GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary) The Portuguese Republic is an Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic, covering 92.212 square kilometres. It is the home to 10.341.330 citizens of which 84% are Christians. The currency is Euro, worth 7,46 Danish Krone. The GDP is US$213.001 billion. The climate is a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Among the more interesting larger mammals are the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), Common genet (Genetta genetta), Gray wolf (Canis lupus), Brown bear (Ursus arctos) and Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica). The flora changes with altitude, and although here are quite a lot, none specific I will look for.
DIARY 17/4. It is a crispy morning, and I actually wished there was a longer drive to the first sight, so the car could heat up. But Miranda do Douro is just around the corner. The old town is surrounded by a large wall, and within is the remains of an ancient fortification.
I have not found more in this north-eastern corner of
Portugal, but I am looking forward to the 350 kilometre drive to the
coast out west. The first 100 kilometres is by small countryside roads,
which Here are some real nice villas and some real worn down farmers huts. I stop at a field with several huge long horned bulls. Here are several small villages, where old, black dressed people are enjoying the morning sun, and one woman is walking her mules.
At first, the fields are with green wheat, then more and
more granite is found in the ground, and small oak trees take over. The
walls are real nice, made up by both huge and small rocks. Here are also a
few olive trees. The landscape change into another kind of rock, and the hills get steeper. The oak trees are overgrown with lichen, while the pines avoid it. A few vine fields turn up, but nothing big at all. Here are some round buildings, I can't figure the use for. Just grain or?
The road is generally descending, and more and more
flowers are found along the road. Lavender start flowering,
I spot an old arched bridge, way out on a field, and try to get to it. The old road leads down to it, under a fancy new bridge. It seem like it have been renovated recently, and it is a great work. The area is so quiet, except from a nightingale and a cuckoo - and some other birds.
I enter a hilly part of the road, and huge cork-oaks are
found in-between the smaller crooked oaks. Most are harvested recently, and
it does look a bit odd.
I don't notes the names of the villages I pass, except Cháos. It look pretty neat though. Outside it, storks are nesting in a tall, dead tree. The landscape flattens out, and I find a highway for the next 150 kilometres. I goes around some mountains in a huge "S", and I don't feel I get anywhere.
I
pass a pass at 1070 meter, and start a long descent. Some areas have so many
walled fields, although the houses are fairly modern. I'm ready for some
more winding country road, and set a path over Póvoa de Lanhoso on EN 205.
It is a great call, as it leads through some great looking landscape.
But first, I have to pass the waste hills with burned pine trees. No wonder it have been a big fire, and I'm sure the patches with gum-trees help fuelling the fires! Then I reach a rather populated area; scatted villages and small town. Many of the nice houses have large palms in their gardens, along with yucca and orange trees. Well, some a lemons.
As
I get into the countryside again, I pass a field with short snouted, long
horned cows. Great looking animals! Here are not much
The last 50 kilometres is by a bigger road, and then I
reach Valenca do Minho. It is a huge fortress from the 17. century,
but without any castle. It is just nice houses within the huge walls.
And
it is a fairly modern construction: Star-shaped,
I park the car in one end, and start walking the streets. Most shops are with lining, by some strange reason. The tourists are retired Portuguese, and they seem to enjoy it. I do too, as the blue sky with a few white clouds make any picture great. In one square, a lot of people are gathered to some entertainment for the kids - I think.
I look inside one of the churches, and where the Spanish
ones were a bit barren, this one have a magnificent art work. Some houses are
well decorated, others more plane. In general, all
is
well maintained, and in a sunny day like this, it is so neat.
I only have 40 kilometres to the coast and my camp, and I make it a bit passed six, CET-time. Portugal is one hour behind, but I don't bother for a few days. There are a lot of office work involved in checking in to the camp, and I get a cart to display in the car, one card to check in the car on the sight and another for me.
I start cooking; for once, I have bought eggs, and try
boiling them in my teacup. It works like a charm! I was not able to find
chopped vegetables, but only a letish head.
18/4. I drive the short way down to the sea, and
especially the beach, not knowing what to expect. It is truly an
ocean: the huge waves are hammering in on the rolling rocks, and it is a
harsh environment. A few succulents (African), make it here, but here are
not many mussel shells to chose A little fortress; Forte do Cáo is build in the surf, and it is holding out well, even the wooden door is in place. I walk a bit along the shore, and admire the natural sculptures in granite, formed by volcanoes and the sea. From time to time, a series of extra strong waves reach the upper part of the beach, and I have to run several times.
From
here, it is a drive along the coast at first, but without actually being
able to see it. Then I turn inland to find
As I head on, many of the valleys are covered in smoke
from relative small fires. I guess it is controlled fires (cold fires), to
avoid the massive fires Portugal have suffered under the recent years.
Again, the eucalyptus don't really bother, and here
I reach Rio Douru, and follow it for almost a hundred
kilometres by the real narrow roads along it, known as Via Alto Douro.
Here are small farms with a few sheep, some vines and one have a little
field with oranges. It is a perfect weather, and here are so many nice motives, although it is the same themes that are repeated most of the time. Ancient vine plants, supported by tall and slender granite columns, white houses with red roof or dark granite houses with stone roof. If more than ten houses are found next to each other, there will be a little church.
I reach a more modern city, but find another little road on the other side of the river, avoiding the highway on the tall bridge, way over the city. It offers even more great motives of steep farmland and old houses, along with the river views.
It is a huge square, and elongated. Along it more wrecks
and beautiful buildings are found. One is the Capela de Sao Pedro de
Balsemao
The
next sight I have found - or not found - is Mata Nacional do Bucaco
with 700 plants. But as always, it is hard to actually find the location of
a forest. Most I have passes the last hundreds of kilometres are either
burned or eucalyptus! I had an idea, but I just end in a private driveway a
bit out of the village of do Bucaco. Well, it is late anyway, and I just set
the GPS for the next camp. From here, I head east in Diary 2 |