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Tags: europe autumn 2008, porto, portugal, zx spectrum
After driving for nearly 8 hours, we’re working our way back onto the Spanish motorway.
and we’re stuck
We barely move for an hour. The falling snow on the top of the hills has closed the motorways. We’re at around 1200 metres again.
We then move a a snails pace in single file, trying to follow the road where the snow ploughs have been. There’s no gritters.
At one point there’s a group of policemen physically pushing us (and others) over a patches of ice to keep traffic moving.
We managed to have dinner while waiting in the traffic and by around 9pm have dropped down low enough to avoid heavy snow. We find a small village at Otero de Sanabria and park on the edges of it. A bottle of wine and glass of port later, we’re asleep. Here it is the following morning.
Tags: europe autumn 2008, Otero de Sanabria, portugal, snow, spain
There’s hail and heavy rain during the night. Between the ongoing showers, we pack away cables, fill up and drain the usual water and are on the road by 10AM.
Travelling North East, we pick up a little LPG before heading closer to Spain.
I forgot to mention. They have Chaves in Portugal.
It’s pronounced Chavs … not Chaves (as we find out later). This is the where we want to get to first.
We’re not far along the motorway when we’re stopped just before a bridge by police. Everyone is diverted off the A7 and into Fafe. We try following a side road, then notice the main road opens again. Retracing our route, it’s back onto the A7.
We managed one more junction to Arco de Bauthe and everyone is stopped again. This time most people park up at the roundabout just off the motorway.
We don’t get any clue what is going on, so again look to take the non motorway road further East.
It gets wet as we head along this route…
… and as we get higher, it turns to snow …
… which continues to get heavier as we get near the next junction at Ribiera De Pena where we’d merge with the motorway again …
At this point (above), traction control kicks in … we’re literally inching forward to the brow of the hill … it takes around 2 minutes to get to the 60kph sign. We get to the roundabout and … the motorway is closed due to snow. How do we know? We ask the Guarda. “Chaves, Si?”, “Chavs, Non”.
We’re up around 1000 metres. Rather than hang around, we turn around and go back down to the previous junction, which although closed, is snow free.
Things are getting dark back are the roundabout. We park up just away from it and have late lunch. Around 4pm the block is lifted and we’re off. We wizz along and get to Ribiera De Pena again … and the motorway is blocked!
Everyone is diverted onto a newly open N-road, which we follow slowly for around 30km
Finally … we’re into Spain! It must be around 5.30pm. We’ve only got around 140km in 7 hours, so need to press on.
Tags: arco de bauthe, chaves, europe autumn 2008, fafe, portugal, ribiera de pena, spain
Not quite sure what happened (especially since we haven’t been drinking) but we sleep in. It’s raining and a ride on the 906 to Trindade, the city centre.
One of the most exiting bus trips ever … it winds through village centres for 45 minutes, literally with inches to spare on either side. The picture you can see to the left demonstrates. There’s exactly the same amount of space on the other side of the bus too.
Simultaneously amazed and depressed at this drivers superior large vehicle abilities, we arrive just before midday in the rain.
It’s straight to a Pastaleria for coffee and our first cakes in two months.
The Portuguese are into a small number of things:
* Pigs (to eat)
* Cakes (they’re everywhere)
* Dogs (to bark and run wild)
* Good coffee (cheap)
* Christmas. It seemed to start around two weeks ago.
We’ve been advised that Portuguese use a lot of pig fat in their cakes (except in the big cities). This picture shows it’s true …
It’s down through the city centre in search of some sights and lunch.
We’re getting soaked and the city is full of genuinely authentic cafés … selling meat and fish. There’s tens of them. No sign of anywhere we can eat. After an hour or so, Therese hits on the idea of jumping on the metro.
It’s off to the tourist area on the South of the river, where the Port cellars are. Spot on – we find a bundle of chain restaurants. With some trepidation, we go into Pizza Hut. There’s not much choice. Luckily we’re sorted by a good Swiss waiter and spend a lazy afternoon there enjoying the view.
Bus back late afternoon and another quiet evening, with a rainstorm outside. Tomorrow we’re planning to head East. It’s too wet on the coast.
Tags: europe summer 2008, porto, portugal
Tags: europe autumn 2008, porto, portugal
Awake early – it’s 3 degrees outside. After studying the map briefly, we find a couple of places in the centre of Porto we should be able to park up.
Through a series of villages, we pick up the main roads after around 30km.
After a stop off at the supermarket for some supplies, we press on to Porto … around another 110km North, arriving on the periphery early afternoon.
Travelling towards the first marked space for motorhome parking, the tomtom plays one of it’s pranks and sends me into the Porto road system and down a wrong exit. We travel a couple of kilometres and are able to loop back and try the alternative exit… which the sat nav agrees with. Except the sat nav then expects me to take a 160 degree clockwise turn down a slip road running counter to our direction.
Another loop round the system and we take the only other exit. An underpass which drops down at 10% directly to the river. There’s a little twisting and turning down some narrow streets and we arrive at the South river road – and some parking. It’s fine for lunch but a little isolated for my liking to leave the motorhome unattended.
We make for the other parking area, flagged on the North side of the river. I don’t fancy going back the way we arrived, so drive further along the road until I come to a roundabout. Taking the only viable exit (the alternative would take me to the sea), I find myself in more steep, narrow lanes in the main Port Cellar area. Instead of motorhome vs other cars on 5 metre wide streets, it’s motorhome vs HGV’s loading Port. And Tourist buses.
Fifteen minutes later, a little older, but with an unscarred motorhome, we emerge in the main road system and across the bridge to the North.
The journey to the other parking area is much simpler. Just very slow. Traffic around here doesn’t move very much. Things improve greatly when we find it now doesn’t accept motorhomes.
It’s getting late in the afternoon and we need to stop. Time for a campsite outside of town. We find Parque De Campismo Marisol, near Madalena and quickly book in for two night.
A little walk around the beach (we’re just beside those buildings) and into town. Followed by a quiet night.
Tags: europe autumn 2008, Parque De Campismo Marisol, porto, portugal
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