It wasn't half quiet – not a sound all night until the birds
started walking on the roof pecking off all the squashed insects!
We’re leaving Portugal today and after having checked the
maps decided we’d route via Valladolid as we’d have a few choices of stopping
places going that way without having to wander far off route. So initially
staying off the motorway we headed into Braganca to stock up – it’s Easter
weekend and we’re expecting most places to be shut. However no luck so we found
ourselves for the first, and last, time on an A road, though it wasn't actually
toll, which took us across the border into Spain.
From the wooded hills of Portugal we rapidly climbed up onto
the Spanish plateau and found miles and miles of wide open space, quite
intensively farmed. It was nice to be using good fast roads again and we
enjoyed the run, eventually joining a motorway; there being no really suitable
alternative we stuck with it (no toll – cheapskates!). At the town of Zamora we
pulled off to find a supermarket and after a circuit of the centre came back to
a Dia, which is similar to Aldi – and just as well we didn’t leave it any later
as everything was closing at 3.00pm and of course we’d
forgotten to put our clocks forward an hour…….
Lunch just outside the car park (we didn’t want to get
locked in) we realised that Valladolid and our alternative Palencia, were both
city centre aires and both cities had big celebrations today and tomorrow
(thankyou Rough Guide!). Luckily there was a small town in between the two,
albeit a bit off track, that looked interesting so we reprogrammed TomTom and
headed to Ampudia. Leaving the motorway for again good cross country roads we
noted many castles and fortified buildings. The sign Ruta di Castello should
have perhaps given us a clue!
Ampudia is a lovely little village (with castle!) and the small aire had room aplenty for us. As we've got a time in hand before we need to get to France we've decided to let Spain get Holy Week out of its system and stay here a day or two. (It helps that the Portuguese internet works here too!)
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