Today we bring a post about our 2015 roadtrip. We share with you because it was an adventure like never before! We suddenly decided to take a roadtrip at the beginning of June and after a few days we hit the road. We took some backpacks with clothes and food and nothing else.

The starting point was in Porto. There, we met with friends. Basically we were celebrating the beginning of our adventure. As the festivities had ended in the middle of the night and we had not booked any hotel, so we slept in the car. Before I had a Seat Ibiza 99. We lay down the seats and slept for a few hours. We still saw the sunrise.

As soon as we woke up we went straight south until Aveiro to take breakfast. Aveiro reminiscent of Venice but more modern. We took a tour of the city, ate our breakfast, and headed to the Costa Nova where the typical houses of the Ria de Aveiro are located. Already more awake and full of belly, we continue towards Nazaré.

It was lunch time when we got to Nazaré. We went straight to the Miradouro do Suberco, where it has a breathtaking view. We descended a little further to Praia do Norte, famous for the gigantic waves where French surfer Garrett McNamara set the Guinness record for the longest surfing wave. The Nazare Canyon causes very high waves and makes it a hotspot for big wave surfing. With the early afternoon, the accumulated weariness of the bohemian night began to feel.

We continue towards the Costa Vicentina also known as the "Alentejo coast" until Zambujeira do Mar in Odemira. We arrived at the end of the afternoon which still gave time for a small tour around the village. We decided that we could not sleep in the car again, even because we had taken the tent, and the purpose was to camp. We drove to Camping Zambujeira to find out the prices. After some negotiations, we got a bungalow almost at the same price as a tent. Once we settled in, we decided to make grilled sardines. We went shopping quickly and at a glance we were already home cooking. As we were very tired, we let the food burn and became very dry sardines. At least the bread, the cheese and the wine were good. As soon as we lay down, we fell asleep in an instant. The next day, we had breakfast, coffee and toast and headed down to the beach. As it was raining, we could not take a dip but we got to know the area. Back on the road, we headed towards Beja.

On the way to Beja, the Alentejo plains were beginning to take shape. The rain was behind and we beginning to feel the heat. The pass through Beja was brief, we had a coffee there, took a tour of the historic center, did some shopping in the supermarket and we went to Reguengos de Monsaraz, more precisely the Castle of Monsaraz. The view of the Alqueva dam is phenomenal. In the interior of the castle there is a small medieval village all made of shale stone. The afternoon was well spent, after a picnic with the villagers. After a few laps inside the wall and with the late afternoon arriving, we decided to leave for Évora.

On arrival we went straight to the campsite. We found that the price of the campsite plus car, tent and electricity was at the same price as a hotel with a swimming pool. About 30€ per night. Without thinking twice we drove to the hotel. We arrived at 7.30pm. At the reception we asked if we could go to the pool, but they said that it closed at 8pm. We went running to the bedroom, put on the bathing shorts and bikini and there we went for a swim. Then we prepare to go to dinner. The restaurant we found was the Docas Gourmet. We ate very well! The rest of the night was at the Café Estrela D'ouro, where we stayed for a few drinks until midnight, because it was my birthday. Carla made me believe that she had no gift for me, but after some insistence she took the package from her bag. The present was an illustrated book by Edward Gorey - "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" with two tickets to the Reverence Valada festival. I loved the presents! Then we went to the hotel. It was about 3am when we decided to go to the pool to take a swim. At first we were afraid if they picked us up and kicked us out of the hotel, but since we thought no one would show up, we went there. Everything was going well until a security guard appeared smoking a cigarette. We stay still in the water. As it was dark, the security man did not see us. As soon as he finished smoking his cigarette, he began to play with his cell phone. After a few minutes in the water, the cold began to feel. We decided to get out of the water. The security guard saw us but said nothing. The next day was a scorching heat. We went to visit the Public Garden, the Bones Chapel and the Roman Temple. The Bones Chapel is lined with human skulls and bones. At the entrance there is a warning: "We bones here we are, for yours we hope". A macabre show!

     

Then we went to Avis, a small Portuguese village in the district of Portalegre, where we went to visit family. On the way we pass by Arraiolos, famous for its carpets. Fortunately the Medieval Market was happening, which made our passage through Arraiolos more exciting. From Arraiolos to Avis are about 50km of Alentejo landscapes. Arriving at Avis, we drove to Albufeira of Maranhão where we had a snack and then rested while enjoying the scenery. A short time later, my Aunt Teresa and my cousin Rita arrived. We went to their house where we would spend the night. We didn't know that we had a great banquet waiting for us. We were very well received. There was food, wine, conversation and music. The party lasted until late. The next day, we woke up alone at home. Uncle Jorge had taken Cousin Rita to the airport because she was going to Macao. Aunt Teresa had gone to work so we went to see the little village of Avis. The return was quick, as I said, the village is small!

   

We follow the way to Portalegre, more properly Castelo de Vide. Within the walls there is a remarkable set of works of art, such as fountains, churches, Gothic gates, noble houses and synagogues. It is a unique village and there are those who call it "Sintra do Alentejo". Then we went to the Natural Park of the Serra de São Mamede, more precisely to the Castle of Marvão. The scenery is breathtaking. We walked through the Roman streets inside the walls until sunset. It was a journey back in medieval time! It was time to find a place to spend the night. We hit the road to 

Castelo Branco.

We arrived at Castelo Branco at night. We just had time to dine and look for a hotel. As soon as we settled in, we showered and fell asleep. We were exhausted! As soon as we woke up, we ate breakfast and went to see the city. As usual, we went on foot to the Castle and Walls of Castelo Branco. We continue to Covilhã for lunch. As it was raining, the lap was short. On the way, was Guarda, the highest city in Portugal. We also went to the Castle or what was left of it. On arrival we met faces with a door. As curiosity was great to see what was inside that tower I decided to push the door. To our surprise, there were about fifty people in silence listening to the guide explaining the history of the castle. After a little introduction, it was time to climb the tower and look out at the view.

The good mood was felt, along with the accumulated fatigue of these last days of travel that was coming to an end. From Guarda we headed towards Vila Real where our first adventure ended. Then we promised each other that we would do this for the rest of our lives. We gained a love for the road, to know new places, new people. From this trip we can say that Portugal is a country with a lot of history, there is a lot to discover, to see and to hear! In five days we ran the country, but a lot stayed behind. Of course one day we will return to the places we visited. You want advice? Visit Portugal!