Category: My blog
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Manteigas, Serra da Estrela
Today we set off to stay in Manteigas for a couple of nights and do some walking in the Serra da Estrela region. This area was affected by fires last year and as we got closer to the Serra da Estrela, we could see burnt, dead trees studding the landscape as far as the eye…
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PR3 MDB Figas De Ermelo
Fate was kind to us and we slept like babies, not a sound from the biker rally. That’s what double glazing and fierce air conditioning do for you. Sadly, authentic, 300 year old buildings, beautiful though they are, just don’t cut it when it comes to noise. Today we headed off to Parque Natural do…
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Regua and the Douro Valley
Lightning does strike twice and the music went on and on ….and on. Each time the band started a new song, I would think this must be the last one, but no, there would be a small break and another cover version of some long forgotten crappy rock anthem would start. When they eventually did…
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Mini adventure in Northern Portugal
It’s been a while. Wings have been clipped a bit but that doesn’t mean a mini road trip Is out of the question. So here we are, on a 12 day whistle stop tour of Northern Portugal, beginning in Vila Real, gateway to Parque do Alvo and the Alto do Douro. An easy drive along…
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Almost there
The nostalgic drive home through France lost its rosy glow soon after leaving Perouges. Avoidance of the tolls meant tedious driving along featureless roads. Even worse, not one of the rest stops had toilets. In the end we pulled into a farm track and did what had to be done there. Poor lorry drivers! I…
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Manosque – Perouges
Time to hit the road and head for home. We’ve decided to bumble our way home sans toll roads which means we’ll be considerably slower getting to Dunkirk but hopefully it will be more enjoyable. We both have fond memories of driving through the French countryside and stopping in pretty towns and villages. That was…
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No rest rest day – Sisteron
I could have sworn that Steve declared today a rest day. Our legs had worked hard yesterday and I was looking forward to sitting in the sun, catching up with emails and reading my kindle. It was freezing until 10ish when the sun started to warm things up a bit. Two hours in and the…
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Gorges Galore
This part of France is awash with gorges so in order to avoid been gorged out we chose to walk one close by (oppedette) and the following day, the most famous – Verdon. It was a dull but reasonably dry afternoon by the time we arrived at Gorges d’Oppedette. I have to say it didn’t…
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Pinerolo- Manosque
We said our farewells to Jan and Nik and set off towards our destination, the town of Manosque. It seemed like a good base for our exploration of the Verdon Gorge and also of Provence. It was a beautiful morning but both Steve and I were very grumpy with each other and out of sorts.…
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Fenestrelle
My imagination was caught by pictures of the Forte di Fenestrelle. A military folly, it has a 3km long wall and an indoor staircase of nearly 4000 steps connecting the complex of forts and buildings. It’s built on a hill, with majestic views over the mountainous area, 40 minutes drive outside Pinerolo. Everyone gamely agreed…
Middle-aged flash packers 