The end of the adventure

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En route to Luso & Mata Nacional do Bucao a 105ha National Forest, so we are winding our way up the slopes to Luso a spa town, we are following a sat nav location to a wild camp, the road goes higher and windier, and somehow this isn’t looking promising!! Now I have to say that we find our way to each night’s sleep stop in the same way, but sometimes they are more accurate than others, sometimes they just leave you at a place that looks the most inappropriate stop. Today is not looking hopeful but then we see another motorhome and he takes to a road we hadn’t been happy to attempt, so we take the same road and find a car park, things are looking promising. We are here because another couple (who write a blog we follow) made it sound so enticing, in 1628 Carmelite monks embarked on an extensive programme of forestation, laying cobbled paths and enclosing the forest with walls. The trails are dotted with crumbling chapels, fountains and fantastic views to Braga, at its centre is the fairy-tale Palace Hotel do Bucao built on the site of the original monastery, now an expensive Spa Hotel but not for us our view is from the car park, and apart from the annoying car park dog who takes offence at Harvey, we sleep very well and the dogs enjoy two walks in the forest.

We have decided to attempt a city, Portugal’s second, Porto we have again got hold of a wild camp and again the sat nav sends us crackers but some quick thinking we find the road down to the Marina and Vila Nova de Gaia, the car park next door is the working fishing boat area and we have a great view out the River Douro entrance. For the next two days we do city, I loved Lisbon when I visited and today we can both say that Porto tops it, if you haven’t been then do try and visit. Vila Nova is on the opposite side of Porto itself and is where the business of Port takes place, we understand unlike before some 5 port houses now handle 95% of port as conglomerates, we are lured but go willingly into Christies a single Port house and we are treated to a tasting of a Ruby, White and an aged Port, strangely enough some of it is coming home with us! Porto like the rest of Portugal is not rushing everyone takes there time, there appears no urgency so unlike some cities the two days do not spoil the relaxation of the last three weeks, we walk, eat, and drink our way its sights and sounds and both of us are sorry to leave.

A quick stop at Bom Jesus a religious sight, the photogenic climb is made up of various tiered staircases, pilgrims do it on their knees, but we just take a leisurely climb and enjoy the views from the top.

We are making our way for our last stop in the Nacional Parque Da Peneda-Geres for some walking and quiet time the weather is good so we are hopeful for a couple of good days, the Sat Nav take us up and over the High Road and we encounter the primitive long horned cattle, luckily as the road is narrow we only really meet them on the road and my nerves just about hold out as we descend to our campsite at Compo de Geres. At check-in we ask for any walk maps and are given two one through the local village another along the Roman Road and ruins, neither in translation look easy to follow and after a chat with a Scottish couple who are also having some downtime we decide that having done the walk we will furnish the other with some extra detail. The first walk skirts around the village and then back into what at its heart is a very traditional granite village, like our home on Exmoor there is clear evidence of second homes, and like at home the youngsters all head to the cities. We are pleased to discover a good number of espigueiros (stone granaries) which are a well known site of the park. The second day of walking takes along a Roman Road along on of the five Lakes within the park.

Tomorrow we make our way back to Spain and the ferry from Santander on Wednesday. We came a way for a break, to get away from the British winter, but will leaving with a lot more knowledge of Portugal a country (aside from the Algarve!!) has passed our expectations and will leave a real desire to return and perhaps do just a little bit more.

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