watched the cork fields slip by. But then - the road got twirlier - and thinner - and more full of gigantic trucks loaded with massive logs bearing down on us from in front and from the rear. I must say it’s a tad terrifying when you come around a bend and see a big blue truck almost on your side of the road. Thankfully Graham’s driving was very calm and measured and the scary bit was only for the last 20 or so kilometres of the drive.

And of course we’re still on the Compostela

The entrance to the town of Vila Velha de Rodão was dusty from roadworks and, of course, we got the red light for the one way traffic system as we were still on the extremely high bridge. EEEEEK! Surprisingly the parking area for the van was down a steep hill that took us directly to the peaceful and attractive banks of the River Tagus. It was exciting to find that this area is famous for its archaeological finds and petroglyphs. The museum is currently closed but we remembered we’d visited quite a few years ago so we  simply enjoyed walks by the river and Graham posed with a few Neolithic individuals (albeit cartoons).

The area is well known for its fauna as well. We didn’t see any of the otters, cobras, or mongooses (Mongeese?) that live in the area but Hugo met an unpleasant collie who tried to nip his heels.

Today we drove further up the mountain to a spa town, Unhais de Serra. There is a river running through the town that, in summer we think, is blocked off in certain sections to turn it into swimming areas. I don’t think I’d like to use the diving board at this time of year. Not sure where we’ll end up tomorrow.

Looks dodgy any time of year to me

Castles Aplenty

It seems we’ve swapped beaches for castles as we’re currently parked by the walls of our third one in three days. Once more our drive has been along a road weaving through green of rolling hills studded with vineyards, cork trees, and yet more eucalypt forests. All along the way we saw storks nesting on the top of power poles and clacking their beaks. At one point almost every pole had a nesting pair.

And they were on the chimneys in town, too

We found our first Castelo in Silves. Graham hadn’t seen his friend, JJ, in some years so we pootled along to Silves to catch up with him there. I think it’s as close to the Algarve as we got. Lots of British, French, Dutch and Germans spend winter there in their motor homes and the food reflects that. We even had a ham and cheese toastie (under duress) which was actually quite yummy. Thankfully we were able to find some fabulous Portuguese food and it was so cheap - two separate restaurants did three courses for 10 Euros. Fresh whole fish, salad, desert and wine - bargain.

The castle was unique as it had an Aldi supermarket at the base of it - very posh. The winding lanes are always fun to get lost in, especially when you find a souvenir shop to top up those essential items like a chicken shaped toothpick holder, an oven glove and a fish-themed tea towel. And I can understand why all those Brits come down here - the temperature was a sunny 22 to 25 degrees all day. Very acceptable.

Once we’d had the taste of our first castelo we couldn’t resist another. Off to the village of Mértola we went and parked by the Guardiana River.

Our view up to the village

A slightly muddy Guardiana River

It has an interesting history and is worth a visit if you’re in the area. The church was once a mosque and still has the vaulted ceilings you’d find there. There is a small museum of weaving which shows a lot of the Berber style brought over by the Moors when they conquered the area. 

Mosque turned church

The castle itself was impressive but a bit of a slog to traipse up the to the top - all worth it to take a photo of the boys looking tiny from a great height.

Where is everyone?

I’m down here!!

Our latest castelo is in Vila Viçosa in the heart of the Alentejo wine region. It was once an important political centre but now is famous for marble and wine.The food’s pretty good, too.

The door of knots

Oh, and it’s on the Compostela

Grand ducal palace

Pretty town house

Naughty (?) sculpture in the church

We’re now sitting in the van listening to the sounds of birds, cowbells and dogs barking in the distance. Tomorrow we head further north.

Bumps - And Some in the Night

 Our drive today was both gorgeous and atrocious. The road wound its way through olive groves, cork fields, eucalyptus forests, and undulating hills bright green after the recent downpours. There were giant storks nesting atop power poles, a moped rider laden with twigs for his fireplace, even a butterfly who flew in front of our windshield and waved hello with his yellow wings.

View from our window

The atrocious part? The actual road itself reminded me of some of the Australian country roads of my youth. There were cracks, holes, and undulations that mirrored the bright green hills only with extra unexpected bumps in them. There has obviously been a lot of work on the Portuguese road system over the years but not on our route today. Rocks dotted the road where they’d fallen from the cliffs along the edge and we would suddenly come upon a section of untreated surface that had no warning whatsoever.

We made it to a very, shall we say, rustic campsite in the hills behind Portomão where the temperature is about 25 degrees and we’ve been able to sit outside in short sleeves for the first time in a while.We’re hoping we’ll be safe here as we had a rather disturbing experience last night at the beach.

Enjoying bread and cheese in the sun

Despite the area we were in being legal to camp we’d heard of people being moved on if they’d parked just a few hundred meters away so were alert to the idea of police patrolling the area. At 3AM someone was tapping on the van and shouting something in Portuguese. Immediately we were awake and presumed it was the police telling us to move. Graham turned on the lights, opened the blinds and peered out but couldn’t see who was there.

He decided it would be best for him to get out of the van and investigate (against my instructions that he was NOT to go outside and investigate). I heard voices and saw a strange man’s face at the window who looked at me and said ‘hi’- he was clearly not a policeman. Graham returned to the van unmurdered and all in one piece but not much sleep was had after that. Speaking to other van people this morning they think the guy was on drugs and the site is normally very safe. Graham has agreed he will not leave the van if someone bangs on the van and shouts at us again. 

From Coast to Country Then Back Again

 We knew we had to avoid the bridges of Lisbon on our way south due to my extreme bridge phobia (gephyrobobia - don't ask me how to pronounce it) so we headed inland to Alcácer do Sal. On the way we had a night at a fabulous spot called Foz de Arelho where the Atlantic Ocean connects to the largest salt water lagoon in Europe. Our lagoon side location was perfect for watching the fishing boats and kite surfers although the rain came in again overnight and turned the place into a mud puddle in the morning.

Where lagoon meets ocean

Our view as the fog came in in the morning

Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay there, especially Mr Fluffy who happily consumed yet another octopus dish at Taverna Lagoa. We would definitely return in better weather to make the most of the lagoon - and the restaurant. 

Back to Alcácer Do Sal - what a stunning town.

Rice fields at sunset

Our view over the river

Morning fog over the rice fields

White houses, roman ruins, rice fields, views, friendly people - and a bridge with lights that change colour at night. What more could one ask for. We had driven to one of the barragems (or dams) nearby but it was muddy and boring so we went back to town. A gorgeous walk up to the Crypt Arqueologica ensured we had fabulous views over the town and fields and we encountered a young woman on a swing singing softly to herself which added to the atmosphere.

We parked by this bridge

Night view

Unfortunately, later that evening we ate out at a cafe and thought it would be a good idea to try a local dish called Migas which is bread soaked in water, mixed with coriander and other stuff, then fried. I can’t say I’m a fan although Graham managed to swallow his half. The waiter kindly took it off the bill - I get the feeling my negative reaction wasn’t an uncommon one. The Alentejo wine, however, was very delicious and very acceptably priced at 13 euros.

We’re back on the coast now at a very groovy surfing site beach called Sines São Torpes. There are no other British people around and we’ve only seen around three or four others in total on our trip so far. Most here are young surfers from Poland, The Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal. One small transit sized van is complete with five, yes five, long-haired dachshunds and we’ve seen two other vans with cats draping themselves leisurely over the dashboards. The parking area sits between a gigantic power station and the beach - very weird - but, as parking on beaches is banned in this area, this is our best ‘legal’ bet.

You’ve seen a beach so here’s our power station

Tomorrow we head back to inland Portugal to catch up with a friend in Silves.

Aveiro

 It’s been an interesting couple of days of fog, rain storms, sun, more rain - and getting lost. We decided to go to Aveiro which is a city of culture and is famous for its canals and its art nouveau architecture. The roads getting in and out were challenging to say the least - road blocks, diversions, spaghetti junctions and an increasingly stressed Mr Fluffy. It made the trip rather tense. 

We eventually found the correct place to park - a less than salubrious area under a flyover that was a 5 minute walk into the attractive town. There is an Art Nouveau Museum but we couldn’t go in because Hugo was not allowed. There was a lot to see just walking around town as we dodged the raindrops.

Beautifully painted boats take tourists around the canals

Clouties on the friendship bridges

One of the many Art Nouveau buildings

Almost like Venice

Love this building

We had stunning weather this morning until the predicted storm arrived rather suddenly. It absolutely chucked it down so we took refuge in a restaurant and consumed vast quantities of codfish and noodles - a local specialty. After getting lost - again - on the way out of town we made it to another beach near Figuera do Foz.

Looks like another storm is coming in. But the wine is cheap - and surprisingly pleasant.

Two glasses wine 2euro 20cents 

Ominous clouds

Perusing Portugal

 Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the van

Inside’s delightful … etc, etc

Wish we had this decal on our van

We crossed into Portugal yesterday and haven’t seen a whole lot yet as the fog has been so thick it’s difficult to see anything.

Even Hugo’s bored

The morning was spent doing one of the most boring things on earth when you’re travelling in a van - the washing. A couple of hours dragged by outside a Carrefour Extra in Nigrán (a lovely town by the beach not far from the border)as I watched the laundry tumble around seemingly endlessly and I almost lost the will to live. Eventually it ended and now the van smells fresh and clean instead of fusty and damp. (The towels were beginning to grow a beard …) 

Welcome to Portugal

We headed off along the coast and as the ‘Portugal’ sign came into view the fog seemed to get thicker. Weirdly, the temperature has stayed pretty high - around 17 degrees C. A large storm is supposed to be coming in tomorrow so that should be interesting.

Mannequin art 

Church in the clouds

Jesus

We stopped overnight in the village of Vila Nova de Cerveira, a place famous for art with a square full of restaurants, a church, and a medieval castle. Graham felt like a change from seafood and ordered the house specialty of what we thought was lamb and vegetables. Once it arrived I thought it would be a good idea to translate the dish as my Portuguese is a tad rubbish. We discovered it was actually kid goat and it was very good.

More art by the river

Clouds we drove through today

Hugo enjoyed the leftovers but we’ve decided he’ll never be allowed to eat it again as, later that evening, his buttocks emitted the worst goaty aromas ever smelt in the history of doggy farts. The van was thrust back into smelling atrocious for a short time until all windows were flung open in an attempt to breathe fresh air and flush out the offending smell. Thank heavens it’s warm.

Not much of a beach view

We’re now parked behind a bus station in Esposende. We tried the beach down the road but couldn’t see anything so we’ve come into town in the hope of finding an open restaurant. No luck so far but I spent a good hour perusing the aisles of Aldi instead. Town is probably the best place to be in case we do get the predicted storm. Despite the weird weather we are enjoying Portugal so far - the sun should be returning at the end of the week.