Publicatu: 13.04.2022
A short summary of this block - I am very happy if you like my reports. Obviously, Vakantio too. There is a ranking of the most popular blogs, and there are some heavyweights - dropouts who have been traveling for over a year, bloggers who present themselves, and amateurs who post their reports. I count myself among the latter and am very proud of your loyal readings, which have already brought me to rank 6 in the ranking.
You can also follow it in the STATS tab on the blog. There you can see the statistical data about the blog, and a link to the Trending Blog in the ranking leads to the Top 10. Thanks to your loyal reading, I have been anchored there for quite some time now. I would also be very happy to receive comments on my reports. So I write into the void, but I also gain my own overview. The question of where we actually were on the ..... , can be answered quite well by taking a look at the blog.
The journey continues.
Monday morning and the weather forecast is bad. A rain area is approaching and will serve us repeatedly throughout the day. It has already started raining in the night, and the rain on the roof of the camper is eventually so strong that you can't sleep anymore and listen. But it has something to do with nature. There are 48 mm of roof skin between me and the wet.
Before we head north, we definitely want to visit the farthest point of the European mainland, the Cape St. Vincent - Wikipedia. We have been there on every vacation in Portugal so far and think the place is somehow special. Here the rock with 70 m high cliffs extends into the sea, the landscape around it is barren and empty. The town of Sagres is well known for the beer brand
but otherwise rather a sleepy nest. Nevertheless, it is a 'must do' to come here. The outermost edge of the European mainland and the last bratwurst before America.
We were about to eat one of the bratwursts, then the next rain shower came and stopped us. Unfortunately, you can't visit the lighthouse today, the gate is closed on Mondays. There are also only a few visitors at the cape, the weather is so bad that you don't want to wander around outside on the cliffs.
It's a good thing that there is also an outlet for Portuguese pottery here. What do you do in bad weather - shopping. You will always find something here, the selection is huge.
And I can tell you, we found something. We have always been limited in our luggage because we didn't have endless space on the plane. Now in the motorhome - wow, there's something you can do.
On the way north, the showers subsided and we were able to enjoy the landscape without windshield wipers. The Costa Vincentia is a varied landscape with many nature parks. Unfortunately, there were only a few views of the sea, but instead a hilly landscape, forests, and very clean towns. At times, it felt like we were traveling in the Allgäu region.
Our destination was only about 100 km away from the Algarve. The city of Vila Nova de Milfontes is located at the mouth of the Rio Mira. This was a recommendation from Gabi and Jörg, which we followed. The first impression is already gigantic. Unlike many other rivers, this Rio carries a lot of water to the mouth in the sea.
There is a campsite in the town, which is also listed with the ACSI Card. We want to get to know the place for €16 per night.
We had no idea and surrendered to the place. The city itself is touristy, but there are no big hotels, hotel complexes, or anything like that. Only small houses, a cute city center with oases to rest.
But the highlight is the coast. Both along the river in a somewhat sheltered atmosphere, but also with a beach, as well as the open Atlantic with its rough climate and during our stay with strong winds from the sea. The waves were definitely considerable and strong. When the wind is strong and the waves are high, we feel an enormous sense of the sea. The rough Atlantic has its charm, the waves lash against the cliffs and spray is in the air. You could listen to the song of the sea for hours.
By the way, the beach shack is highly recommended. After a short walk along the dune coast and taking in the wind, you return and decide to have a meal at the only restaurant on the beach. When the waiter even speaks in German for the recommendations, we feel well taken care of.
The shack is a hotspot, fresh fish is grilled here, and the mussels, squids, and seafood specialties are affordable at a good price.
Our camping neighbors Michael and Karin have also recognized this. They show up shortly after us and enjoy the specialties of the restaurant. We spontaneously arrange to have a beer in the evening at the campsite.
After a stroll through the streets of the city and a detour to the actual port of the city, we enjoy the rest of the evening in the motorhome. A quick shopping at the most Portuguese supermarket in the city center with a selection of regional specialties was like a lucky dip. I'm really curious about what I packed there.
The evening is very entertaining, the promise of beer is fulfilled, and there is a lively conversation about entering retirement, the fears and losses, the gains and the freedom gained with a motorhome.
Michael, you are welcome to visit the Bremen area.
Despite all the beauty, we put away the cards and will continue driving tomorrow. Just 30 km away is the town of Porto Covo, which is still considered a secret tip. We will check it out.