We have just spent a couple of days in Porto. We ended up staying at a beachside campsite about 4 km south of the town after first driving around the outskirts trying to find a campsite which we had identified from trip advisor which no longer exists.

The bus ride into town from the campsite was equal to any driving we encountered in Italy as the bus careered down narrow streets with inches to spare between the walls on either side. It was obvious the drivers were well practiced as they did slow down on the sections with parked cars by the side of the road, I assume because walls don’t move day to day but parked cars may!

Pont Luis I – Porto

Once we got into town we felt a bit lazy so decided to get an open bus tour, great value at 10 euros, but after 2 hours we were bussed out. Time to taste some port, so we headed to the Taylors port house for 3 euro tour with 3 glasses of port, after which we headed for some bars where Sharon was determined to get white port and tonic, failed on both occasions!

Porto

The second day we decided to get the bikes out and cycle from the campsite up the south bank of the Douro river, across the Pont Luis I bridge, then down the north bank and north up the coast to the cruise ferry terminal, returning by the same route with the exception of getting the little ferry across the river as opposed to the bridge.

We arrived first so bike ended up at bottom of pile!

Riding along the prom

short cut

We  now plan to head down towards Lisbon probably stopping for a couple of nights along the way.

Displaced surfboards

We continued our journey down the West Coast of Galicia driving up and down all the Rias (large sea lochs) before heading east along the bottom of Galicia aiming for the Parque Natural de Montesinho in the top North East corner of Portugal.

Unusually, rather than to maintain the countryside. the park was set up to protect the sixty odd traditional villages in the area.  We ended up camping at the one of the two campsites in the park just outside the village of Gondesende.

Campsite at Gondesende

We decided that a bike tour around the various villages was the best way to get a feel for the place and so set off on 40 km(ish) ride around the national park close to the campsite. We didn’t expect many tea shops along the route so when we spotted what looked like a bar, a few faded plastic seats outside a house with an open door (although the bar sign above the door did give it away!) in Torroso, we thought we would grab the opportunity for a coffee. So we poked our heads around the door to be greeted by an old guy, with one false arm and a hook for the other, who appeared from behind us.  Once we had managed to communicate (poorly) that we were after coffee, he said “una momento” and disappeared down the street only to return with an old lady (assumed to be his wife?) whom he then instructs on how to use the espresso machine in the bar.

Coffee stop at Torroso

Church at Torroso

Two coffees later (for the princely sum of 1 euro) we were sitting outside the bar when the old man came out and presented Sharon with the gift of a pen knife and printed prayer in Portuguese and pointed across at the church directly opposite the bar. He then disappeared only to reappear talking into his mobile phone. Two minutes later another old lady appeared with the keys to the church and we were given an impromptu guided tour! Outside the church was plain but inside was it full of gold leaf and polished marble.

We continue our travels along the North Spanish coast moving into Galicia in the far North West.

Cathedral Santiago De Compostela

Up until now all of the campsites we have stayed have been virtually empty with no more than 3 other campers on site and sometimes us alone. However earlier in the week we stopped at Santiago De Compostela and things were much busier with vans from all over Europe full of pilgrims visiting the town.

Internet connections have been sparse over the past few days so we have had to really on a shortwave radio if we want any news in English, although bizarrely we can only get Australian radio in the morning and Chinese and Romanian radio in the evenings, however we have so far learned all about photo bombing in China and sign language in Papua New Guinea.

We (I) have made some modifications to our fridge! The fridge has a freezer tray however because it is open to the main body of the fridge it is of limited use, so I purchased a thermal camping mat and with those universal save the day items of duct tape and cable ties fashioned a door for the freezer section.  I faced much derision from Sharon as I completed this task, however with the prospect of storing Magnum ice creams the idea was deemed not so stupid! With the new door in place 6 mini Magnum new crème brulee flavour (highly recommended) were purchased. Unfortunately door was not as effective as hoped requiring all six to be eaten consecutively!

After leaving Santiago De Compostela , fuelled by Magnums, we made our way across to Cabo Fisterra, purported to be the most westerly point in Europe (although we understand a cape in Portugal has a similar claim).

Coastal ride

Coffee break

We are now travelling south down the west coast of Galicia and are currently camped on a site next to the beach just outside Muros.

Camping by the beach

The beach

Well we have made our big decision we turned right so will be going around Spain and Portugal anticlockwise. It wasn’t so much of a decision as the way things turned out.

In the end we hung around the Picos De Europa for 5 days, again not planned, but it seemed such a great place to spend some time – you know it’s good when you start saying ‘next time we come we will do x, y and z’.

We spent one day walking up to the La Viorna cross on the “hill” above Potes – it took just over 2 hours to make the 800m climb over 4.1 km so the average gradient was 1 in 5 and it felt like it! Great view from the top, but slightly disappointed to find a Range Rover that had come up the 4 x 4 track on the other side to launch some paragliders – especially after suffering the pain of the climb!

La Viorna Cross – after 800 m climb

Paraglider above Potes

The following day we drove to Fuente De, and took the cable car to the top, 50 m less climbing at 750 m and it took less than 4 minutes!

Cool view

Top of Fuente De

Still winter up here

On Wednesday we decided to go up to Los Lagos Del Covadonga. We had heard that the road up was tight and twisty and according to some reports on Trip Advisor “you take your life in your hands”. We decided to drive it anyway and it was tight and twisty and in places crumbling at the sides – more daunting going up (with a lot of the road unsighted) than coming down. The view and the walking at the top were definitely worth the drive.

Los Lagos Del Covadonga

We headed over to the coast to Gijon for the evening to a campsite on the coast, although we are not sure how official the site is as the owner seemed keen to point out all the out of date documentation before we agreed to stay – still not sure what the implications are. Only stayed here for one night before heading inland again. Managed to fit in a bike ride along the promenade in the afternoon before enjoying some more local cider. We have even bought a special aeration device which fits into the top of the bottle to aerate it as its poured, will need to buy a few more bottles to justify the investment!

Bike stand Gijon

After Gijon we headed inland to the Somiedo National Park and specifically to Valle De Lago, at 1250m. The climb up was interesting – very steep and a few first gear hairpin bends together with sections where the missing Armco had been replaced with sticks and baler twine!  We had asked about the suitability of the climb in a van at the tourist office in Pola De Somiedo (the village before the climb) and there was lots of sucking in of breath and mutterings implying it was very tight. We made it and if you are reading this we also made it back down!

I’m glad Sharon figured this one out!

Campsite to ourselves

Valle De Lago

It was a bit in the clouds on arrival and when we awoke the next day we were slightly surprised to see it snowing, luckily only showers and it didn’t prevent us from completing our planned walk from the campsite to the Lago De Valle.

We are now in Spain after a 24 hr ferry crossing which turned into 26 hour crossing as someone need winching from the boat in the middle of the night. A truck driver apparently whose drink had reacted with his “medicine” or so the gossip goes. This happened at 3 in the morning however we managed to sleep thorough hovering helicopter and search lights etc.

The Guggenheim – Bilbao

We  spent a couple of days in and around Bilbao, made it to the Guggenheim for some culture,  the most impressive exhibit being massive circular and elliptical maze like sculptures constructed in 2” thick steel plate designed / “sculpted” by Richard Serra. Walking into them really messes with your sense of space and distance and leaves you feeling spaced out when you leave the gallery.

Richard Serra’s – A matter of time

Campsite Potes – Picos De Europa

Now we are in the Picos De Europa National Park, approx. 100 km South West of Santander. We are camped up just outside the small town of Potes approx. 200 to 300m below the snow line. The area is very alpine and we are basking in spring conditions of 25^oC whilst the snow rapidly melts and fills the rivers.

I’m sure we are going the right way!

We went on our first trek today to get a feel for the area and managed to go round the route in reverse and did not realise until halfway around! Lots of looking at the not very detailed map convincing ourselves we were where we weren’t! Anyway managed to compete it albeit backwards and rewarded ourselves with a glass of locally brewed cider (1 euro / glass) in a bar in town (I can see why people choose to retire in Spain!).