A bientôt EU

[T6 CFO]

If you see a pretty English lady drooling over your Cali, it'll be my wife who's on a hen weekend in that area. Tell her to get home, we've got some touring to do!!!

LOL will do. I've also now got a perfect excuse to be looking and talking to the pretty English girls. When my one catches me I shall tell her I'm only trying to deliver a message for a friend.


Mike

 

[Amarillo]

Day 100 - Porto

It is, perhaps, fitting that we spent our landmark 100th day away with our van doing something different. We visited Porto city centre. Not since the previous power of 10 landmark (Day 10 - Copenhagen) have we attempted a city visit. On that occasion, and being in a somewhat less dog friendly country, we left Meg and Jess in the car in a multi storey shopping centre car park, then took the train into the city centre, restricting ourselves to leaving the dogs for no more than four hours.

Similarly, on this occasion, we drove to the car park of a local shopping centre, leaving the van in the open. This time we took our dog with us, free on the train, to the city centre. We walked along the Duro, under many spectacular bridges, to the historic centre.

Once there we stopped for an ice cream, then took a short boat trip along part of the Duro, seeing from the boat all we had seen from our earlier walk - plus a bit more, with commentary in Portuguese, English and French.

On our return to the shopping centre, I returned to the car with Ben, Jack and Meg while Clare went shopping. After a surprisingly short wait Clare appeared with matching Crocs for Ben and me -What fun!

Had we still two dogs, I am not sure we would have had such an easy and fun day. We wouldn't have been able to leave the dogs in the van in the sunshine with the roof down for more than a couple of hours. And taking a puppy on the train, walking through a city centre, on a boat then back on a train again, with two toddlers and another dog would be difficult.

We missed the sunset that we enjoyed yesterday (pictured below) and went for dinner at the local restaurant where we were served by three generations of the same family: paternal grandmother, mother and daughter. They all took a shine to Ben and Jack.

Our Dutch neighbour

Ben, Jack and Meg playing at sunset

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[calimera]

Thanks Tom for your blog. It’s such a good read & illustrated with great photos.

We did Segway tour of Porto ,which was interesting/scary.

 

[hirsty]

I'd missed the Grand Depart part II whilst I was away & glad to see things have resumed smoothly.

Looking forward to some sunny beach pics from SW Portugal which I only visited for the first time this May, lovely part of the world for vans & families (and still €2.50 a pint too ).

 

[Amarillo]

Day 101 - Porto to Cabo da Roca

Before saying saying farewell to our friends on the campsite we had a quick last walk with Meg along the beach.

So far, we had generally avoided the motorway in Portugal, passing just three automatic gantries, each of about 1 Euro. However, Porto to Lisbon was indicated twice the speed on the motorway by the Sat Nav, so we decided to use that route. We duly collected a ticket as we entered the motorway. When we came off just before Lisbon, we were charged 43 Euros as a Class 2 vehicle. In France Class 2 is over 2 metres and our van in 1.95m. I argued. I shouldn't have. In Portugal Class 2 is over 1.1 metres. 43 Euros was the toll Porto to Lisbon. Trying to keep costs for *everything* below an average of 100 Euros per day, to keep Macawber happy, a 43 Euro toll is quite a hit.

We arrived at the car park at Cabo da Roca at about 6pm - it was full of tourists for the sunset. We quickly checked at the tourist information that we could park for free for the night, and went off for somewhere to eat.

Cabo da Roca is the most westerly point of continental Europe, and so the most westerly point of the European Union mainland. We had already visited the most northerly point full of naked Finns sitting in mosquito infested woodland outside a sauna (day 42) and the most easterly point, a delightful lake with a boundary stone on an island (day 47), so this is our third compass point of the European mainland. The forth should be in just a few days' time. According to "Vote Leave" the Southern and Eastern points will be changing shortly when Turkey joins the European Union.

So here we are, camping for free, Clare asleep on the bench seat, Meg on the front passenger seat, the child seats piled high on the drivers' seat and the boys and me in the roof tent under the four flashes then a pause every 18 seconds of the Cabo da Roca lighthouse (I'm praying fog doesn't roll in.) 15 Euros saved on campsite fees, spent three times over on the motorway toll getting here.

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[T6 CFO]

Day 101 - Porto to Cabo da Roca

Before saying saying farewell to our friends on the campsite we had a quick last walk with Meg along the beach.

So far, we had generally avoided the motorway in Portugal, passing just three automatic gantries, each of about 1 Euro. However, Porto to Lisbon was indicated twice the speed on the motorway by the Sat Nav, so we decided to use that route. We duly collected a ticket as we entered the motorway. When we came off just before Lisbon, we were charged 43 Euros as a Class 2 vehicle. In France Class 2 is over 2 metres and our van in 1.95m. I argued. I shouldn't have. In Portugal Class 2 is over 1.1 metres. 43 Euros was the toll Porto to Lisbon. Trying to keep costs for *everything* below an average of 100 Euros per day, to keep Macawber happy, a 43 Euro toll is quite a hit.

We arrived at the car park at Cabo da Roca at about 6pm - it was full of tourists for the sunset. We quickly checked at the tourist information that we could park for free for the night, and went off for somewhere to eat.

Cabo da Roca is the most westerly point of continental Europe, and so the most westerly point of the European Union mainland. We had already visited the most northerly point full of naked Finns sitting in mosquito infested woodland outside a sauna (day 42) and the most easterly point, a delightful lake with a boundary stone on an island (day 47), so this is our third compass point of the European mainland. The forth should be in just a few days' time. According to "Vote Leave" the Southern and Eastern points will be changing shortly when Turkey joins the European Union.

So here we are, camping for free, Clare asleep on the bench seat, Meg on the front passenger seat, the child seats piled high on the drivers' seat and the boys and me in the roof tent under the four flashes then a pause every 18 seconds of the Cabo da Roca lighthouse (I'm praying fog doesn't roll in.) 15 Euros saved on campsite fees, spent three times over on the motorway toll getting here.

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Interesting about the tolls. Bit you've been on is about what we missed so interesting. We hit Portugal from the SE. Went North a bit then dropped back down to the Coast travelling some way along the N125. We were warned it was a nightmare and sure enough it was so when we left heading to the very SW. West of Lagos I adjusted the satnav to allow tolls. Cut the time in half and avoided Albufeira so well happy. It's the only toll I've been on in Portugal and there was no toll booth. I'm told it's free to foreign registered vehicles and locals get picked up and charged by camera. Anyway moral is avoid the N125 especially travelling Into the Sun.

NB: you and your kids will love the beach at Burgau if you get the chance.

Mike

 

[BerndRos]

Interesting about the tolls. Bit you've been on is about what we missed so interesting. We hit Portugal from the SE. Went North a bit then dropped back down to the Coast travelling some way along the N125. We were warned it was a nightmare and sure enough it was so when we left heading to the very SW. West of Lagos I adjusted the satnav to allow tolls. Cut the time in half and avoided Albufeira so well happy. It's the only toll I've been on in Portugal and there was no toll booth. I'm told it's free to foreign registered vehicles and locals get picked up and charged by camera. Anyway moral is avoid the N125 especially travelling Into the Sun.

NB: you and your kids will love the beach at Burgau if you get the chance.

Mike

Mike

The electronic tolls are NOT free to non Portugal registered vehicles. It’s just a little difficult to find a way to pay. On entering Portugal as you did over the bridge at Ayamonte there are booths to enter payment card details. Plus at Olhao services.

In reality I have never known anyone get caught out or written to in the U.K. re fines etc.

Were there hot showers at Burgau ?

 

[Amarillo]

The electronic toll management in Norway have tracked me down. I've had two invoices, one for 33 GBP and one for 21 GBP.

It's a simple matter - the nationality of the vehicle's registration needs identifying then the registration entered into the DVLA database and an invoice issued to the registered keeper.

I expect to be invoiced for the two or three electronic tolls passed in Portugal - about 4 Euros for Class 1 so double that for us.


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[Amarillo]

Day 102 - Cabo da Rico to Praia da Luz

Set the sat-nav to our destination, fastest route avoiding tolls.

About 30 minutes after setting off, with the backdrop of a spectacular Moorish castle, Jack said, "I have a stomache ache". This should have raised alarm bells as Jack is very stoic - unlike his big brother who moans and groans at anything. Sure enough, in the Lisbon suburbs, Jack vommited, the first vomit of our trip, which in itself is somewhat surprising. Probably not travel sickness, as Jack was right as rain immediately after being sick. After cleaning him up we had a coffee in a local cafe then bought groceries for the next few days.

The next thing the sat-nav did was take us over a toll bridge - fortunately only tolled for northbound traffic, and we had a delightful drive south to Praia da Luz and a wonderful campsite with the most amazing toilet block - including seats, paper and soap. The pool was open when we arrived, but by the time we were ready to swim, having set up camp, it was about to close. We explored the campsite by bike instead.


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[Amarillo]

Day 103 - Praia da Luz

We all had a quiet moment at midday, today being the funeral of Rosemary Brockman, grandmother to four of my nieces and nephews.



Great campsite - loving it! We might stay here until the 16 October then drive all the way to Cadiz for a date with my parents on 17th.

The pool is unheated but after bathing in the waters off Lofoten we can cope. We spent most of the day next to the pool.

There's an enormous undeveloped plot of land next to the campsite, perfect for exercising Meg and playing frisbee with her. Just perfect.


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[T6 CFO]

Mike

The electronic tolls are NOT free to non Portugal registered vehicles. It’s just a little difficult to find a way to pay. On entering Portugal as you did over the bridge at Ayamonte there are booths to enter payment card details. Plus at Olhao services.

In reality I have never known anyone get caught out or written to in the U.K. re fines etc.

Were there hot showers at Burgau ?

Thanks for that. If I come across a payment booth I'll probably pop in or wait to see what arrives.

Showers weren't hot at Burgau but fine after a hot day on the beach

Mike


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[hirsty]

I found the Portugese toll road system to be a complete mystery - wandering up & down from Faro airport past Lagos & on to the red lighthouse in May I saw no toll booth / barriers as common in France & Italy.

We had a SANEF-type bleeping tag in our hired Polo & Europcar recharged that back to us (having also charged to hire the tag!) but I've no idea how a wandering Brit is supposed to do the right thing.

Later in August the French speed camera operators near Nice were able to get my name from Hertz & send me a €45 fixed penalty to my UK address, so the authorities are generally getting more joined-up in their efforts to extract what's owed ...

 

[bigmac77]

To pay the Portuguese tolls you go to a post office 48hrs after you've used the toll road supply them with your reg number and they tell you how much you owe and you pay them.
We always used to hire a car and drive from Faro to Praia da Luz we'd pay the toll in Luz but on our return to Faro there was no way to pay so we didn't. We were never contacted by the car hire company over the unpaid tolls. The system seems a bit poorly thought through to me.

 

[Amarillo]

The system seems a bit poorly thought through to me.

Some info here:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g189111-c173877/Algarve:Portugal:Algarve.Toll.Road.html

We're driving the full length of the Algarve on Monday, I think we'll use the notoriously slow N125 with its plethora of roundabouts.


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[Amarillo]

Loads of swimming and not much else.

This really has been a wonderful campsite for us, apart from exercising Meg, we've hardly ventured off the grounds. The temperature has been upper twenties in the daytime and upper teens overnight with the pool temperature 22 in the morning and 26 by the afternoon.

Twice we've eaten the three course buffet lunch in the campsite restaurant: 10 Euros for adults, 3.50 for children 2-5 years. Salad starter, cooked main and pudding. During the evening there has been live entertainment. The "Dixie Kings" one night, then a somewhat curious Italian Night on another night. The singer they employed for the Italian Night well known Italian classics such as The Beach Boys, Surfing USA, Stevie Wonder's I Just Called..., and La Bamba.

We did manage to go on a family foray towards Lagos on our bikes, there's a service road running alongside the main N125, but nearer Lagos the service road ran out, and the main road is far too busy for Ben on his bike.

Tomorrow we drive to Cadiz. We are taking a gamble by going on the toll road. The toll itself is 15 Euros, but we have no means to pay. We don't have a transponder which would cost 20 Euros, we can't pay at the post office 48 hours after travel as we will no longer be in Portugal, so all we can do is drive along the road, and see of the 15 Euro toll plus 25 Euro penalty turn up sometime in the future.

Breakfast at Camp Amarillo

Ben dancing to the Dixie Kings

A mystery photo taken by someone illicitly messing with my phone while sitting on the lower berth in the van. It is taken through the sliding door, showing all our gear and the car child seats in the safari room and my profile through the safari room's window.


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[hirsty]

http://www.portugaltolls.com/en/web/portal-de-portagens/home

TOLLCARD purchased from any service station on the A22 appears to be the answer for foreign registered vehicles passing through - though I doubt all that many bother!

I’m expecting a retrospective kicking through the post any day now after reading that Austria operates a motorway vignette system once we’d safely arrived in Munich

 

[Amarillo]

Day 107 – Praia da Luz to Cadiz

Packing up was just about the smoothest yet. We had only put up the Safari room, and I'd loaded the bikes the night before. The roof came down a moment after I left the upper berth. Clare took the boys to the site's bar for breakfast and I packed the van undisturbed by boys eager to "help".

It was probably the right decision to take the toll road along the Algarve. A pleasant and fast return to Spain.

For several days the add adblue warning had been bleeping at me, steadily ticking down from a range of 1900 Km remaining. When full, the 13 litre tank indicates a range of 9000 Km. I cannot recall if it starts ticking down immediately, or if it stays saying that for the first few thousand Km, but once below 2000 Km range remaining, it certainly lets the driver know - every time the ignition is turned on, and every time another 100km of range is depleted.

i was prepared. While Clare went shopping with the boys in Aldi - Lagos, I found an adblue pump at a motorway service station - the Spanish side of the border. 11.5 litres went in at 75 cents per litre - the most I've paid so far for adblue.

The lady in the garage gave Ben a lolly and two Respol balloons, and once the ignition was on, the van showed a reassuring 9000 Km range remaining. Off we went - then horror struck. I'd forgotten to replace the adblue cap. We'd have to come off at the next junction, turn around, drive back to Portugal, turn around again, back to Spain and return to the filling station. As dad would say, "What a goof!"

So we came off at the next junction. Clare insisted I stop and check the cap. Even though I knew this would be a pointless exercise, the way she said it made me do as instructed. The cap was securely in place. I still have no recollection of putting it back, it is a complete void in my memory. I can remember taking it off; I can remember putting it on the side by the pump; I can remember it falling off the side by the pump and onto the forecourt concrete; I can remember shaking the last few drops from the adblue nozzle and fumbling with the somewhat peculiar process required to replace the nozzle under a hatch at the pump; I can remember opening the passenger door to close the flap. But I have absolutely no recollection of picking up the cap from the forecourt concrete or screwing the cap back in place.

Once on our way again I dropped the cruise control speed to 100 kph and relaxed. Dropping speed from 120 kph to 100 kph improves indicated fuel economy by about 30%. At a steady 120 the display shows an average of about 10.5 km per litre, at 100 about 13.5 km per litre. At 90 kph it is even better, but at that speed I get the big trucks overtaking me. 100 kph (62.5 mph) is my preferred motorway speed.

We arrived at the campsite at 5.30 pm. It has none of the holiday buzz of the previous place - and although the temperature is high 20s the pool is closed. It is, however, right on the beach. We will explore tomorrow. And tomorrow my parents arrive for a week in a bungalow on the same site, or moving elsewhere if we have had enough of this campsite.


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[Borris]

In a previous life I was a firefighter (fireman in those days). During one night shift we had been called out to a fire alarm sounding in a hospital (a very regular occurrence). In the morning I had no recollection of having been on that call.........and I was the driver!

 

[kave]

I constantly walks back to my Cali to make sure its locked. It has never been unlocked yet, but I can never remember if I did lock. Comes with age, 42 now.

 

[Jay20cali]

I constantly walks back to my Cali to make sure its locked. It has never been unlocked yet, but I can never remember if I did lock. Comes with age, 42 now.

Ha ha me too
I thought it was just me loosing it being 46

 

[Amarillo]

Day 108 - Cadiz

The campsite is just a few miles outside Cadiz, in El Peurto de Santa Maria. We are close to the centre, near the widest sandy beach I have ever seen.

My parents arrived at Seville today, and Ben and I with Meg made the round trip to pick them up. Remarkably we arrived in the arrivals hall 10 minutes apart. Unremarkedly I set the incorrect "last location" into the Sat Nav and we found ourselves heading back to Praia da Luz. After I spotted the error I managed to get lost in Seville trying to turn around.

when we arrived back at the campsite, Clare and Jack had checked into Mum and Dad's bungalow and had cooked sausages and potato.


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[Amarillo]

Day 109 - Cadiz

A really wild thunderstorm last night - we were sort of prepared, with the topper on the roof, and awning side panels attached. However, my tailgate prop didn't do a proper job as a horizontal awning support, and in the morning there was a huge pool of water on the awning, causing a massive sag.

During a lul in the continuing rain we took a walk into El Puerto, first along by the river, then into the town's heart. My mother said she kept expecting to see "dusky maidens" leaning from the balconies.

Ben and Jack outside the town's church

It started raining, and I fled back with Jack on my shoulders, leaving my parents and Clare sheltering in a supermarket with Ben, trying to get a taxi back to the campsite.

They bought Pizza and salads which I cooked on the Cadac and we washed down with a basic Rioja. It rained for much of the night.


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[Amarillo]

Day 110 - Cadiz

The tailgate prop did a much better job of stopping water pooling on the awning used vertically. Perfect.

Today the weather was much better and we went to Cadiz. Mum, Clare and the boys went by ferry; dad, Meg and I went by van. Dogs over 10Kg are not allowed on the ferry, and I would not leave Meg in the van in the sunshine for more than 2 or 3 hours. We won't all legally fit in the van.

Amazingly, dad and I passed the other's ferry as it was departing, and saw it docking in Cadiz as we arrived. We parked in an underground car park with a 2m height restriction - the van is 1995mm! The charge was 0.035 Euros per minute - parking charges by the minute was a first for me.

Another delightful town with plenty to see. The highlight for the boys was watching a team of municipal workers chop up and remove a fallen tree from the pavement. The highlight for my parents was watching the boys dance and shadow a street Flamenco dancer.

The others all returned by boat, I returned alone with Meg in the van.

We went to the campsite cafe for dinner - the boys propped up the bar.

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[Amarillo]

Day 111 - Cadiz

Up early - dumped the boys with my long-suffering parents, and I took Clare to Jerez Airport to fly home to see her dad.

I returned via Carrefour where I bought a small car DVD player in an attempt to reduce the 4G data bill when we stream videos in campsites with no or poor wifi. Jack broke our Aldi TV by using it as a steering wheel and twisting it on its seat back mount until the power cable socket to the TV was destroyed.

We spent the afternoon making sand castles on the super wide beach. I cooked Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, washed down with a medium good Rioja from the Bodega in Navarrtte.

After dinner Jack had a shower and fell asleep in his granddad's arms.

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[Amarillo]

Day 112 - Cadiz

The three of us, the two boys and I, slept together on the lower bunk with the roof and upper berth raised - very comfortable.

We took an excursion to Gibraltar. The drive was about one hour, but we had to queue for over 30 minutes to pass the Spanish checks. They required doors to be opened so they could have a good nosey inside. The British check just waved us through.

Thankfully we found somewhere to park - 50p for 1.30pm to 2pm then free - and we went up to the top of the rock by cable car, at least mum, the boys and I went up. Meg wasn't allowed, and Dad, who had been to Gibraltar before, for a cruise on HMS Illustrious to Portsmouth soon after she entered service, kindly volunteered to remain behind to look after Meg.

As it turned out, it was with good reason that dogs are barred from the cable car. Once at the top Meg would have gone crazy with all the monkeys, and given half a chance she'd have chased one off the rock, but would have gone over herself.

We all watched with amusement as a student posed for photos with a mother and baby, and when he put his bag down a monkey ran off with it, adeptly searching it for food and scattering the contents.

After the summit, we went to Europa point. Free from monkeys I let Meg off the lead and she promptly found a cat to chase - onto a gun.

Europa point lighthouse.

We felt we'd done Gibraltar so set off back to the campsite. We returned to El Puerto along the coast road, stopping off at Tarifa. In one respect, that completed our tour of the European Union. Amarillo has now visited all four compass points of the European Union mainland: Nuotgam in Finland, on the Norwegian border; a very remote spot near Ilaja again in Finland on the unfenced eastern EU border with Russia; Cabo da Roca near Lisbon on the Atlantic coast in Portugal; and now Tarifa where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea meet the southern tip of Europe with Africa just under nine miles south. I wonder when a tunnel will be built to help trade between the continents.

Southernmost point of European mainland

Looking to Africa


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