Day No. 113 - Everything will be fine? - Vila Real de Santo António

No, - "Everything is good. People are unhappy because they don't know that they are happy.

That's the only reason. That's everything, everything!

Anyone who recognizes this will be happy straight away, immediately at the same moment."

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky

December 26 - Second Christmas Day, but not in Portugal. - Here, only the 24th and 25th are actual public holidays. - So we adapt to the regional customs. Time to discover something new. That's why we finally left our beach today. Finally? No, we have to admit that we found it difficult. Praia de Loulé Velho has simply grown more and more dear to us during this time. When our alarm clock goes off at seven o'clock, we experience a beautiful sunrise as a farewell.

I jump into the water one last time, at least on this beach - as I rinse off the foam under the outdoor shower, it dries up. Only the last drops remain. But the water in the canister has also run out. We still have two gallons, so we don't have to go without our coffee. It's time to leave. - But Torgit and I stand on the cliff for a while and say goodbye to the beach, the sea and the sound of the surf. - The hammock is packed up. - Hector is ready to go. - Afterwards, we both hug each other for a moment on the cliff. - No big words are needed. We will miss this beach. We roll through the pine forest and over the sand dune one last time. - Sharky, who was still standing on the beach yesterday, is now bobbing happily above our cockpit again. 

The morning is filled with shopping, the search for a gas bottle service and a pit stop at the launderette. - We then set off in the direction of the Spanish border.

We now follow the N125 and pass through several small villages. - This route is very relaxed to drive. This is mainly due to the frequent traffic circles. We cross the Gilão at Tavira. The river lies below us, glistening in the sun. As in the last few days, the road is lined with the odd golf course. But in itself, the N125 is unspectacular, at least in this area. But certainly more relaxed and more beautiful than the parallel highway. But what does the navigation system know about beauty? - It keeps trying to steer us onto the highway. But Hector persists. - Supposedly there is a ferry in Vila Real de Santo Antonio. So we just drive on until we reach the Guadiana, the border river between Portugal and Spain.

And yes, there is also a ferry. But unfortunately only a passenger ferry. However, as we wanted to take a look at the Guadiana, this was the right place for us. So we park Hector just before the mouth of this mighty river. From its source, Ojos del Guadiana near Ciudad Real, in the Spanish province of the same name in the Castilla-La Mancha region, it has traveled almost 745 kilometers to get here. A leisurely stream, which has already flowed through Castile-La Mancha and Extremadura into the Portuguese Alentejo all the way to the Algarve. Certainly reason enough to devote a little attention to it.

Is this also the reason why some campers stay here on a pitch right by the water? - We don't know, but there are certainly worse pitches. We also find a small restaurant, the Tasquinha da Muralha. We sit comfortably on a bench on a small terrace and eat fresh fish. - To our taste, a little overdone. It comes with potatoes, lots of garlic, bread and salad. - Torgit orders a little wine, I order a beer. The service is prompt, but not exactly polite. When we get the bill afterwards, we are at least sure that we are paying the tourist price. - 37.50 doesn't sound like much, but we were used to different prices in Portugal. But we are full and it tasted good. What more could you want? So no complaints, but no awards either.

With our strength up, we now take the highway, the A49 or E-1, to our destination for today, Camping Villsom, in Dos Hermanas, a little south of Seville, which is around 160 km away. The sat nav shows a journey time of around 1 hour 40. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be at the campsite shortly before 18:00. - Despite the rush hour, we make good time and arrive at the campsite gate just before 6 p.m. as planned.

But unfortunately it is closed. The fault lies entirely with me. I searched in our camping app for the date "from December 22nd to December 31st". - The campsite would have been open on the 22nd, but from December 24 to January 10, the campsite is closed. - Stupid, but that's the way it is. - But we find a pitch on park4night which is supposedly open.

So we head back onto the highway. The traffic has become heavier. We are a little skeptical, because it's usually not good to arrive at a campsite so late.

Especially as this parking space is supposedly difficult to find according to park4night. But it is much better than expected. The gate to the site is located behind a row of houses that separates the site from a wide main road. Hidden behind it is a small marina. And lo and behold, we are standing on a quay in the middle of the marina. What more could you want? That's what I call a stroke of luck.

Conclusion of the day: once again, all is well in the end. And if it's not good, it's not the end.

PS: Speaking of the end. - This is the end, at least for the time being, of our tour through Portugal. - Because we are now back in Spain. - So please don't be surprised tomorrow if the category is marked "on course in Spain" again.