{"id":2141,"date":"2019-06-28T11:52:26","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T11:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=2141"},"modified":"2019-06-29T18:00:44","modified_gmt":"2019-06-29T18:00:44","slug":"12-over-the-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=2141","title":{"rendered":"12. OVER THE HILL"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we left Spain, we saw one of the thousands of deer warning signs.\u00a0 This one showed a very energetic deer.\u00a0 Capable of jumping 5 km!<\/p>\n

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To be fair we have now seen quite a few deer about.\u00a0 We spotted fifteen one day.\u00a0 So the signs are probably a good idea.\u00a0 But as there are so many, there’s a real risk that no one takes any notice of them.\u00a0 It should be noted that there were predicted to be 74,000 deer related car accidents in the UK last year alone!\u00a0 According to Mr Google, Spain has recorded 4,500 such accidents – over the last 10 years.\u00a0 That’s a rate some 164 times lower than ours.\u00a0 So I think we need to get some of these signs put up at home.\u00a0 They obviously do work!\u00a0 (Those are a “true” statistics by the way, not my sort of slightly exaggerated ones!)<\/p>\n

We were followed out of the country by the compulsory Griffon Vultures!<\/p>\n

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Now, it’s true to say that there was a good deal of discussion about our route into Portugal.\u00a0 And it’s possible that the vultures knew something we didn’t!\u00a0 Glenda tried to persuade me to take the safe, long and easy route.\u00a0 ROUND the mountains!\u00a0 Boring!\u00a0 I had spotted the short, “direct” route avoiding motorways.\u00a0 And I had decided!<\/p>\n

The route starts with a very nice, Spanish dual carriageway that took us right back past the Monfrag\u00fce site.\u00a0 It heads beautifully in the direction of Portugal.\u00a0 However, a bit like the high-speed Madrid to Lisbon rail link which is still under construction (but ONLY in Spain!), it just stops a few miles short of the border.\u00a0 There’s a roundabout and then a tiny road heading Westward.\u00a0 Sensible people (according to the navigator) would turn North here and head for the motorway from Salamanca which does connect with proper Portuguese roads!\u00a0 Boring, boring (if sensible)!<\/p>\n

So West we go and bump into “UK time” on back roads and donkey tracks.\u00a0 I have to say that, as we got closer, the Serra da Estrela did look a bit – well, mountainous I suppose!\u00a0 And steep!<\/p>\n

Undaunted, well outwardly undaunted, we boldly go straight on over the motorway and into Covilha.\u00a0 This alone is quite an uphill struggle on cobbles and tiny streets through what is the biggest city we’ve been anywhere near since… well, since we left Plymouth!<\/p>\n

Our route was clearly marked “To the ski station”!\u00a0 So we couldn’t get lost.\u00a0 There is only one road after you leave the city.\u00a0 It’s a “little” bendy and more than a little steep!\u00a0 Fortunately, not much traffic going our way – and, worryingly, none coming down the mountain.\u00a0 Great views back over to Spain though – and is that the Pyrenees in the far distance?!!\u00a0 Probably not!<\/p>\n

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Towards the top (or so we thought) we got to cloud level!<\/p>\n

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Which got thicker…<\/p>\n

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… and thicker…<\/p>\n

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… until we couldn’t see more than three metres in front of the car.\u00a0 And we were still miles from the actual top.\u00a0 Glenda was watching for white lines and I was watching the sat nav for advance warning of hairpin bends!\u00a0 It went on like this for about an hour at no more than 5 mph!\u00a0 Now we know why there was no traffic coming the other way!\u00a0 The road was superb – I think.\u00a0 And the views over the glacier and the surrounding countryside are said to be spectacular!\u00a0 Somewhere along the road we passed a sign which said 2,000 metres above something!\u00a0 Not sure what that meant!!!<\/p>\n

Anyway, as Glenda will tell you, we made it with “no problem”!\u00a0 Enough said!!<\/p>\n

As we were coming into Oliveira do Hospital from an “unexpected” direction (out of the mountains – apparently nobody comes that way!), the instuctions as to how to find our site were pretty useless.\u00a0 \u00a0We ended up approaching one tiny village with a big sign saying “no lorries” so the navigator did a recce on foot and we ended up reversing out and doing an about turn to try a different route.\u00a0 When we got to Toca da Reposa we discovered it was a lovely, very friendly little site but with very narrow paths, lots of rocky outcrops and overhanging trees.\u00a0 A great site for cyclists and motor cyclists – not necessarily for seven-plus metre long caravans.\u00a0 After Glenda had a brief altercation with a Dutch campervan driver who arrived after us but wanted to pitch on the place we had chosen, we proceeded into a lovely flat piece of ground.\u00a0 The only problem was that it was down a steep path with a right angle bend at the top!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Going in was OK…\u00a0 Let’s worry about getting out later!\u00a0 The Dutchman had scarpered fortunately.\u00a0 \u00a0He was definitely a NOT!\u00a0 Thank you James for helping us get in!\u00a0 According to Mieke (the site owner) the last caravan which got onto “our” pitch had to be towed off by the bombeiros – the fire fighters!<\/p>\n

Whatever!\u00a0 Surprisingly it appears we have 5G internet connection here!\u00a0 Huawei or not!<\/p>\n

The area had been really badly burnt out in the forest fires two years ago.\u00a0 While a lot of the dead trees had been felled and cleared, lots remain in place with the new growth coming up amongst them.\u00a0 Spooky at sunset …<\/p>\n

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The eucalypts (of which there are far too many) are rapidly re-establishing themselves.\u00a0 As they do!<\/p>\n

The fire had swept through the campsite taking out lots of trees and four caravans.\u00a0 Apparently the flames actually reached the buildings but did no significant damage.\u00a0 The owners were trapped on the property with just a few hose pipes and a swimming pool as a refuge of last resort!<\/p>\n

The night we arrived a couple of “locals” (he was Dutch and she was Italian!) came to the site and made pizzas.\u00a0 Just as well as we were not in the mood for cooking after the trials and tribulations of our (my) mountaineering expedition.<\/p>\n

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And they were really delicious.\u00a0 Second best only to those Chris and my sister made for us back in February in Australia.<\/p>\n

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And we were serenaded by flute …<\/p>\n

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We celebrated my birthday here.\u00a0 The local villagers decorated their main street with flowers for me.<\/p>\n

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… for well over a kilometre!\"\"<\/p>\n

What a nice thoughtful gesture!\u00a0 We had a brilliant birthday meal at a local restaurant (Da Carvalha) in the local village, Lagares de Beira.\u00a0 We were able to dine here because the place we had booked the day before was closed – for a week!\u00a0 We never found out why but it worked out really well.\u00a0 Steaks with pepper sauce.\u00a0 Yummy.<\/p>\n

We visited yet more Roman remains, in Bobadela, a tiny village nearby.<\/p>\n

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That same village is home to the regional olive oil museum.\u00a0 A privately funded initiative tracing the history of oil production since Roman times.\u00a0 Lots of old milling paraphernalia collected into a custom built museum.\u00a0 And very good it was too.<\/p>\n

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On the Friday night there was a f\u00eate in the local village Lagares.\u00a0 Lots of loud music till late.\u00a0 I mention this because the following morning at about 7 am we were woken by a massive amount of gunfire.\u00a0 Possibly 500 rounds in five minutes!\u00a0 Far too much to be anything to do with hunting or clay pigeon shooting.\u00a0 Apparently, it’s the local custom to make as much noise as possible in the morning to make sure all the villagers are up in time for work after a festively alcoholic night!\u00a0 And that’s an exceedingly good idea – except, for me, 9 o’clock would be a better time for “reveille”!<\/p>\n

By the way, I suspect that the flowers in town had more to do with Corpus Christi Day and the f\u00eate than my birthday!\u00a0 Maybe!<\/p>\n

Talking of birthdays, on the Sunday I had booked lunch at a rather fine hotel.\u00a0 Last year we found the place just after they had finished their buffet-style Sunday lunch.\u00a0 The puddings looked delicious.<\/p>\n

The only problem is that the hotel is in Freixinho and we aren’t really very close.\u00a0 In fact, we were an exhilarating 90 minutes away – and that’s if you take the correct road!\u00a0 Some 80 minutes into our journey I clocked the fact that there are two places called Freixinho and we were closing in on the wrong one!\u00a0 Good old sat nav!\u00a0 Anyway, once we put that right it was just a matter of getting back over the mountains to the right one<\/p>\n

No worries.\u00a0 I’d allowed time for a pleasant trip with a coffee stop (which, in the event we didn’t get!).\u00a0 We arrived at the Hotel Rural Convento Nossa Se\u00f1ora do Carmo in plenty of time.\u00a0 Early even.<\/p>\n

The buffet was truly amazing.\u00a0 All you could possibly eat for \u20ac12.50!<\/p>\n

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Back at base – which we got to by the quick (90 minute) route! – time for the first swim of the trip.<\/p>\n

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We had a great week here.\u00a0 Lots of walking.\u00a0 Lots of lovely meals (especially at O Gouveia) and a rather long trip to the Mata Nacional do Bu\u00e7acao.\u00a0 Another old palacey sort of place with a hugely over-priced hotel and restaurant.<\/p>\n

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OK.\u00a0 So now it’s time to worry about extracting our home from it’s shelf-like location.\u00a0 Our two biker friends, Tony and Jon …<\/p>\n

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… had offered to lend a couple more litres of BMW power, James and Paul were also going to assist.\u00a0 But when push came to shove it was just Glenda and me.\u00a0 The boys had left for Spain.\u00a0 James had an appointment in town and Paul was mysteriously absent!<\/p>\n

To find out if we escaped you will have to read the next exciting instalment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we left Spain, we saw one of the thousands of deer warning signs.\u00a0 This one showed a very energetic deer.\u00a0 Capable of jumping 5 km! To be fair we have now seen quite a few deer about.\u00a0 We spotted… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spain-may-2019"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2141"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2145,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141\/revisions\/2145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}