Retirement with 2020 and COVID vision

[Pauljenny]

Hope you got settled down ok, last night.
At least you won't need to wash the van..
Eh?

 

[S-S]

Many thanks to Paul and Jenny for their company for a few hours during the evening yesterday. Smashing Yorkshire chat with coffee and buns plus a very informative tour of the village. What a lovely couple.

After being engrossed in their stories we arrived a little too late to get a place on the €5 (HOW MUCH?) aire at Manta Rota but squeezed on the FREE motorhome section of the main car park.

Just before the motorhome exclusion area.

The chairs are out of sight round the back just in case. Until the thunder, wind and rain came.


This windsurfer gave a superb example of how not to launch into an off shore hurricane. Exhausted after 10 minutes.
They do some great hats here.

My skin is so delicate I cant get anywhere near the sun

 

[Pauljenny]

Many thanks to Paul and Jenny for their company for a few hours during the evening yesterday. Smashing Yorkshire chat with coffee and buns plus a very informative tour of the village. What a lovely couple.

After being engrossed in their stories we arrived a little too late to get a place on the €5 (HOW MUCH?) aire at Manta Rota but squeezed on the FREE motorhome section of the main car park.
View attachment 56498
Just before the motorhome exclusion area.
View attachment 56497
The chairs are out of sight round the back just in case. Until the thunder, wind and rain came.
View attachment 56495
View attachment 56496
This windsurfer gave a superb example of how not to launch into an off shore hurricane. Exhausted after 10 minutes.
They do some great hats here.
View attachment 56494
My skin is so delicate I cant get anywhere near the sun

Gerraway !
Yer big girls blouse !
Great to catch up with you in your tight schedule.
Try not to leave your wallet , next time.. we could carry on nattering longer.
Good job you went back to get it tho'
Otherwise, I might have had to put me hand in me pocket..!
Don't forget....
Our round next time
Safe travels.

 

[S-S]

Our schedule has suddenly loosened dramatically. After several days having discussions with the barrier staff...
We’re only allowed 50% capacity so 1 motorhome 1 space they say....
But there is a 25 metre gap up there I say, can I fit in that....... NO
Why?.... We’re only allowed maximum 60 motorhomes on the aire.
I’ve just counted 63 say I .....
Yes we’re waiting for some to leave
So today I walked in at 9am (BAM card at the ready) and asked nice lady and she said if you can find a space it’s yours.
Paid our €2 a day tourist tax ( Do the portugese have to pay that?) and settled in.

Did all the washing and then realised it wasn’t Monday. The problem with retirement is you have no holidays to look forward to.

Had a great wave jumping swim in the warm sea.

And a sunset stroll in the surf

The sunshades didn’t weather the storm too well.

 

[Pauljenny]

£2 tourist tax...Ow Much..?
At least you're paying your way.
Nice little place , Manta Rota.
The smart, odd shaped, boardwalk restaurant is worth a visit, but pricy, in Sta. Catarina terms.. We go there for Special events.

There's a laundry van calls daily, or did pre- plague, costing just buttons, they'll wash and iron your bedding.. The Launderette is just north west of you.
Have fun.

 

[S-S]

Bedding ironed????? (Ow much wasted time)
Sum folks ur soft int ed.

 

[Pauljenny]

I forgot..
Sheffield is so much further away from a Harvey Nick's, than Leeds.

 

[S-S]

6 days in Manta Rota doing nothing but relaxing, walking and swimming, time for a move. We were heading east through Spain to start a slow return home but after speaking to family in the UK ( don’t even think of returning to this chaos you’re safer where you are ) we have turned west instead. Managed to meet up with Paul and Jenny for a coffee on route. Great company and an endless source of information about Portugal. Thanks you two, will try to say goodbye on our eastward trip.
So, having spoken to our personal tour guide we called at Estoi and discovered the village aire was useless but the palace was brilliant.


All brimming over with heat and history we returned to the coast near Quateria.

Nice location, nice sunset. Nightmare partially eroded cliff top access road to reach this point. A German with an 9m 6.5T motorhome came to look at the gaps in the road and his wife looked horrified and refused.

A couple of vans arrived today and wanted prime positions. First one went axle deep and the other got stuck trying to tow him out. It took an hour and 8 people plus a winch on a tree to dig them out. Kids , we elderly folk can only watch and learn. Hope we get out.

The wildlife here is nasty. After Mrs cockroach has had her fun she chucks him to the ants.

 

[Pauljenny]

Aw, Steve, you're too kind.
We're only repaying favours done to us by raddled, elderly motorhomers when we set out, over 20 years ago.

We recognise in you two, the same attitude that we had then.
It's a joy to behold you and your outlook on life... And you speak proper.

So you'll come and say goodbye when you go east again.. ? Then again when you go West, once more..? It's like us being at Wimbledon..
More farewells than Frank Sinatra..!

We're glad you liked the Palace of Estoi... We first encountered It as a hidden away ruin, as It bankrupt at least 3 Marquises, in its construction of a Versailles replica. Now it's under the care of a 5 star hotel, it sure looks a treat.. Don't even think of buying a coffee in there.
Continue your explorations, we wish we could still be free to do the same.
Keep those reports and pics coming.
keep us jealous.

 

[Pauljenny]

Ps..
Mrs Cockroach...?
Women...!
Don't they just..!

I'll get me coat..!

 

[S-S]

Moved down into Quarteria for a walk down to the fishing harbour.

Caught up with the 9m 6.5t £250,000 Morelo Palace who I directed onto the new town car park yesterday. Lovely couple but crazy to risk that vehicle on an unstable clifftop road.


Harbour and wildlife again interesting. Very active daily fish market full of blood, guts and fish we didn’t recognise. Shepherds pie it is then.

Striking sculpture in the centre to focus the mind.

 

[trevskoda]

Jealous..
Nuff said.
Just watch out for pickpockets around the Cais do Sodre, station and docksides.. They're waiting for the unwary.
There's a well dressed guy , speaks many languages, asks you for 2 Euros, to give him enough money to make up the train fare home , having just had his pocket picked..
He puts on a good show.
Must do the vintage train ride.
Topless bus is good value too.

No way if folk not proper dressed.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Pictures and story of your journey are great

I, like @Pauljenny, am very jealous!

Keep enjoying and keep on keeping us informed of progress!

 

[S-S]

A little test for our tour guides Paul and Jenny.


Where have we been today?
Edit: Sorry Paul, Shirl woke up to another day in paradise @ 31 degrees in Quateria and the gypsy spirit returned. A quick dash over the border to Cordoba for a quick look round. The mosque was closed so we continued East.

 

[Pauljenny]

Silves...
We have crossed that bridge, many times.. and will do so again.. soon.. We've got an invasion of builders,then painters.
Good place to visit.

The slave market at Lagos.. pronounced Lah goosh.
They've tarted it up since we were last there..15 years ago.

Did you get a good price for Shirl ?
Ability to take a good photo, is a valuable selling point.
Keep 'em coming.

 

[S-S]

A quick night in Tomelloso by the wine factory.


Had to stop Shirl jumping in the grape wagon to sneak inside.
Up past Valencia and quick break at Creixell for beach exercise.


Temperature down to a comfortable 18 degrees. Much better for exploring places.

 

[S-S]

Then onward for a night in Navata.

What a welcome at the car park for motorhomes.



Nice village. I think they must have won the human pyramid contest in Tarragona.

First sunset with clouds for weeks.

 

[S-S]

The trip from Portugal to France has been toll free. The Spanish Government have helped by removing the toll on the AP7 between Alicante and Tarragona ( flying by our usual standards). After a fill up and shop in Figueres, it’s off north into France.
The aire for the night is at Coursan, a typical French village with character.

Real puddles. We haven’t seen water since July.

It could be this fella causing it
Sorry we didn’t call in to say goodbye Paul and Jenny but when the gypsy calls we have to go. Thanks again for all your time and knowledge.

 

[Pauljenny]

By Gum..!
You don't hang about, do you.?
We're knackered, just following your progress.
Are you so desperate to get back to Blighty ?
Take it easy, enjoy the ride..
Stay safe, sane and a little selfish.

 

[S-S]

By Gum..!
You don't hang about, do you.?
We're knackered, just following your progress.
Are you so desperate to get back to Blighty ?
Take it easy, enjoy the ride..
Stay safe, sane and a little selfish.

Although it’s nice to relax in the sun for a while we like to explore most of the places we visit. With the heat you enjoy we found we spent most of the day trying to keep in the shade (Ilkley moor bah tat comes to mind). Your company has been fabulous but we have more places in France we wish to check out so the trip will continue a while longer. Your call for coffee next time we pass, in the winter time perhaps Appen?