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Plans and Portugal

July 12, 2016 1 Comment

Well, we’re zipping along now. Last notes were after a torrid, exciting, culturally interesting and good time in Morocco. Maroc as they say.

During this time we (I), had booked a flight in a twin seat Spitfire, in England, on July 20. Also, during this time, we had booked on the ferry from Hamburg to Halifax, Canada, on July 30. All a bit tight, but doable given the opportunity.

Then the bloody Spitfire people double booked me, because I don’t know. So they offered the following week, which would cock up everything else. So we bailed the flight. (The significance for me is that dad flew a Spitfire in WW2. RAAF squadron 453 if you want to look it up).

To say I was annoyed is an understatement, but it has freed up our time, giving us plenty to get to Hamburg.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but USA is out, because we visited Iran three years ago. The US officials wanted a full interview, which would have meant waiting in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, for five weeks, for the earliest available interview. This didn’t fit our timeline, so I sent them (USA), an email to withdraw our application and we’ll go to Canada.

Ocean Cafe in Porto, Portugal

Ocean Cafe in Porto, Portugal

From Morocco, it was a snack to get back into Spain, just as easy to get to Portugal. Since being in Portugal, we’ve had a ball. Land is good, views are good, people are great. Police are happy, smile and don’t pull you over. Traffic is pretty well behaved and very patient with us and everyone else. No horn blowing.

The road systems are good, there seems to be plenty of water about and they mostly trickle irrigate. Portugal has an enviable reputation for sustainable energy and laws dealing with drug users/pushers. To me it shows in what you see in the streets.

There’s a good speed control device to slow cars to 50km/h in the villages. A set of traffic lights are positioned on the road, with a radar, and if you approach at more than 50, the lights go red! Go through the red at your peril! If you speed, the lights go red, and all the cars behind you have to stop! Best idea I’ve seen for a long time.

We had earlier applied for a different travel credit card. It arrived after we had left Australia, so our accountants arranged it delivered to Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal. Justin and Sofia were the “keepers of the card”. We met them, and they are special, awesome people, with two of the most active boys one could imagine. We’re old buggers, and they kept us up until 2.00am, drinking and talking. We camped in the carpark of their apartment building, but there’s a good degree of communication between the residents, so the sight of a 4wd camped in their carpark didn’t unsettle them. A great night was had by all!

Currently we’re up the west coast, looking at the many surf spots. Surfing has become quite an industry here, with many surf schools. There’s a strong nw onshore wind, with a three m swell and they are into it! We’ve set camp on the cliffs, out of the wind, near a place called Ferrel, and the locals seemed fine about it.

A few beaches back, (south), I was watching two blokes, way out, on a left break. They were 200m out in deep water, so they couldn’t catch a wave. I was a bit brittle to be out there myself, but my eyes are young, and a crack would have been good. They would have to be able swimmers, as there was a big rip about 20m from them, boiling water that would take them out to the sardine trawlers, one km out!

There’s a local patisserie delicacy called “travesseiros”, from Sintra, near here. And we have taken advantage! Also, some other things, not sure of their name, but, boy are they good.

It’s a matter now of heading north, have a scratch around and end up in Hamburg by the July 29. We have a few addresses on the way, so we will be able to entertain ourselves!

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  1. Caristine says:

    OMG. You both will not be included in the census. It’s tonight. Will Australia ever be the same again. Loll

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