Colder, travellin, now hotter.

I guess its out with the winter woolly's again. After the last weeks of gorgeous hot weather in the Algarve it is a shock to the system to suddenly wake up to 10degrees Centigrade and a north wind blowing strong enough to severely rock Sadie about. Kinda depressing too.

At least it gives a chance to travel and that is what we have done arriving at 'Salir do Porto' In order I may see where my Sister and family holiday'd last year. We had spent the previous night away from the coast and its wicked winds tucked snugly in a forest.

Unfortunately a very short time was spent in 'Salir do Porto' as the wind was gale force with a sandblasting effect which would have rendered Sadies  plastic windows opaque in no time at all. There is not a huge great sand dune there for nothing!!

We moved. Round the bay to 'San Martino' where there was a flea market going on which, and this is where I say the Portuguese just don't seem to get it, was sighted all along the front where again the wind was horrendous. Some stallholders could not even get stuff out of their vans. Further down, or indeed on the opposite and shop fronted side of the street was emptiness and shelter from the wind. I enjoyed lunch and coffee at the grassy corner of the esplanade where out of the wind it was pleasant and warm. Quite deserted too. Strange!

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"OMG I'm really very sorry about this Tanya." This was said way after Tanya's normal suppertime. It was said through gritted teeth as the b'jesus was being vibrated out of Sadie by yet another narrow, uneven and badly potholed cobblestone road.

I had driven for too long and was tired. Pulling onto a side road I expected to find, as usual, plenty of space to park Sadie up for the night.

Bad mistake!

This particular area of Portugal was well populated, very agricultural and with every bit of land in use and separated from said excuse for a road by stone walls. In the end I had to re set Mrs sat-nav for the coast where I figured there would be empty seafront car parks. That thinking was correct. Unfortunately it was 14km of cobblestone roads to get there. Not funny! I was bordering on insanity by the time we reached a very nice, flat, totally empty, beautiful smooth tarmac covered seafront car park. It was at a remote, ghostly and nameless resort near 'Mindelo', North of 'Porto'.

My advice? Don't, whatever you do buy a car from this area. They drive insanely spitting out cobblestones behind them as they go. Twice I heard one bouncing and banging the underside of Sadie. Thankfully no damage as far as I can see.

Resolution number 976 was made there and then: -  'Do not drive for so long!'

The result?

Tonight we are at a lovely little resort in Galicia, Spain called 'Boria'. We arrived, parked up and had time to unload bike and go exploring the many totally rural and unspoilt little coves abounding in this area. I even managed to find a spot sheltered from the keen North wind where it was warm enough to don trunks, goggles and snorkel and go exploring among the undersea rocks. Not for long though. The Atlantic, as we move further north, is noticeably cooler.

One local fisherman was on the beach doing something to his boat. He was fully clothed in wet gear and hat. One crazy motorhome driving tourist was also on the beach donned only in trunks, goggles and snorkel. He was entering the sea. Crazy tourist noticed fisherman stop, stare and shake head in dis-belief and in unison with old man who was sat just above on the sheltering sea wall.

Crazy tourist emerges from sea fifteen minutes later smiling mightily but also very grateful for  the sheltering sea wall and beautiful warm sun. Crazy tourist sat in sun for some time with small black dog laid out in sun next to him. Old mans eyes nearly popped out their sockets a little later as tourist passed him by with small black dog in green plastic bucket on back of bicycle!

Tomorrow it's 'Santiago de Compostella.' Only an hour away.
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I am afraid I prefer arriving in Santiago in Sadie as opposed to on foot complete with obligatory Pilgrims staff and Clam shell. Not that I do not admire the steady stream of Pilgrims/Walkers I passed by on the busy main roads. I just do not fancy a pilgrim route where you are pitched against articulated lorries, motorbikes and cars with only a white line as boundary between you and the traffic.

The old city and magnificent Cathedral are all as per the Rough guide and very touristy but with that added realism of being surrounded by the many pilgrims who had completed their trek. Quietly moving. The inside of the Cathedral was well worth the effort of discretely carrying Tanya and surrupticiously avoiding the vergers and security guards.

We left mid afternoon on the road to 'Lugo' with Mrs Sat nav set to divert us down to 'Embaise de Portodemouros', a large reservoir. And here we are  perched at the waters edge down a wee lane. It was hot when we arrived so it was out with trunks and goggles and in for a swim. A freshwater swim for a change. I thought the water level looked high and this proved to be the case as ten metres out I could see below me a road sign with the 'no swimming', 'no boating' and 'no fishing' logos clearly visible through the greenish but clear water. I was literally swimming around amid tree tops and shrubbery. I guess it shows how low and for how long the reservoir has been half empty. This year, according to a family of locals who turned up to fish (there is a sign you know!!)  the water is higher than they have ever seen it.
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Today, Sunday May 5th it is another wild, hidden in the forest, not a soul to be seen, beautiful edge of reservoir stop. We arrived yesterday afternoon as we travelled the road from 'Lugo' where we walked round the well preserved Roman wall before enjoying lunch and people watching in the main square. All very pleasant and civilized.

We're headed for 'Oviedo' which is not a fast trip with the excellent road twisting its way up and down and around this green, hilly, bordering on mountainous, landscape.

'Do not drive too far!'

Remember, resolution 976?  Well I did, hence here we are stopped, indeed hidden, on a forest track with directly below us 'Embalse de Grandas de Salime'. A long narrow man made lake between steep forested hills. The sun is out, it's hot, we've not moved today but instead biked down the amazingly smooth windy minor road to a simply magic little spot where the road disappears into the lake. Needless to say swim, rest and enjoy were the order of the day before we commenced the slow and steady 'Bike-walk' back up to Sadie's lonely forest track pitch.

We are just so fortunate to be enjoying, to be gifted if you like, such wonderfully benign, peaceful and beautiful moments/spots. Time for reflection/contemplation is always made in such places. Usually there is a bit of praying too. This time it was for the strength to Bike-walk/slog/trudge up the long steep incline to the welcome Sadie sanctuary.

Never fails! We made it and we Had a cooling shower too, half way up in one of the wee waterfalls tumbling its way down the hillside and splashing onto the road. It was so hot even Tanya was glad to be given a soaking.