Portugal
Day No. 113 - Everything will be fine? - Vila Real de Santo António
No, - "Everything is good. Man is unhappy because he does not know that he is happy. Only because of that. That's all, everything! Whoever realizes this will be happy right away, immediately at the same moment." Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky December 26 - Second...
Days No. 111/112 - Merry Christmas everywhere
"Sound through the air joyful sound. Christmas sound, Christmas tree, Christmas fragrance in every room!" Christmas in Portugal is called Natal, Santa Claus is called Pai Natal, instead of goose and dumplings there is dried fish Bacalhau, which is served with cabbage and...
Day No. 110 - Christmas is coming... - Also at Praia de Loulé Velho
This morning we are woken up by the sun. - We have only 10 °, but it should be fabulous 17 °. - Above all, the sun is full. 7 hours of sun, immediately the solar bag is unpacked and moved into the right light. - The GNR also treats us to...
Day No. 109 - ALEX's NEW LAND - Albufeira da Barragem de Beliche
Do you know such moments? You find a place, the right people, the right conversations, the perfect moment. Wine and the right food to go with it. - Everything seems to fall into place. The next morning you wake up, the sun is shining. Even though you don't know the place...
Day No. 108 - Winter is coming... - Market halls in Loulé
"When people are happy, they do not notice whether it is summer or winter." - Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Although it has already snowed in quite a few areas of Germany, it is not until tomorrow, December 22, coinciding with the...
Day No. 107 - Let's keep an eye on it ...
All night long it rains like cats and dogs. On days like this, it's nice not to have to take a cold shower. - We make ourselves cozy in Hector. The second round of coffee is put on. Do we really want to go outside? - But on the square is...
Tag. No 106 - Solidarity - Eviction by the GNR - Republican National Guard
"We have learned to fly like birds, to swim like fish; but we have forgotten the simple art of living like brothers." - Martin Luther KingAfter the wind force already increased noticeably last night, we took a look for safety once...
Day No. 105 - Life is that... - Praia de Loulé Velho
...what happens while you plan other things. This morning the sky is slightly overcast. This time it is the surf that wakes us up. The sea always sounds different in this place. Although there seem to be neither giant waves here, nor cav...
Day No. 104 - Triad Dimensions - Solar Energy
As announced, the sun wakes us up this morning. Somehow I have the feeling that the topic of solar energy becomes a challenge for Torgit. I want to cuddle, you build up the solar bag. - The wiser gives in, Torgit would say. - That's why I'm on the...
Day No. 103 - Luck in misfortune ... - Storm at Praia de Loulé
...tonight we are woken up several times by the howling wind, interrupted again and again by pattering rain. In the meantime, we consider closing the pop-up roof. - But we are not sure what the greater danger is. Because during the...
Day No. 102 - Don't play with the dirty kids...
"...don't sing their songs. Go to the upper town, do it like your brothers!" Advent, Advent, no light burns ... Today begins with a mixed start, at least as far as the weather is concerned. Nevertheless, I decide to visit the Atlantic Ocean first. On...
Day No. 101 - Olhão - Miele Miele spoke the aunt...
...who knew the washing machines. Today begins with a big clean up. After breakfast, the water bags and the water tank are filled, vacuumed again, rinsed and washed inside. - Where we with the shine of one or the other camper in...
Day No. 100 - Days on the road... - Camping Olhão
... and have not yet landed under the bridge. Torgit and I sit with a cup of coffee and take stock. Home is where we park Hector. - Especially on the road, you inevitably push yourself out of your comfort zone day after day. There is always something new to...
Day No. 99 - Way up high - From Loulé to Olhão
"Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high And the dreams that you dream of Once in a lullaby..." "...Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly And the dreams that you dream of Dreams really do come true Full moon, as I step out in the middle of the night, I remember....
Day No. 98 - MUT - thoughts from the hammock
"Happy he who dares to protect what he loves with courage." - Ovid Moin everyone, now that Torgit has hijacked the blog for two days, I have taken the helm again. The mutiny is down. However, to stick to the truth...
Day No. 97 - It's getting tight ... - Clearances on the beaches of the Algarve?
"The most pious man cannot live in peace if the wicked neighbor does not like it." Friedrich von Schiller When I open my first eye this morning, I hear our sliding door. Marc is putting up the solar panel. He comes back grumbling. Overnight has...
Day No. 96 - From Rhine and Ahr to Portugal - The blog for all generations
Torgit: At night we are awakened again by dogs barking, which is not unusual here in the Algarve and in Portugal in general. But this time I hear a shrill squeal in between, which gives me goose bumps. That doesn't sound good. In the morning it's called...
Tag No. 95 - Old Spice? No, Old Shit
There are days that you would like to cross off the calendar. That would be so easy on the blog if I hadn't decided to report on good and bad times. Already our start was much earlier than planned. Around 5:00 am we wake up no...
Day No. 94 - Discover the world
Today we are not awakened by the sun, but by a few Spaniards who have arrived overnight and parked right next to us. We are still a little tired, because we have sat also yesterday still long at our campfire, on the beach. I decide first of all...
Day No. 93 - Santa Claus on the beach
December 6, Santa Claus. - Did you all find something in your boots? Then be happy! - I don't know what it was, whether it was because our flip-flops weren't clean enough or there just wasn't room, either way we didn't get anything from Santa....
Day No. 92 - The sun does not send us a bill...
...and is available to us in unlimited quantities." - Franz Alt Our day today is all about self-sufficiency. - Already when waking up the first thought is to set up the solar bag. No sooner said than done, because without energy supply our battery will be exhausted tomorrow at the...
Day No. 91 - Self is the man ...
This morning, we are once again awakened by the rising sun. As we push up the blind, we look out over the azure sea and Praia de Loulé Velho. We are standing about three meters above the sea on an ocher-colored dune, in a...
Day No. 90 - Free and Wild
This morning it is time to say goodbye at the campsite. We want to stand free and wild again. But before that it is still necessary to load everything that needs to be loaded. One does not believe at all what that is so everything. IPhones, MacBooks, batteries for the drone, flashlight,...
Day No. 89 - Setting up and rearranging - SpaceCamper
In the last days in Cologne we heard more often sentences like this: "Lucky you, you have it good, off to the south, sun, beach and togetherness." This reminds me a little of a fitting song lyric: "Out of the rain, into life, off to the south, the...
Day No. 88 - Advent, Advent a little light burns...
"First one, then two, then three, then four, then the Christ Child is standing in front of the door". Now it begins again, the oh so contemplative Christmas time. - Do you all get such nice digital advent calendars now? Here's an example: "...today is the 1st Advent, and...
Day No. 82 - Benagil Cave - Our farewell to the Algarve
New daily rhythm After we were allowed to enjoy the sunset yesterday evening, for us all alone, on the cliff, we were lucky this morning, also to admire the sunrise at the same place. - It only applied the head, instead of to the right, to...
Day No. 81 - Lighthouse2Lighthouse
Sunday, November 24. - Not just any Sunday. - Today would be my late Mr. Dad's birthday. "I miss you Dad" Do you know that when you are young, you desperately want to be different than your parents. - The older you get, the more...
Day No. 80 - never stop playing - Praia da Luz
When we arrive at our spot yesterday, there is already a T4 there, as well as a small car. The two cars must have arrived shortly before us, because the final parking space has obviously not yet been chosen. - In the meantime, I've gotten into the habit of parking our new...
Day No. 79 - reduce to the max - Praia do Burgau
During the night and into the morning it rains. - But the weather cannot dampen our spirits. We are very happy to be released back into the wild. We still bunker water, in the process we meet LillybennivanLife, a young couple from the county...
Day No. 78 - Tinder for Hector - Turiscampo Yelloh!
Is this the rain the Portuguese have been longing for? - In any case, it has rained all night and also during the day it seems to stop. - Since we need electricity again, we have decided yesterday evening still quickly but once again on the "camping...
Day No. 77 - ain't no mountain high ... - Odiáxere Dam
... "Listen baby, ain't no mountain highAin't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough baby..." Marvin Gaye - Tammi Terrel When we wake up this morning, we see the sun rising over the Serra de Monchique. Although the highest mountain, Fóia is only about 900 meters...
Day No. 76 - Three Class Society... - Odiáxere Dam
"People can be divided into three classes: Those who work themselves to death, those who worry themselves to death, and those who are bored to death." - Sir Winston Churchill For many years, we too were among those who worked themselves almost to death....
Day No. 75 - A second chance... - Lagos City Tour
We had already considered whether Lagos deserves a second chance. Today was the day. Since we have some plans, the alarm clock is set for 7:00. - So we at least have time to have a coffee before setting off. But first it goes down again...
Day No. 74 - Flamingos - Caminho da Espargueira
We slept wonderfully, the salty air out here at the lagoon is wonderfully refreshing. Looking out of the van, we can't believe our eyes. Not only that the landscape has changed overnight, at the moment it is low tide. No,...
Day No. 73 - Banksy in Lagos ...
Today we want to look around a bit in Lagos. - Lagos was once considered a stronghold for brave sailors. From Lagos, under "Henry the Navigator", numerous ships set sail to explore the African coast. In 1433, Captain Gil Eanes ventured across...
Day No. 72 - Above the clouds...
"...the freedom must be probably boundless" Whether the freedom was really boundless up there, remained hidden to us under it. - So that we can refuel our and Hector's batteries, we drove to a camping site yesterday evening. We have also extra...
Day No. 71 - Currywurst ... - Farol do Cabo de São Vicente
"..mit Pommes dabei, aach, dann gebense gleich zweimal Currywurst" - Grönemeyer How did we sleep? From Torgit comes only as a comment brbrb brbrb brbrb, no idea whether I wrote that correctly. But why do I write this here? - Because I...
Day No. 70 - The dentist's wife? - Ribat da Arrifana
No, it's not the dentist's wife, but Torgit, who snuck out of the van today in my surf poncho. - Tonight and until this morning it rains heavily. The wind has increased overnight. This makes showering much easier. Suddenly the rain stops...
Day No. 69 - I can't take my ... - Praia da Fateixa
Before we put out the light last night, there was a short visit to the Guarda Nacional Republicana. - But the gentlemen have looked only once after the right. So we could go to bed well protected. - It was a good decision, the roof today...
Day No. 68 - Höha, schnella, weita...
...I am a living legend and would have retired long ago - if only I could find someone who could do the job this song, of the Rödelheim Hartreim project and especially its last lines were my personal anthem for a long time. But is it really? -...
Day No. 67 - Monchique is not a toy
Waking up with a view of the sea: divine. - Everything seems to have remained intact. In between, the stormy night has given us one or the other fright. - Nevertheless, we slept soundly in between. Supposedly, you're not allowed to...
Day No. 66 - I would like ... - on to São Teotónio
"...back on the road - Would like to sing again, not beautiful but horny and loud - Because gold is known to be found in the dirt - And roads are built of dirt "Marius - "With peppermint I'm your prince" was one of my first records. - My pub and...
Day No. 65 - The lion list - Zambujeira do Mar
We are still in Zambujeira do Mar. - Tomorrow we want to go further south and thus towards the Algarve, on the way. - We are wavering whether we should cross in December to the Canaries, alternatively Morocco or still our original planning...
Day No. 64 - A beautiful day ... - Praia dos Alteirinhos
"A beautiful day! - The world stands still, what a beautiful day! Come, world, let yourself be embraced, what a day!" Even when traveling, there are such and such days. Today was such a one, such a splendid day, that one really would have liked to just embrace the world. -...
Day No. 63 - Crash!
...actually the day started quite well, actually. But as I said, the beginning was good. - We were awakened by the sun, the coffee tasted, then a little early morning exercise. So far all in order. After that a telco with SpaceCamper in Darmstadt. That was...
Day No. 62 - Black Forest Cherry
Since today, the configuration for the T6.1 Caravelle is possible at VW at least to the extent that you can get an overview. Promptly SpaceCamper gets in touch to coordinate our configuration. - "We live that" seems to be really true for the guys from Darmstadt....
Day No. 61 - Two months on tour
This morning my mother calls from Good Old Germany. - She reports a little from home and inquires about our tour. - I mention that we are currently enjoying having nice showers at this campground. She reports that she is enjoying it....
Day No. 60 - Capri Sun
Tonight it was a little stormy in the region. But contrary to Torgit, I slept excellently. But the view from the morning window promises nothing good. It rains again. Then rather only once a look at the weather app....
Day No. 59 - Zambujeira do Mar
This morning we woke up refreshed. - After two nights of poor sleep, a real luxury. We enjoy our new place, which is located at the very end of the campsite. Here we are almost to ourselves. Nearby is only...
Day No. 58 - Todos-os-Santos
Portugal also celebrates All Saints' Day today. - As an old Protestant, I first let Torgit, as a Catholic, explain to me what All Saints' Day is all about. - It is commemorated all the saints and thus especially the martyrs? - That fits, because...
Day No. 57 - It couldn't be whiter ... - Vila Nova de Milfontes
Except for the dog barking in the morning, we slept very well. Tonight we even had the sliding door open. Sleeping with the door open is like leaving the patio door open, just a bit of freedom. The place is actually nice, but we...
Day No. 56 - Of special birds - From Alcácer do Sal to Monte Branco
When we wake up at our campsite in Lisbon, the weather has deteriorated again. Somehow we have the feeling that every time we look at the weather report of our next destination, there is good weather there. As soon as we arrive, it...
Day No. 55 - Lisbon
Day number 55 is a number with a lot to do, so we're off to a good start. Today we have to get up early, because we have made an appointment with Volkswagen. Our defective tail light is to be repaired. Even though it gets a little hectic in the morning, we make it in time to...
Day No. 54 - floresta mística
When we wake up today in our clearing at Santuário da Peninha, clouds of fog are still wafting through the forest. For us, this place is worth a visit not only because of its chapel, the hermitage and the magnificent view. - Even in the fog, the forest has...
Day No. 53 - névoa de horror ... - Sintra Mountains
...fog of horror? - When we wake up, the world around us is trapped in billowing fog. - But we don't have to get out. For today is Sunday: "On the seventh day you shall rest." Although we certainly can't call ourselves faithful to the Bible, we want to...
Day No. 52 - Cabo da Roca - The end of the world?
...Surely not, but Cabo da Roca was long considered the said end of the world. But we were able to find out on site that the lighthouse was neither upside down, nor the sea at the edge falls into the bottomless. The rugged headland that marks the westernmost tip of the...
Day No. 51 - Walpurgis Night in Autumn? - Santuário da Peninha
Torgit has been sleeping fitfully because "park4night", our app for finding sites, has announced a possible wake up call. This place in the forest is also an access road to a military area. I, on the other hand, sleep the sleep of the righteous this night....
Day No. 50 - Will it end without a fight? - Colares
When the Cologne is there, they want directly to the sea. I take the opportunity and also borrow a board to get a first introduction. I love the sea, but do I also love surfing? I don't know, the water is choppy. But on the reef...
Tag No. 49 - wonder forever? - Ericeira
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau Already in the early morning, we are awakened by the rising sun. What we do not know yet, our today, stands under the motto surfing. - Last night was...
Day No. 48 - Praia da Areia Branca and Baía dos Coxos
Today, finally, the sun wakes us up again. Simply beautiful! We pack everything together, drink another coffee and start off. There is no concrete destination. Tomorrow we want to meet a friend in Sintra. But for today it is only a little the coast in...
Day No. 46 and 47 - Óbidos and Peniche
Yesterday, was a very relaxed day. Since it has rained most of the time anyway, we have simply times in and around the Bulli. Surely that always sounds in the blog as if traveling means to come to rest, or to be lazy. - That...
Day No. 45 - Nazaré - The Big Wave Surfer Hotspot
Once again we have had enough of the rain and say goodbye to Porto. Around noon everything is stowed and we drive towards Nazaré. Since for Nazaré sun is announced, we decide to use the highway A14. The trip via the A1 would be almost identical in time...
Day No. 44 - Feel Good - in Porto
Day No. 44 - In the meantime we are more than six weeks on tour. Although I have already finished my previous job at the end of June, I have only realized the beginning of the trip as the actual cut. But so far it was somehow still an extended vacation....
Day No. 43 - Porto in the rain
Porto is certainly a beautiful city in the sunshine. But today we want to test whether the city can also convince in the rain? - As we stand on the Ponte de D. Luís, Porto has already cast its spell over us. The view on and from the approximately 60 m...
Day No. 42 - ISTAS' GARDEN - Vila Nova de Gaia
After rain and cold of the past days, we have longed but a little luxury. Therefore, we have made us yesterday on the way in the direction of Porto. Istas' Garden is a private, small family campsite. The homepage, the 8 km from Porto distant...
Day No. 41 - Every day is a good day ...
...to be alive, no matter if the sun shines. - Shmi Skywalker from Star Wars in Episode I Uwe, choice Berliner and not only valuable friend, but also advisor in all situations in life, has given me feedback on our blog. - Freely quoted: "Always just...
A van trip through Portugal
Our trip through Portugal was one of the most beautiful we have ever experienced! Here is an overview of our most important stops. With our VW Hector, we not only visited exciting places, but also many new upgrades! The weather in Portugal gave us beautiful sunsets and sometimes scary days to snuggle up in. But that never stopped us from enjoying the day to the full. Isn't that always the case? Before you go somewhere, you check the weather forecast, which turns out to be good. And as soon as you set off, there's a good chance that things will turn out differently.
Sun, rain, Porto
Perhaps it was only to be expected at this time of year. You were able to follow our reports from Portugal for a whole three months. Even though some people say that the best time for a Portugal vacation is in summer, I have to say that October did not disappoint us. Even though the rain was a constant companion over the next few weeks, we continued on to the Istas' Garden family campsite. There we enjoyed the day in peace and quiet, taking time for a bike ride to the "Chapel of Senhor da Pedra", a chapel built right on the beach.
"Be happy about the rain. If you don't, it will keep raining anyway." It all depends on your own attitude.
The city of Porto, where we are now, has to impress even without sunshine. Apart from the Ponte Maria Pia railroad bridge, the old town along the river makes this place a real sight. Our next destination is Nazaré, a place where we want to find the sun. But what awaits us there?
About the sea and surfing in Nazaré
Have you heard of the monstrous 30-metre waves on the coast of Nazaré? Winter is the season of giant waves, when many athletes and onlookers make a pilgrimage to the small town to see the spectacle with their own eyes. We also went to the Praia do Norte beach in Nazaré. Not to surf for the time being, but to admire the impressive waves in the sunshine. The lighthouse at the fort of São Miguel Arcanjo and the Vale Paraíso Nature Park are two other stops we had to make. We use the short time we have in the sun during the day to find a new place to sleep. Dinner should also fall in the area where we have enough light to wash our dishes.
65 km north of Lisbon, past Peniche, we arrive at the Praia da Areia Branca, or white sandy beach. At this and the following beaches where we stop, other surfers are out and about during the day to ride the unique waves. There are also a few Germans among them. Over the next few days, we decided to give surfing a chance. Where there's a will, there's a wave! So we get into our wetsuits and give it a go. Of course, we learned on calmer water and not on monster waves like the pros from Nazaré. Nevertheless, it was more strenuous than it looks, which is always the case. The time on the beach was exhausting, but above all super - super awesome.
At the end of the world, also known as Cabo de Rocas, we explore the coast. Of course, there are no raging abysses here, but impressively beautiful cliffs on which the waves of the Atlantic dance. Once again we meet friendly fellow travelers. In general, we can say that there is a very positive exchange "on the road". People who feel more comfortable on the road than at home. You always get tips and tricks along the way. The "Park4Night" app is particularly popular, and we come across it again and again in such conversations. And it has really proved its worth for finding parking spaces.
Misty ravens in the Sintra Mountains
Before we get to Sintra, we take the opportunity to drive towards the Palácio Nacional da Pena. We pass the Quinta da Regaleira and make a short stop at the Palácio de Seteais. The Sintra Mountains are well known for their many myths and legends about supernatural activity. Not only mountaineers and climbers can be found here, but also culture lovers who want to admire the Portuguese castles. Castelo dos Mouros, Palácio da Pena or Palácio Nacional de Sintra are very popular. In keeping with the eerie atmosphere, we are surrounded by foggy days as we stand with Hector in the clearing at Santuário da Peninha in the Sintra Mountains.
Lisbon forecast in October?
Lisboa (Lisbon in the local language) offers a lot of sights. One of the most famous is the Ponte 25 de Abril, the 3.2 kilometer long suspension bridge that crosses the Tagus. The world's third longest suspension bridge with road and rail traffic is very reminiscent of the bridge in San Francisco. Not surprisingly, the Golden Gate Bridge not only served as a model, it was also designed by the same architect. If you want to discover the city of Lisbon on your own, you should plan your excursions well. For example, the streetcar or metro is a good way to get from place to place. We also use Uber for this purpose.
The October weather in Lisbon does not disappoint us. The sun often comes out so that we can take great photos. Even though there has been a lot of rain recently, the temperatures and climate are great on this day. That's why we head to the promenade along the Tagus. From here, too, you can see the large Cristo Rei statue on the south bank of the Tagus with its arms outstretched over Lisbon. What else we encounter in the city is street art and graffiti. These are actually very common in Portugal, but more on that in a moment.
Lagos street art and market
In November, we are in Lagos, a city in the Algarve. Lagos was once considered a stronghold for brave seafarers. Numerous ships set sail from Lagos under "Henry the Navigator" to explore the African coast. Captain Gil Eanes dared to sail beyond Cape Bojador (Western Sahara) in 1433. His 14 predecessors had abandoned the voyage out of fear of the supposed end of the world. In the old town of Lagos, we again encounter the promised street art. We were completely amazed. You could almost think Banksy was here and had made a street art guide. At least the combination of a soldier and the armed Little Red Riding Hood reminded us a lot of him. We were particularly impressed by a mural that combines traditional Portuguese tiles with a portrait. - Surely a street art tour would have been worthwhile here, because we can't imagine that we discovered everything important by chance.