Through Portugal

             We had to put the clocks back when we crossed the border into Portugal. The country is on GMT and we were back to early nights.The weather didn’t help either as it was pouring with rain and we gave the Algarve a miss for a more northerly route, spending our first night in Portugal at the walled town of Serpa’s municipal site.

               Black clouds were blowing quickly through as we unloaded the bikes to explore the town before the heavens opened again. It is full of white-washed houses and has what is left of a castle, the rest having been destroyed by the Spanish. There’s also an 11th-century aqueduct.

               In the morning, it was a toss up whether we head for Sines on the coast or farther north to Lisbon. Being behind schedule, we opted for Lisbon and stayed at another municipal site, Camping Forte do Cavalo at Sesimbra, a small resort west of the port of Setúbal and well protected from Atlantic winds. From there, we drove 50km north to Cacilhas to park on the River Tejo’s south shore and catch the passenger ferry to Lisbon.

               We arrived in the city centre and wandered on foot uphill - trams or tuk-tuks are alternatives - to the cathedral and on to the former Moorish quarter of Alfama, with its wonderful views over the Tejo. Carry on up through Alfama and you come to the Castelo de São Jorge, with different aspects and peacocks wandering the grounds.

               After Lisbon, we drove north-east to picturesque Tomar, with a municipal site which proved excellent value - just €7.20 for the night! The town is best known for its former Knights Templar castle, now the Convento de Cristo, a World Heritage Site. Again, it is a stiff walk up, but far less crowded than the Castelo de São Jorge.

               Coimbra, one of Europe’s oldest university cities, was a disappointment - quite run down, with an excess of graffiti, though it has its more interesting spots and is known for a form of fado, Portugal’s blues-like music.

               From there we headed for the coast again - the sun seemed more reliable there - to an Orbitur site just south of Figueira de Foz. The site lies among pine trees behind a dune-backed beach, a totally unspoiled spot where we enjoyed a brilliant sunset.

               For the next few nights we stuck to the coast, using more Orbitur sites, at Lavra, to visit beautiful Porto, on the River Douro and famous for port, and again at Caminha, on the south shore of the River Minho, the border between Portugal and northern Spain, along which a bitter north-easterly wind blew. It was a lovely spot, but we longed for warm sunshine.