Day 20&21 Down the Iberian Peninsular - Castelo do Bode and Tomar

Castelo do Bode 

The Tajo Vines

I left Lisbon following the River Tajo, more or less, I arrived at the small town of Constância knowing I had turn away from the Tajo and follow the Rio Zezere north, the only problem the Sat-Nav didn’t know of any such a road, but trusting on my Boy Scout instinct (you don’t reach 70 years of age without trusting on some instinct or another), I followed that black tarred thing called a road.

It brought me to a bridge that crossed the river, a sign pointing to a camper wastewater drop of place told me where they provide that then there must be a camper spot not far away. Just then along came the cavalry, in the form of a canoeist going into a canoe school. I ventured to ask him, he was kind and told me to go across the river again and hang a left, and follow it, I said were to? He said there is only one road no turn offs so you will arrive at a dam, that is your destination. So off we jolly well went, what the kind chappie forgot to inform me was that he was used to coming down on the river in a canoe (being Sunday a lot playing about on the raging river). After about 15 minutes of ever up and twisting serpentines I saw a blue light up ahead, it was the Bombederos (the fire brigade, they are used for everything in Portugal), I stopped to be informed that during the night there had been several rock falls onto the road up ahead, but if I took it easy I should be all right, it was the should be that I didn’t like), but they had marked the falls and they were quite small as avalanches go, but one of those rocks dropping on you could cause you a bit of a problem. I passed a sign “Barriera campisimo” this I took to mean dam campsite, I was correct and there ahead was the dam wall and a sharp left uphill to the campsite.

The lady in charge (Isabella) spoke no English, no German and just a smattering of French, but I made it known that I would be spending two nights here, (originally it was only going to be one, but having read all about the nearby town of Tomar, this being the last bastion of the Knights Templar Order, it needed investigation in greater depth.

I got my waggon into place, plugged in and levelled up (I had picked the most level spot, so no chocks needed), I went to the little bar come café, and had a chat with the chap in charge, he was  very helpful and I had a beer and decided to walk across the dam, the road crosses it and then onwards in the direction of Tomar, I do believe I saw Eric Idle riding this way in some historic film. At the other end of the dam was an elderly wench, selling local produce and not so local produce, but also a closter of the Sisters of something or other, I must say it was in first class order and had a great view of the dam and the raging cascades. I walked around it, but there was no way inside and I suppose the sisters inside didn’t fancy the likes of a hirsute brigand with nothing better to do on a Sunday that molest young novice nuns.

No one at home

 I returned to the old hag and bought some beans in a plastic bag (you see them being sold all over Portugal) a bag of cherries and a bottle of beer. I sat in the shade and watched the swifts using the updraft of the dam as they darted around catching the insects for their young. High up in the thermals a large bird of prey circled, not a wing beat (I had left my Bino’s in the van foolish boy) it could have been any one of the eagle family prevalent down here ( Bonelli’s, Booted or Short-toed).

I walked back and tried to get internet no go, so I had a beer instead, went back to the camper and wrote up my Lisbon Blog and down sized a load of photo’s will see what happens. It was dark when I finished so settled down to read all about the knights templars and their follow-on order. the Order of Christ.

Tomar

I was up nice and early next morn 06:00 as usual, was showered and breakfasted (sardines on Ryvita) and up at the café to get my Blog published, alas still no go, but I did have an excellent coffee. I had a chat with the next camper (he was a WES number plate) he was having problems with his electrics and wanted to make his coffee, what would a German do without his kick start in the morning, I said use my socket it is working (I had boiled water for my morning tea, not Earl Grey but Ginger and Lemon).

That done I put my seats and tables, strung about with my wet underwear (I do not only wash my private parts in the shower) in a position to guard my place under the shade of the Paperbark Gum Tree. I set off across the Dam wall and headed the 19 km into Tomar, no problem well signposted. I found a great spot, right next to the covered market (it was here that I was informed that I could park on the very large adjacent car park but would need to vacate it before 16:00 as there was an evening market on. I had done a bit of driving around the town to get to the market place so by now had my bearings.

But first a walk through the covered market, it was a shame, but we had been warned about shopping on a Monday, any fish that is sold is not fresh, as no boats go out on a Sunday. No fish stalls only flowers and veg, no fresh meat either, I suppose the cattle ranchers don’t do any ranching on a Sunday either. I then wandered over a bridge and there before me was Henry the Navigator, he gets everywhere that lad. He was standing right in front of the gates that lead to Templars castle, fortification and Convent of Christ. Through the gates is a very nice garden laid out with rose beds and clipped privet hedges, this formal garden had originally been the vegetable gardens that fed the castles Knights, monks and all the other people that hang around castle walls on a Saturday night.

I looked at the guide, there are three routes to visit the area (it does not only include the castle, but a vast area of forest. I chose the medium one (only because the easy one was closed), I walked slowly up wards listening to the sound of the birds, the trees were full of Black Redstarts, easily identifiable by its flash of red on its tail, white throats and warblers. I stood for quite a while watching red (almost black) squirrels bouncing around the trees. I the distance I heard a woodpecker drumming and a cuckoo calling. On I went, the road turned a few times and crossed a spring that at one time had fed a cistern pool, but this was now dry, I crossed the path to a saintly spring, I didn’t follow the steps up as I wasn’t feeling particularly Saintly today and the steps were very steep. I carried on ever upwards until I reached a water channel this was part of a great watering system, that brought water to the Castle and the Convent a little way outside of Tomar is a magnificent Aqueduct (I did mean to go and see it but was pressed for time). The total length of the aqueduct is 6 km bringing water to the Convent of Christ at times spanning valleys in monumental feats of civil engineering, double vaulting spans. I think the Romans would have been proud of them.

I circled the walls, well about a quarter of them and decided I was in need of refreshment and a spot of lunch wouldn’t go amiss either, so down I went not the long way that I had come by but there is a much quicker way down (it is a lot steeper but going down is easier). Down at the bottom is the ever-welcoming Tourist Information Office, it is house in a wonderful building with massive oak doors and an amazing internal structure. The kind lady gave me a very well informative booklet. Armed with this I went in search of food and drink. I found a very nice little restaurant along the main street with a wonderful view of the Castle. I waited until the waiter had finished dealing with a group of young USA (they could have been Canadians) people, they were neither loud or demanding and were willing to try all things they each selected a dish and shared it, no twisted faces and no ughs and I am not eating that.

Bread and Olives

Cheese and Ham

Cod Roe Salad

The Ham still on the bone

I selected a platter of cheese and air-dried ham, I did want an octopus salad but it’s Monday, no octopus on Mondays. I selected cod roe salad, to be followed by those deep fried small sardines, they must have been frozen, but whatever, they were delicious. 

Meal finished I walked to the end of the Ruo Serpa Pinto, there in front of me in a very nice square was the Town Hall, in the centre a Statue of the founder of the Temple order in Portugal D.Gualdim Pais, opposite is what is thought to be the oldest church in Tomar, the Church of St. John the Baptist, was started at the time the castle was being built and is thought to have been started by D.Gualdim Pais, the then Grand Master, though Henry the Navigator, did some other works on the building, it wasn’t until 1467 that King D Manuel I actually start work on the church that is seen today. It is believed that the bell tower (or at least part of it) is part of the original Church.

From here I walked along the small shady streets as I was interested in the Synagogue, I found it, but alas it is covered in scaffolding inside and out (I managed a quick look and a photo of the works in progress. It was originally built in early 1400s and closed in 1496 when the Jews were expelled from Portugal. Sounds familiar! The building is of interest in that it is the only Gothic style Hebrew Temple in the country. It is built on a quadrangular plan and has a vaulted roof supported by pillars and wall cobels. This shows a lot of oriental influence. The building has had a very varied life, it has been a prison, a haybarn, a grocery store, even a Catholic Chapel, when it was known as The Hermitage of St. Bartholomew. It was saved from total decay by Samuel Schwarz a Polish Jew and Jewish historical researcher when he bought it in 1924. He donated it to the Portuguese State in 1939 to install the Luso-Hebrew Museum Abraao Zacuto.

Total Renovation, inside and out

I then went down to the buildings flanked by the river Nabao on one side and sluices and flooms on the other, these are the “Kings watermills and Olive oil presses, the site dates back to the medieval period, it was once the property of the order Christ from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century, it then became municipal property and it was in use continuously right up to the 21 century. The Powers to be are now in the process of turning it into a working museum showing the earlier mills, Blacksmiths workshops, Sawmill, as well as an electricity generating plant.

One of the narrow streets

It was now time to head back to the camper as the tow away deadline was approaching, the car park was now almost empty and my camper looked a little forlorn sitting all on its lonesome. I started her up waved good by to the chaps that were stopping anyone coming in and headed out to do a bit of shopping before heading back to the campsite so that’s it and good night from me.

                                                            

Days 14 to 15 down the Iberian Peninsular - Peniche to Cascais

Day 15 Mira to Peniche to Casscais (Guincho)

Setting off after saying our goodbyes to Claudia, we headed off across country following in our tyre tracks of yesterday before tuning off onto the road that leads to Leiria, as we came down a steep incline we notice a very, very large ecclesiastical building, we turned off the main road and into the town, this place is called Batalha and is the largest cloisters in Portugal.

It was built after the Portuguese under King Joao I beat the Spanish Army at the battle of Aljubarrota, he had promised to build a Monastery and in 1388 he kept his promise and built the Mosteiro Santa Maria de Victória (not all in one go but started it). It is a magnificent early Gothic building and the main entrance door is worthy of a few photographs (we did). It is also a World UNESCO site.

We arrived and found a parking place, across the road was a large market in full flow, never being ones to pass up a market we visited the stalls, some with live animals and some with ironmongery and kitchen utensils, we bought a pair of salad tongs and a bottle opener. We popped into the covered market to peruse the fish.

 We then hopped in to the camper and headed off in the direction of Nazaré for lunch, this is a nice seaside town with all the nep you would expect, but Linda wanted her ice and a fish skewer. We walked along the front and looked at the menu’s we found a one that looked nice so popped in and sat down, Linda selected her seafood skewer and I my fish stew.

Both a good portion and delicious. Next it was around the corner to get Linda her ice-cream two large scoops, then to the camper and along the road to Peniche. 

Arriving in Peniche early afternoon we soon found the campsite, this time not from the ADAC book but from the internet, this was not a campsite but a camper RV park, these we know from the states. It cost €10,- a night including a very good WiFi connection, showers and toilets are extra showers €1,- for 6 minutes and 50 cents for and as long as you want, very clean. The Camper park is concreted and even, plenty of power sockets and a communal BBQ station with three positions and a washing up point. It is shut and barred at 22:30 and you cannot get your vehicle in or out. There is a small postern gate with a key code to get you in if you are out on the town.

We had an early night and an early start, we wanted to go down to the fishing harbour, well if you come to the largest sardine processing harbour in Europe then you have to go to the harbour ans see the boats unloading, we did see the boats unloading but not sardines but Bastard Mackrel, tonnes and tonnes of them, container after container coming off the boats and being whisked away into the cool houses and processing plants.

I do love a fishing harbour, I did spend a summer as a deckie learner, working the herring fleets out of North Shields, it earned me a few bob to add to my paltry Apprentices pay. That finished we went to Intermarche first for breakfast and then on the road to Sintra. The reason being was that I had found a Sunlight (our Van) dealer. I hoped that they could fix the Sat dish drive, we arrived at midday, of course shut and barred, it was 15:00 before we were able to get in and explain the problem. The nice Lady, Carla got a technician, I said just have a look at it and see if it is repairable, alas another misunderstanding he stripped it down working on it for 3 hours and concluded it needed a new motor, we concluded that it would be better if he put it together and they would see if they could get a new motor from the Sat dealer. They will phone me and tell me the results tomorrow. I did buy some replacement toilet tablets and special toilet paper and a door catch, pity they had everything except a Sat Dish drive motor.

It then was a mad dash to Cascais and then a terrible drive around the town to find the none existing campsite, that was because it was quite a way outside at a place called Guincho, we found it at last just before it shut up shop. We then had great difficulty finding a pitch we did at last and we were not at all fussed about cooking, so we went to the restaurant and had steak, chips and egg, followed by a rice pudding washed down with a Vino Verde. Then back to the camper, tomorrow is a make and mend day, we are staying put before heading into Lisbon for 3 days.

Day 12 Down the Iberian Peninsular-Aveiro

Day 12

After showering, breakfasting we set off for the 100km journey to Aveiro, this city had been recommended by our friend Martin.

 So it was Down the Iberian Peninsular to Mira near Aveiro.

We decided to take the highways and byways but not the motorways today, the road out from the campsite goes first through the narrow streets of the town and then it hits a motorway but you don’t pay for the first 20km or so, I of course took the wrong turning and had to pay €1,30 toll, but we soon left the motorway and then travelled through the Portuguese towns and villages, which is much more interesting than just motoring along at 100km an hour. The weather was very nice, Linda even had to put the A/C on.

We came to the Aveiro signs and thought that was where we were heading but our lass took us a merry dance, we passed a campsite, but it didn’t look very nice, so we journeyed on, we came to junction and wondering which road to take, a car pulled up and asked where we were heading, I said campsite, the lady in German said Mira, grade aus, wonderful cheery helpful people the Portuguese.

We saw the high sand dunes in the distance and knew we had reached either the sea or the Sahara. The first camp site was not ours but the second one was, as usual very helpful and directed us to the pitches.

We got our Camper levelled up and decided to go and suss out the site restaurant, a nice chap was serving, he spoke impeccable English, Linda only wanted an omelette, but I fancied some of the local dishes, I was informed that the Bacalhau dish on the menu was very local, the Grandfather of the cook had made it and named it many years ago and it had become a favourite local dish. Ok that’s the one for me. But first we ordered the soup of the day (vegetable, soup of the day is always vegetable), very nice thick and as the Germans would say Sämig. Next followed Linda’s Omelette with chips (so much for the low carbs) and my dish, it was a wonderful sort of Panackelty dish, but with cod instead of the leftover meat from the Sunday joint. It was Bacalhau, covered with tomatoes, potatoes, onions and olives. The cod was a tadge salty but very edible, the whole dish was really good. BUT it was an enormous portion, when the cook came (change of shift) I sked him who ever could eat such a portion, he said my grandfather, he invented it.    

We then walked along a small lagoon, with Austin and Morris mini coopers along with mini-mokes zooming passed us, they were holding a International-Mini-Meet in Mora the coming weekend, and mini’s of all shape, shade and colour were in town for the event. They were in the most set up in the Municipal Campsite that had been reserved for the event.

We walked along into the small fishing village, here they do sein netting the colourful boats take the sein purse out to sea and then the tractors with their windlasses start to retrieve, this was of course in years gone by done with muscle and ox power, but we stood a good hour watching the fishermen going about their tasks.

The seagulls always know when there is a free meal to be had

A mixed bag

The bulging Purse

Unsorted

Sorted

We walk the 1 km back to the campsite set about eating our standard evening meal of crackers, Ryvita, cheese, sausages and dried ham, followed by a fresh fruit salad, talk about healthy living.

I then went down to the Wi-Fi room, down loaded photographs and wrote up our visits and checked up on my e-mails and down loaded some photo’s read a bit about the football and some thieving barstool trying to pinch our manager. The sun had set by the time I got back and the sky was dark and all the stars were twinkling bright and the evening star Venus even brighter.

Aveiro

We were up early and as we were traveling to one of the most visited and touristy places in Portugal, we decided to go in by the camper  (,she deserves a day out as well), we got into Aveiro, I noticed a few campers parked under the fly-over, so I hung a quick left and followed the signs, it took us to a free parking lot right beside one of the canals, you don’t get better than that.

We crossed the canal via a very interesting bridge and next to no time we were in the centre of town. Aveiro’s claim to fame is it called the Venice of Portugal, it doesn’t have Gondoliers because the boats are motor driven, but the patter is the same, one even had a banjo/guitar player to Fado along to.

Get your skates on John Dory

Give us a Tune Fish

Two jolly good Loupe de Mare and a couple of cod Roes

We visited the smashing fish market and watched the stall holder getting things setup for the day, Linda didn’t think much of the man gutting the eels, they were still wriggling.








We then went to the main canal along which are some very nice buildings.

The best hotel in town

The Blur Restaurant complete with Japanese tourists

The Grand Canal

Tourist Office

The water front

Almost Headless Nick?

We then decided to partake in a coffee and a bite to eat Linda a cheese and ham toastie and I an excellent roll stuffed with ham and chorizo. Next was into a souvenir shop to pick up some bits and Bobs (well if they are not going fleece tourists they are going to starve).

We then made our way back to the Camper via a very nice church, unfortunately closed (well so much for saving lost souls).

We had decided to go down the river to the coastal town of Costa Nova, this must be the most famous and photographed fishing town in Portugal, because of the striped (ex) fishermens houses.

Out on the sandbanks the cockle fishermen were just doing the last of their cockling (I suppose there is such a word) and returning to the shore before they met an untimely finish in the rising tide to put paid to their cockling for ever.

We had a chat with three fisher lads, they had the grill going and were BBQing their lunch, of sardines and split bream. They invited us to share it with them, once again I can only say how generous, helpful and friendly the Portuguese are.

We crossed the road and perused the menu outside of a restaurant, of course you are invited in, not in an overbearing manner, but in a nice joking way.  I selected cockles as a starter and eel stew, Linda had grilled baby calamaries with vegetables and potatoes. Linda’s portion was manageable, mine I think had been cooked for the grandfather of the chap yesterday, there was no way I was going to be able to finish all of that.

But I tried, I ate all the eel pieces but only half of the potatoes and broth.









We walked along the front to the place we had parked our camper (again free parking), they know how to treat us Campervaniers here in Portugal. We took the byroads back to Mira stopping off at a Lidl to get some bread and some other stuff (milk, cheese, meat pâté and fruit) then loaded up we headed back to our campsite and done a wash and got ready for supper.

Tomorrow a bit further down the coast.