DAY 9 - VILA NOVA DA FOZ COA DAY 2:

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WE ATE THE STANDARD BREAKFAST, THEN GRABBED OUR GEAR AND DROVE TO THE COA MUSEUM FOR OUR 4-WHEEL TOUR. THE BUILDING IS WELL OUT OF TOWN, LIKE 2 KILOMETERS AND VERY STRANGE IN DESIGN. THEY DID HAVE A CAFE/RESTAURANT, BUT IT WAS EMPTY IN THE MORNING AND WE'D JUST HAD COFFEE, SO WE CHECKED IN FOR OUR TOUR. WE ENDED UP GETTING A PRIVATE TOUR OF JUST MANOLI AND I, WITH AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING FEMALE GUIDE. SHE DROVE OUT OF TOWN IN OUR 4-WHEEL VEHICLE, THEN TURNED OFF ONTO THE ROAD FROM HELL. WE ARRIVED AT THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT AND PARKED THE JEEP. AFTER CHECKING IN, OUR GUIDE TOOK US TO THREE DIFFERENT ROCK PAINTING SITES. THE GUIDE EXPLAINED THERE WERE THREE WAYS THEY 'CARVED' IN THE ROCK, SOMETHING LIKE GOUGING, CHIPPING, AND SCRATCHING. ALL BUT THE "SCRATCHES" TYPE WERE QUITE EASY TO MAKE OUT. THE DRAWINGS APPEARED TO BE ALL SOME TYPE OF ANIMAL, LIKE A GOAT OR ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT I THINK WAS THE PREDECESSOR TO THE MODERN COW. THERE WERE SEVERAL DRAWINGS IN EACH OF THE THREE ROCK FACES, AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE ART MADE BY PREHISTORIC MAN. THEY ARE NOT SURE WHO MADE THE DRAWINGS, OR WHY, SINCE EVERYONE IN THE 'CLAN' HAD PLENTY OF WORK TO DO, JUST TO SURVIVE. I SUGGESTED IT WAS YOUNG KIDS WITH TIME ON THEIR HANDS OR MISCHIEF IN THEIR MINDS, AND SHE SAID THAT WAS ONE OF THE THEORIES. WE WALKED BACK TO JEEP, THEN RETURNED TO TOWN, ON AN EVEN WORSE ROAD, FOR THE ADVENTURE/SCENERY. WE TIPPED OUR GUIDE 5 EUROS EXTRA, SINCE WITH JUST US, IT WAS ONLY 24 EUROS, INCLUDING 2 EUROS EACH FOR MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM WAS OKAY, BUT NOTHING THAT SPECIAL, EXCEPT FOR THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE BUILDING.

WE DECIDED TO DRIVE OUT TO CASTELO MELHOR AND THE TOWN OF ALMENDRA (ALMOND) AFTER THE TOUR. CASTELO MELHOR WAS A QUAINT LITTLE, OLD TOWN, BUT THE CASTLE WAS PRETTY MUCH NOTHING BUT SCANT RUINS, PROBABLY NOT WORTH THE CLIMB, ALTHOUGH THEIR WAS NO ENTRY FEE. SINCE IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO LUNCH, WE DECIDED TO EAT IN ALMENDRA. UNFORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH ALMENDRA WAS ANOTHER QUAINT LITTLE TOWN, THERE WERE NO PLACES TO EAT, SO WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO FIGUEIRA DO CASTELO DE RODRIGO, ANOTHER TOWN WITH A CASTLE I'D READ ABOUT. THIS TOWN WAS QUITE A BIT BIGGER, BUT SINCE IT WAS AFTER 2PM BY NOW, THERE SEEMED TO BE NO PLACES TO EAT ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL. WE DECIDED TO DRIVE UP TO THE CASTLE, SINCE I'D READ THEY HAD STORES AND CAFES AROUND IT.
IT WAS UNUSUAL TO DRIVE PAST IT, WAY UP ON THE MOUNTAIN/HILL, THEN TURN TO DRIVE UP TO IT.

OUR FIRST SIGHT BEFORE WE DROVE UP WAS REALLY NEAT, WITH CASTLE RUINS (MUCH MORE COMPLETE THAN CASTELO MELHOR), AND A LOT OF RENOVATED/RESTORED BUILDINGS AROUND IT. THERE WERE SEVERAL SHOPS, A TEA ROOM THAT HAD ONLY TEA AND AN ALMOND PASTRY, AND A CAFE WITH DRINKS AND ICE CREAM ONLY. BY THIS POINT, WE WERE GETTING RATHER HUNGRY, SO WE HAD AN ICE CREAM AND A COFFEE. THE ICE CREAM WAS GOOD, BUT THE COFFEE WAS VERY STRONG. AFTERWARDS, WE WANDERED AROUND THE LITTLE 'TOWN', LOOKING FOR REAL FOOD BUT TO NO AVAIL, SO WE PAID ONE EURO EACH TO ENTER THE CASTLE. NOT MUCH IS LEFT OF THE CASTLE BUT SOME WALLS AND ROOM FOUNDATIONS, BUT WITH THE NEAT LITTLE COBBLED STREETS AND RESTORE BUILDINGS, IT WAS WORTH THE STOP. WE CHECKED OUT THE REST OF THE TOWN AND A COUPLE OF GIFT SHOPS, IN ONE OF WHICH YOU COULD SAMPLE ALL SORTS OF ALMONDS, FIGS, WINES, AND OLIVE OILS. MANOLI BOUGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR OUR GIRLS, THEN WE HEADED BACK TO THE HOSTEL TO REGROUP BEFORE GOING OUT TO EAT A GOOD DINNER IN VILA NOVA DO FOZ COA.

WE GOT SOME IDEAS OF PLACES TO EAT FROM MY RESEARCH AND BY ASKING THE DESK CLERK, THEN DECIDED TO WALK. ONE PLACE LOOKED A BIT RITZY, A COUPLE OF OTHERS WERE PRETTY MUCH EMPTY, THEN WE SPOTTED THE RESTAURANT O FARNEL THAT LOOKED PROMISING. UNFORTUNATELY, IT ALSO APPEARED TO BE CLOSED, BUT AS WE WERE WALKING AWAY, A LADY PULLED UP NEXT TO IT IN HER CAR. WHEN MANOLI ASKED THE LADY, SHE SAID THAT THEY ONLY HAVE A BUFFET DURING THE DAY, BUT IF WE'D LIKE TO EAT, SHE COULD FIX US SOMETHING. AFTER SUCH GRACIOUSNESS, WE COULD HARDLY SAY NO, SO WE DECIDED TO STAY. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MENU BUT SHE ASKED IF WE'D LIKE MAYBE SOME GRILLED PORK CUTLETS WITH RICE AND A SALAD, SO WE SAID SURE, WITHOUT EVEN ASKING THE PRICE. I HAD NOTICED THAT THE PRICES LISTED OUTSIDE SEEMED QUITE REASONABLE, LIKE 6 OR 7 EUROS, SO IT WASN'T THAT BIG OF A RISK. AFTER A SHORT WAIT, SHE BROUGHT OUT TWO TRAYS WITH 4 OR 5 CUTLETS, A GOOD BIT OF RICE, AND A NICE LOOKING SALAD. EVERYTHING WAS QUITE GOOD, AND MANOLI EVEN ATE MORE THAN I DID. SHE TOLD US BEFOREHAND THAT WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK TOMORROW FOR A RECEIPT SINCE THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN. AFTER WE MORE OR LESS FINISHED THE DELICIOUS MEAL, WE ASKED FOR THE BILL AND WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO HEAR 13 EUROS, FOR BOTH PLATES AND A COFFEE! WE TOOK A LEISURELY, BUT LONG WALK BACK TO THE HOSTEL, TO SEE A LARGE TOUR BUS SITTING OUT FRONT. APPARENTLY A LARGE GROUP OF 40 OR 50 PEOPLE, KIDS AND ADULTS, WERE CHECKED IN AND HAVING A SPECIAL DINNER DOWNSTAIRS.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK OVER THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN THE AREA AND DECIDE WHERE TO GO TOMORROW, SO I CAN'T SAY WHERE WE'RE GOING UNTIL TOMORROW NIGHT'S BLOG. HOPE YOU ALL ARE ENJOYING OUR TRIP AS MUCH AS WE ARE AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO SENT EMAILS OR LEAVE COMMENTS.

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Comments

[Ed Pirando]

Great Pictures
Very nice pictures of the places you have visited. The food looks very pleasing. Enjoy.