Monday 1st April 2013 - Saturday 6th April 2013

Monday 1^st April 2013 – Friday 5^th April 2013

It looks as if it just might be a nice day in prospect, as we pack to leave. We are not taking any chances, we intend to make our way to the Algarve to see if we can pick up some sunshine.

An easy drive, just a little rain, and we arrive at:

Lagos, Orbitur Valverde (N37 5’59” W8 43’4”)

Another Orbitur site, to use our newly acquired Orbitur Discount Card.

 All looks fine, more people here than we have encountered anywhere else so far, and IT IS NOT RAINING, we even get to sit in the sun for a while in the afternoon.

The evening is spent in finishing off my second last bottle of Rioja, and very nice it is too. In between times, I burden Kathleen with an explanation of GPS, Satnav and how the funny number labelled degrees, minutes and seconds can pinpoint your location. She is not impressed.

Tuesday 2^nd April 2013

It is still dry!

I unload our bicycles from the bike carrier for the first time since we left home.

We cycle down (yes, downhill too the village, which means uphill on the return of course) to the village of Luz, about 2Km away.

I am not totally sure, but, I think this may be the Praia de Luz of the missing child Madelaine McCann.

Kathleen finds the combination for her purse and buys us not one, but two beers at a beachfront bar. Beer is cheap here in Portugal, compared to France and Spain, 2.60Euro for two bottles of 5.5% Pils type Lager (in a bar).

Buy some Portuguese red wine, which I am assured is good “Herdade dos Muachos”, from the Alentejano region. Watch this space, it was more expensive than we usually pay, at 2.99Euro.  

In the afternoon, back at the site, we chat to our neighbour, who turns out to be a Brit.

Some people do amazing things. He and his wife have sold up in the UK and are living in Portugal, in a caravan, which they towed here from the UK. I am not sure if they have been on this site for the whole six years, but, they are not going anywhere from here soon, since they have sold the 4x4 which towed the caravan here and now have a Portuguese registered Honda Civic, plus an impressive Honda motorcycle.

They have so far returned to the UK once on the motorcycle, that is some ride!

The sun being out, Kathleen spends the rest of day lying in it, then expresses surprise, no, amazement that she is sunburned.

I see from my Emails, we have passed Josie and Mack, who are going in the opposite direction. If you are reading this Josie, sorry I have not replied to your Emails, I am receiving Emails OK, but, having difficulty sending them. I have had this problem before, but got around it by using “3”’s Email server. That is not working now, perhaps because I am no longer with “3”. Have tried various other tricks, which have worked in the past, eg changing Port numbers etc, but, to no avail.

Same apology goes to my brother, Brian, if you are reading this, I have received your Email about French SIM card, but, as explained above, having difficulty replying.

Wednesday 3^rd April 2013. It rains much of the night, but, it is fine in the morning. We decide to go to Lagos for the day. It is about 5km away, according to my free iPhone Portugal Satnav app. The plan is to walk there and bus back. Sure enough, my trusty iPhone guides us there without a problem. The “old” (ie original) part of Lagos is very pleasant, lots of narrow and quaint streets with a good selection of bars and cafes. There is even a Slave Market (now a museum of course), so, I am unable to buy a replacement (for Kathleen).

There appears to be a lot of Brits here, we seem to be surrounded by people speaking English. I had not realised Portugal was such a popular destination for Brits.

No problem finding the bus station, to come back.

Someone had told us, bus fares in Portugal are expensive, at 1.30Euro each for a 4km ride, it is true if compared to France or Spain, but not compared to what we would have to pay in the UK (if it wasn’t for our nice pensioners bus passes).

Thursday 4^th April 2013. The weather forecast says today is to be pretty much like yesterday, it was exactly right. Overnight rain, a couple of heavy showers during the day, but, otherwise warm and sunny.

Walking through the countryside on the way to Lagos, there are several Golf Course developments, with associated housing etc

It is one hours walk to Lagos, and that is where the nearest Catholic Church is.

Even for someone of Kathleen’s commitment, that is a bit far to walk!

We have been told there is an Aire in Lagos, “ten minutes walk from the town centre”, and we know there are two churches near the town. The Aire is not in our edition of the “Aires in Spain and Portugal”, so whilst we are in Lagos today, we check out the whereabouts of the Aire.

Friday 5^th April 2013. We move to the Aire at Lagos (N37 06’ 01”, W8 43’ 07”), with the intention of staying here so Kathleen can do the Church duty.

The Aire is fairly easy to find, even easier once you know where it is of course!, Just off the EN125 as you enter Lagos from the East. It is alongside the Football Stadium and opposite the Police Station.

It is all very tidy and organised, at 3Euro per night. A service point, free Wifi, toilets and showers (2Euro) in the Sports Complex (ie Football Stadium), plus there are a choice of Supermarkets (Pingo Doce, Lidl, Aldi and Continente) within walking distance.

Saturday 6th April 2013.

We are woken by a noise at 07:00. No, for a change, it is not the rain. We discover there is a market on Saturdays, on the field next to the Aire. The stall holders have arrived en-masse and are busy erecting their stalls.

How we did not hear the fifty or so assorted "white vans" arrive I do not know.

The man arrives for his 3Euro, exactly as it says he will on the notice board.

The young French girl in the van which arrived next to us latish last night, argues the point, and storms across to the notice (I her payjamas), it is quite a chilly morning, quite a pleasant sight.

After breakfast, the market is in full swing, so we have a wonder. Typical market lots of tat, not expensive, but tat never the less.

Why do people do it?

I have to admit, the idea of markets is beyond me.

How can people in China make assorted clothes, which are then shipped half way around the world and sold for less than 1Euro?

Since hardly anyone is actually buying anything, why do the stall holders bother to get out of bed so early, assemble their stall, unpack their gear etc etc?

The only stall which appears to be doing a roaring trade is a young lady selling sort of do-nut things, she actually has a queue.

Wednesday 27th March 2013 - Sunday 31st March 2013

Wednesday 27^th March 2013

 We wake up to torrential rain!

 This is beginning to be, beyond a joke!

A quick photograph of the Santiago de Compestella campsite in the never ending rain, and, off we go, heading for Portugal, and, hopefully, better weather!

There is initial disagreement between Kathleen and the Tomtom (nothing unusual in that). Kathleen was expecting the Tomtom to take us on the N550 south, Which I agree looks the obvious option.

Instead, it took us on a “smaller” road (AC841 according to our road atlas), it was a good road, but, Kathleen was beginning to be concerned that she had entered the wrong details. We stopped to to check, but, all was OK. I had just made the re-assuring noises about the road being fine, when the instruction came, turn right ahead.

I had spoken too soon.

This was onto a really minor road (PO-VP something or other). What a shocker, it had been heavily potholed, but, the pot holes had been filled to be about an inch higher than needed. The result, we are given a given a good shaking for about ten miles, before we join the (decent) N640, then N550, on past Pontevedra, with some bits of free motorway (A-52) where it was finished before they ran out of cash.

Estela, Rio Alto (N41 27’ 46”, W8 46’ 22”) A large site, right by the sea, but, it would appear there are only three lots of people here, an Austrian van and another British van, plus ourselves of course. A fourth van arrives in the evening (Spanish).

The site is good, but, so far, the weather has not improved a lot. Just showers now, instead of a steady downpour.

Not cold however.

Our English neighbour is very informative, and puts us onto a new deal from Orbitur (Portuguese campsite chain), just before our friends Josie and Mack tell us of the same deal. By joining the Orbitur Club, you can prepay for ten sites and get them for 9Euro per night, including electricity. It costs 10Euro to join, so your first ten sites cost 10 Euro per night, there after 9Euro.

Kathleen loves that, she just loves a bargain.

The rain has eased to just the occasional heavy shower!

Decent facilities here, including enough amps to run the hair dryer, so, Kathleen amuses herself with the hair washing ritual.

Friday 29^th March 2013

It has rained all night, and, when I say rained, I mean really rained, pissed down is I believe the appropriate expression!

It is still pissing down as I walk to Reception to ask them to disconnect the electricity.

The plan today is to go to Fatima, this being an appropriate religious spot for the Easter weekend. I do have doubts about turning up there on Good Friday, I would expect it to be full, but, we do have a fall back plan (Lorvao N40 15.539’ W8 18.918) about 50 miles from Fatima, according to the Satnav. Both options from the Spain and Portugal Aires Book.

A hundred and odd miles of pouring rain, and occasional fog, not one of our most scenic drives.

In many places, the fields are flooded, and as shown in the photograph, many rivers have burst their banks, flooding the surrounding fields.

This river is just a few inches below the road bridge as we cross, just inches short of flooding the road..

There is a major new road under construction as we approach Fatima, it is not finished, and even the bits which are finished are not on our Satnav, so we end up being taken on a circuitous, very steep (often first gear) and twisting route. There is water running down the road like a small stream. Gives Kathleen a chance to get in the praying mood.

Fatima (N39 38.003’ W8 40.217’) There are lots of Campervans here, mostly Portugeuse. Well, I suppose that is reasonable, it is their country.

All of the “top notch” bays (nice size and each with it’s own little picnic table, (on the left of the photograph) are occupied, but, there are plenty of spaces in “second class”.

So, my fears of not being able to get a spot, are unfounded.

No electricity, but, as the book says, there are toilets and they are very well kept.

Kathleen takes herself off to church on Good Friday evening and almost gets herself lost finding her way back to the van. Not surprising really, the "shrine" area is enormous.

Saturday 30^th March 2013. It is dry and sunny, we cannot believe it.

We stroll around the Basillica area, as I said before, it is enormous.
Just look at those white fuffy clouds and that blue sky. Aren't they amazing?

OK, so you hink I am going over the top?, we have not seen blue sky for days and days.....

We meet what appear to be the only other English couple here (well, they are Welsh, but, they seem pleasant enough despite that).

I am pleasantly surprised, it is all very well done, and virtually no tacky souvenir and statue sellers, indeed virtually no commercialism at all, and what there is, is not overpriced.

The happenings at Fatima are fairly recent (1917), so, the buildings are all recent, some of them very modern indeed.

Kathleen has plans to attend the Easter Vigil, Saturday evening at 22:00, but is concerned at finding her way back by herself in the dark. I foolishly offer to attend with her.

 For now, the sunshine is too good to waste, we wander into town, find a bar, and sit in the sun drinking beer, now this feels more like a holiday.

Then, to lunch.

We are presented with bread, olives and two kinds of cheese to “nibble” while we choose from the menu etc. Odd to be given cheese at the start, for us, it is usually regarded as an “afters”.

Kathleen, the usually cautious eater, amazes me, by tucking into the unknown cheese, without even being sure from which animal it came, and, without waiting for me to try it first.

The meal and bottle of very pleasant red wine are excellent value for 27Euro.

Sure enough, we attend the Easter Vigil.

It is impressively well organised, but, it goes on for well over two and a half hours! It is actually still going on at 12:30 when we leave!

When we come out, it is raining again!

My presence does not prevent us getting lost in the dark and rain. This of course is deemed to be my fault. I do point out, that, by convention, the person thought to be in the lead is at the front.

Sunday 31^st March 2013. It has rained all night, and is still raining as we leave, indeed it pours with rain for every one of the 160 miles to the next campsite. Villa Nova de Milfontes, Sitiva (N37 46’48” W8 47’1”). Another site from the ACSI book (belonging to the Orbitur group, so, we can use our 9Euro vouchers).

The site is fine, a bit big for our taste, but it appears well kept.

The pouring rain continues. We are parked next to a Scots couple, who arrived from Lagos yesterday, they tell us, they have had 7 days of rain there, and are heading North to attempt to escape it.

They are not really cheered by our news, that we are heading South for the same reason! Indeed, neither party have any cheer from the exchange of information!