CACELA VELHA & FABRICA, ALGARVE

The Algarve is blessed with tidal estuaries protected by long sand spits and islands, from Cacela Velha in the East to Faro in the west. These provide amazing natural habit for birds and shellfish.

 An old Pahi 31 Wharram catamaran sits on the sand. It's owner died a few years ago.

 

The village and fort of Cacela Velha

From Fabrica take a ferry to the island, or walk it at low water.

Algarve sunsets

AYAMONTE and ISLA CANELA, SPAIN

The earliest vehicle inspection available. In Sevilla it is 16 days later.

Waiting at the Inspection centre in case 11 people before me without appointments will be invited for the inspection. I gave up after three hours and they were all still waiting.

Best to go to the coast for the night, Isla Canela (Cinnamon Island) very close to Portugal.

They take organic recycling seriously here.

Next morning in the lovely border town of Ayamonte, from where you can cross the river by small ferry to Portugal.

GRANDOLA, ALCACER DO SAL, LISBON, BEJA, SPAIN

We left AWAKE to spend one night at the coast at Alvor before driving to Lisbon airport. On the way we stopped for the night in a dedicated camper parking area for the night at Grândola. It was from here that the famous song “Grândola, Vila Morena”,  came stirring the uprising against the oppressive regime of the unpopular dictator Salazar.

 In the morning we continued north to Alcácer do Sal, parking by the river for a break and walk.

We continued to Lisbon and found a parking area about 6 km from the airport. At 4.30 am  I dropped Anita at the airport for her fog delayed flight to Poland. Traffic was light so the fog did not stop me going carefully south east in darkness.

I crossed the 12 km Vasco de Gama bridge (you pay tolls only travelling north) over the Tejo (Tagus) River, and saw nothing!! I continued carefully until I reached  Beja, arriving before shops (and toilet) were open. I slept before continuing into Spain.

The Tom Tom gps took me over narrow roads into Spain over the Guadiana River about 60 km north of the south coast. 

Driving south towards Ayamonte I was able to buy an exchange Cepsa gas cylinder, the light weight aluminium ones which are really the best to carry but not available at Cepsa petrol stations in Portugal.

 The purpose of this expedition into Spain was to make the annual inspection for the vehicle, but with the problem of repairs to the wheel arch and running light I had no appointment as I did not know when this would be fixed. No appointment had been no problem in the previous 2 years at Lorca, Murcia. It was a problem however around Huelva, and after waiting three hours, and being 11^th in the queue of those without appointments I gave up appointments waiting ahead of me, I gave up and went to Ayamonte at the border to Portugal for the night. The next available appointment was two weeks away.

Next day after wifi time in a café in Ayamonte, and a café cortado, and the vehicle full of diesel (20 cents per litre cheaper in Spain), I returned to Portugal .