Strawberries and Gas

Started off with lovely riverside walk,  dry with some sunshine but also some big dark clouds. We left the Poitou Donkeys and Ribordosa, taking a very scenic drive down the N110 to Coimbra – deep valleys, tiny villages just about clinging to the extremely steep slopes.

Driving around Coimbra we had a bit of a hiccup with quick braking infront of a bridge sign saying 2.3m height  (no good for us as we need 2.95m clearance) so I swung into what turned out to be the local train station taxi rank stand. The taxi drivers were all smiles and grins as they offered an alternative route to Figueria da Foz, and watched me do a tight three point turn in the van.

After a coffee stop, and amusement at a level crossing (barriers down, train arrives at platform about 30m up the track, pulls away…leaving the passengers to get down onto the tracks to walk to the road where we were safely behind the barrier!)..we were heading out of the hills back towards the coast when Gary spotted an LPG engineers garage.

Another three point turn and a chat to the assistant and his boss…and yay, we have a full tank of LPG again. We are both really rather relieved! Only downside is they didn’t have an adaptor for sale – just the one they used. They did offer to make us one if we could stay next week.

Next stop…..roadside fresh strawberries, €3 for a kilo. Dessert sorted, local produce …..in February. Yum!

Ended the day arriving at Figueria da Foz where we were headed for a place near to the Salt pans (the town developed on evaporating seawater to make sea salt). The Aire we’d been told about didn’t suit the dogs, so we moved across the river to another Aire nearer the town itself and beach access. The Aire is huge with space for100 motorhomes,  and 32 stayed overnight, we’re the only Brits. The others look like locals come for the fishing.

Sunday Gary went running with W&M along the beach and past the casino – leastways I think they went past the casino! The weather was back to gloriously sunny if not that warm.  Lunchstop was at a picnic spot next to what I dubbed “Olive Tree Roundabout”, watching storks riding the thermals and impersonating Pterodactyls. We then carried on northwards to Pardihlo where we found another stunning Aire. This one on the edge of the estuary beside a tiny marina, great birdwatching (immediate highlight of a Marsh Harrier hunting).

 

 

The area today we drove through was varied, and as we’re trying to stay off the toll roads, the potholes have only been surpassed on the Isle of Mull, i.e. notorious! One of the things I noticed was the balconies on houses with cymbidium orchids in flower as “patio plants”..and of course once you spot one, you then realise that there are loads of them! Other things seen in flower include Magnolia trees, freesias, and a lot of springtime flowers that I’d expect in May in England.