Post It from Municipal Campsite Tomar, Santarés, Portugal. Sunday 25th May 2014.

Well after 9 glorious days of uninterrupted sunshine at Casfreires the weather changed and so did our plans. Our last day there ended with afternoon showers, which thankfully came after we had packed all our bits and bobs away, but the longer range forecast showed a large drop in temperatures and lots of rain if we were we to continue as planned to Porto, Santiago de Compostella and back along the Atlantic coast of Spain, so we decided to try and stay drier and warmer. Those who follow my stories know too well that we do not like the wet weather.

After receiving good reports of things to see at Tomar, and with the help of Daniella on the telephone, we ensured that this municipal site in the centre of Tomar was in fact open contrary to some Dutch campers we had spoken to on site. We decided to make the 130 or so mile journey directly south down the middle of the Country using local roads so we could get some more experience of this wonderful place and see first-hand the old and small villages we would pass through. We passed through some spectacular areas with large lakes and stopped for lunch at the Roman ruins of Conimbriga, along with lots of mainly French motorhomes, just south of Coimbra and then took the IC3/N110 straight to Tomar. Along the way we passed through some quiet and peaceful villages with signs for Roman Villas and relics all along the way. I saw my first, and probably last for this holiday, lorry loaded with cork. My first and only visit to Lisbon in 1979 was to collect cork to take to Israel and I remember it arrived by sailing boat alongside my ship as we were berthed in the river.

We found the campsite easily and whilst it has clearly seen better days it was in a fantastic location right on the banks of the River Nabâo in the centre of the town and with all the monuments etc. right on the doorstep. The reception had just opened and I waited to register whilst a German motorhome club finished off their 12 van registration. The staff were welcoming, very informative with a guide on what to see and do which she complimented with lots of tourist office maps, leaflets and even a book. Maria-Helena spoke in almost perfect English and because we were here just in time for the start of a 4 day Templar Festival we were informed we would receive a 30% discount during the festival on the already low 12 Euros per night site charges. The site later became very busy with traders from the Medieval Market staying there and many Dutch people, but there were no problems.

Being so close to everything also meant that the rain showers, some heavy at times, did not have any real impact on us. There were lots of Churches and monuments to see here, not least of all the Templar Castle built in 1160 and the last stronghold of the Order of the Knights Templar, who later changed their name to the Order of Christ following European persecution. They added the Convent of Christ in the 14^th Century which is now a UNESCO monument. These Monks on horses wearing the white gown with the Red Cross was a familiar site to me from my early days of children’s local cinema films in the 1960’s. There was also a 17thCentury Aqueduct serving the Convent, a restored waterwheel to irrigate the land in Prince Henry, the Navigator’s  time (not sure when but pre 1460) and Portugal’s oldest Synagogue, built in 1430.

The old town oozed charm and character and we spent many hours striding along the small white stone set footpaths and enjoying a coffee and pastry in the cafes. We even managed to walk part of the Camino de Santiago that passed through the town and once again we found that the Portuguese people were friendly and welcoming without exception. We watched the evening procession of the Templars including some on horseback and generally joined in with the festivities.

The country was clearly having difficult financial times and taxes on goods and services were high, including food, but we found almost everything to be inexpensive and less costly than Spain. We love Spain and the Spanish people but I have to admit that as a generalisation we found the Portuguese we met on the streets and in the bars and restaurants more friendly and engaging whilst offering excellent service and good value without exception. A beautiful four course meal for two, wine, water and coffee only cost us a mere 31.80 Euros at the very Pleasant Piri-Piri restaurant in the old Jewish quarter.

We also visited a Matchbox Museum, which held a staggering 60,000 matchboxes from all over the world in its collection. It was a step back in time to see some of the matchboxes we were familiar with in our childhood and there were quite a number linked to various shipping companies I had once worked for in the 1970’s.

All in all we had a wonderful 6 nights here and were extremely pleased to have stayed here in Tomar. The weather will now drive us further East, away from the Atlantic chill and rains, and back into Spain.

Regards, Roy