Tuesday 31 March 2015

Another scorcher, which makes getting going not quite so easy! However get and go we must so after the usual full service we headed off to a local hypermarket, Continente this time, to resupply. Had a little difficulty finding our way out, the saida (exit) signs had us going round and round the car park, but we foiled them in the end!

We missed the aqueduct yesterday so, as it was on our route, we stopped off for a quick look and a photo; funny it seemed more dramatic when we came through 2 years ago. Then northwards, carefully avoiding the motorway; the signposts keep trying to make you use them and the alternatives are not usually very clear, but again we foiled them.

The roads were generally good and very quiet so we bowled along quite happily in the hot sunshine with the air-conditioning going. Our route firstly took us across quite a flat area with several hill top walled  towns, before meeting the hills of Evoramonte and from there on it was quite scenic. Forestry seems to be quite important, noting the several timber lorries we encountered (why is it always on a bend?). The occasional reservoir also provided more interest although regretfully we were past before we could grab the camera. Everybody thinks of the Algarve when talking about Portugal but there is some beautiful countryside away from the coast, and in our case we were never more than a few miles from the Spanish border as we headed north.

Evoramonte

Estremoz?

Portalegre?

Lunch was taken at a picnic area off the main IP2 where we realised that our projected target night stop was going to be a bit of a stretch. However a check of the campsite books showed a free municipal site at Castelo Branco which was just right so TomTom was given his instructions again, although he did seem to have a tendency to use the motorways. Brens map-reading soon sorted that.

It was only as we were skirting the town that Bren noticed the site was apparently not yet open for the season, but being within a few minutes we carried on to find the book was wrong and it was open February to November. It was wrong about being free as well, but €6.35 is very good when we have full facilities, though we eschewed electricity this time, the batteries being well charged enough for one night.

With only a few units on site we had our choice of pitch and settled down amongst the trees with a welcome drink and snooze until it got cooler – we've seen 35 deg again today. It’s hard to remember that it’s cold wet and windy at home – just got a message asking us to bring some sunshine with us! (Wilco!)

But if that b----y dog doesn't shut up, murder is going to be done later…………..