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Where's Mike? Section 13: Iberia 2006
Wednesday February 15th
Madrid, Spain: Well, the saga continues. I caught a cheap one-way Delta flight (US$398) from SeaTac to Madrid and Pedro was there to greet me off the plane, and take me back to Parking Madrid where my, albeit dustier, moho was waiting for me. Parking Madrid had the added bonus of providing a place to shower after the long flight. While I cleaned up, they washed my rig for me! :-)
Wanting to adapt quickly to the time change, I headed into town, after checking into Camping Osuna, in order to force myself to stay awake and fight through the exhaustion.
The Royal Palace of Madrid is definitely worth a stop, and pretty cheap too, at only 3euro.
I spent a few hours walking around the grounds, checking out the panoramic views from the Plaza, the ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo and Giaquinto, and the various rooms.
The Royal Pharmacy was very interesting, but the
Royal Banquet Hall
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 55e for 58l at 96810 km and 453 since last tank. Food/Drink: 13e Supplies: 0 Misc: 96e for Feb moho storage & airport p/u, 2e metro, 3e Palace entry, 8e for one liter of oil. Odometer: 96856
Madrid, Spain: Took another day for exploring Madrid since it is such a great city for wandering around, looking at architecture, and people watching. Their subway system is really great, so if you ever get lost, all you have to do is pop under ground and it is then easy to find your way anywhere you could want to go.
Cheap tapas are abundant everywhere in Spain, but seem to be particularly great in Madrid. During the long afternoon lunch break, ordering any drink of your choice (even a bottled water!) will get you a tasty treat along with it at no charge. The next drink will come with a different, but equally tasty, tapa.
This afternoon I spent my time at the Museo Nacional del Prado and really enjoyed the sculpture and massive numbers of paintings. Too much to really appreciate in one stop, so I chose to just keep walking. The painting on the left is not the best, but Claudio de Lorena had an interesting enough perspective on fluid dynamics (wind), that I thought is was worth a shot.
After leaving the Prado, I headed down the street to see Spain's Naval Museum, but it was closed for some sort of repair work. I have heard about a great naval museum near Lisbon from a couple of people, so will check that out instead.
I am still too exhausted from the time change to have any desire to explore Madrid's incredible night-life, but want to head out for Portugal (and more free camping!) in the morning. It will give me a great reason to return someday, actually some night, and check it out.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 5e Supplies: 0 Misc: 2e metro and 6e for the Prada Odometer: 96856
Friday February 17th
Barragem da Povoa, Portugal: The Spanish Plains between Madrid and the Portuguese border are nice, but did not really warrant a stop. However, the Serre de Sao Mamede, just inside Portugal, was great. The dryness of Spain gave way to a deluge as I caught a glimpse of some spectacular peak-top forts that I will explore tomorrow.
Made camp at a great little lake (Barragem da Povoa) just NW of Castelo de Vide and then quickly took a bloody digger while rock hopping over the glass-sharp boulders reminiscent of JT's quartz-monzonite. The lake has several dirt access roads that all look great, but I went with the south end, on the opposite side as the dam, for a very quiet, dark, and secluded campsite by the shore.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 41.52e Fuel: 47.75e for 50.6l at 87174km and 363km since last fill up. Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 41e Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 97325
Barragem da Povoa, Portugal: Great, misty sunrise after a long night of heavy rain.
The raising lake level, and a need for some fresh 1st Aid supplies, encouraged me to get going early, and I was happy I did. This gave me the chance to visit nearby Castelo de Vide and see picturesque white-washed houses nestled below the castle walls, their quaint square, and the churches and fortifications of the castle itself.
I then spent a good portion of the day exploring the much more visited, and higher, medieval walled village of Marvao, a few clicks away. The parking lot just outside the village walls also has a fresh water tap good for stocking up.
Anyway, from the various fortifications, to the chapels, and the cistern's, Marvao is worth a stop. If I did not have a moho, I would have probably enjoyed a night or two in a one of the small hotels.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 20e Supplies: 5e on first aid stuff Misc: 0 Odometer: 97427
Sunday February 19th
Barregem do Pego do Altar, Portugal:
Made a long drive south through Evora, and then on toward Lisbon.
Realizing it is like photographing timothy hay in the Kittitas valley, I
had to snag a shot of a cork oak in a grove of thousands. It is
interesting, for me, to see how the bark is peeled off each time. Older
trees are quite amazing to see their bulbous start and end points.
Evora, itself was ok, but nothing I would travel out of my way for again. Nice Medieval water works, great old hairy-assed outer walls, and some nice fountains inside. I had heard great things about it, but perhaps, since it is Sunday, most of the reasons to visit are closed up?
I then headed off toward Lisbon and spent another night at Barragem do Pego do Altar.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 97638
Monday February 20th
Cova do Vapor, Portugal: Setubal is worth a miss, but the drive out to Costa do Sol was nice if you are looking for the ruggedness of nature. Great coast line. Since it was getting late in the day, I chose to stay on the south side of the Rio Tejo and worry about negotiating the, rumored to be, crazy, traffic tomorrow.
Spectacular views from my camp/parking site both to the west over Cova do Vapor, and to the northeast of the western edges of Lisboa.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 61e for 62l at 97655km with 480km since last tank. Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 97802
Tuesday February 21st
Belem, Portugal: An easy drive over the longest suspension bridge in Europe and a great camp and parking site right on the river between the Tower of Belem (probably the most visited landmark of Lisboa) and the Padroa dos Descobrimentos. Of course a full view of The 25th of April Bridge. Oh, it is also only about a 500 meter walk, mostly through gardens, to the Maritime Museum, the Popular Art Museum, and much more.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 2.5e for Bridge Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 97826
Belem, Portugal: As mentioned, this camping area has great views of both the Padroa dos Descobrimentos and The 25th of April Bridge crossing the Rio Tejo. To the left is a late morning shot, prior to my heading over to check the the Museu De Marinha, below.
The Naval Museum was quite
The Museu is located between the Popular Art Museum and the Palace...with its impeccable gardens. All are worth a the time to view.
A shortage of time made me skip the Belem Museu de
Artes Populares so I got a Pasteis de Belem to ease my loss. These
A trip to the top of Padroa dos Descobrimentos (discovery monument) ended the day with more great views.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 2.8e Supplies: 0 Misc: 3e for Museu De Marinha, 2e for the Padrao Odometer: 97825
Sintra, Portugal: Took a very scenic drive west from Belem (I never did actually visit Lisboa-proper) along the coast, and Cabo da Roca, reportedly the western most point on Europe.
The rainy views were worth the drive and I even got to see a couple paragliding sites before heading back inland to Sintra. Rain, and OTB wind kept me from considering a flight, but the sites are gorgeous!
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 97902
Friday February 24th
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 4.5e Supplies: 0 Misc: 3.5e for the Moorish Castle Odometer: 97902
Saturday February 25th
Peniche, Portugal: Drove the smaller back-roads along the coast the short distance from Sintra to Peniche. Spent about three hours eating lunch on a muddy bluff, in the pouring rain, just outside of Ericeira watching soggy wind socks blow off-shore. Not sure why, but I thought I might get a flight.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 16 Supplies: 10 Misc: 0 Odometer: 98022
Sunday February 26th
Figueira da Foz, Portugal: Saw my first hitchhiker of Iberia and gave him a ride. I was planning on heading a bit further North, but learned of the Carnival Kickoff Parade happening this afternoon in Foz so I stopped to check it out. Great free-camp right on the water, 3 minute walk to town, and home to about 100 mohos, with room for another 400. There are almost always good reasons to pick up hitchhikers.
The Parade was great! All two plus hours of it. The parade route was on an elliptical path, allowing costume changes, so the participants all had at least two chances to brave the cold, strong, wind. Their elaborate, and, for the most part, skimpy, outfits must have taken weeks, if not months to construct.
Stargas (N8 #77 Tel: 262 881 624 GPS: XXXXXXX) in Caldas Da Rainha on N8 about 400 meters south of the A8/IC1 interchange has GPL. Also at the first BP south of the IC1 bridge.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 54e for 52l at 98086km for 431km on tank Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 1.5 Supplies: 3e for LPG Universal adaptor Misc: 14.63e for 28l GPL and 3.5e for parade entrance Odometer: 98180
Monday February 27th
Ever since I got the MoHo the springs have been fried so much I cant even swing the stabilizer jacks down on the rear corners. The wind last night, and the fact I will soon be leaving Portugal (I have heard the Portuguese are REAL mechanics), encouraged me to go out and find a Molas (spring) mechanic...I found two great ones!
They told me it would cost 150e, take about two hours for them to complete the job, and they could start immediately. Terrific!
These guys were great. In two hours of solid work, they pulled and re-shaped the old springs, cut me a leaf for each side, put it all back together, and then offered me a beer when the job was done and my rig was over six inches higher in the rear!
Mileage should improve dramatically now that I will be going down hill.
Foz is supposed to be hopping tonight, after the
kick-off parade yesterday, so I decided on hitting the town. I am only
camping about a three minute walk away from the heart of the
Everyone was a bit confused why I was leaving so early (6am!) since things don't really start hopping until 7.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 100 for a GREAT night out! Supplies: 0 Misc: 150e on Springs Odometer: 98251
Tuesday February 28th
Figueira da Foz, Portugal: The irritating buzz of a handful of powered-paragliders finally got me out of my bunk around 1pm. John from Whales was happy to see I was still alive.
There has not been much flying on account of WX, so everyone was out today. There is a nearby paragliding site, they sometimes use, but the wind is off shore today, so it will not work. Nice bike ride around town instead. Another parade this afternoon, that I skipped.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 1e for a shower Odometer: 98251
Wednesday March 1st
Ovar (Beach), Portugal: After a quick bike ride, some internet, and some stocking up on H2O, food, etc., I took a lazy drive north along the coast to a nice little spot right on the coast, and, from what I can tell in dusk/dark, a beautiful beach. The WX has been nice, so I look forward to doing some hiking in the morning. No other MoHos.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 44e Supplies: 9e on hang clips, non-slip, and 1inch hose adaptor Misc: 0 Odometer: 98376
Thursday March 2nd
Cinefaes, Portugal: The nice weather I was planning on, turned into rain by this morning so I headed north to Porto, got lost for a few hours in their ridiculous suburbs and finally found my way back down to the Rio Doura. A very irritating afternoon of driving in circles.
The Rio Duoro is supposed to be quite a scenic drive, and I guess it was at some point, but it is now filled with sprawl as far as you can see, including the massive construction efforts associated with it. Lots of quarries providing the stone work for some very nice homes in what used to be a nice area.
I found a nice Barragem near Cinefaes to overnight at.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 46e for 42l at 98432km and 346km since last tank. Tolls: 3.05e Food/Drink: 25.5 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 98560
Friday March 3rd
My path is taking me as close to the Duoro as possible, including one dip into Espana...sometimes on some very tiny, single lane, back roads. At times the canyon walls are so steep, the nearest road is almost 1000meters above, and set back, as well.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 3 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 98863
Sardin de Dueros, Espana: Rained HARD last night and this morning I was parked in about 2 inches of water. I continue to move toward San Sebastian and then Greece via Venice. The Puento Hinojo recreation area has some great camping sites with fire pits, tables, and level ground.
It is about 1km west of Sardin de Dueros between click-mark 337 and 338 on 122. Both sides of the road.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 60e for 64l at 98973km and 541km since last tank Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 99120
Sunday March 5th
Banos de Rio Tobia, Espana: A stellar day which starting with a few fresh millimeters of snow!
I have finally run into the Ribera del Duero wine region, centered, as best I can tell, between Vallodolid and Soria. All the Bodegas are closed for the winter season, but I found a wine shop doing a tasting.
Most of the stuff they had out was the cheaper (3-10e) gack, but she pulled out a stellar '02 Pago de Los Capellanes she had stashed behind the counter. It was very nice for an '02. Dark, rich, heavy mouth feel...but still tight at such a young age regardless of being opened for a day. Oh, also, they were sold out of it! I got the '03, and a few other bottles she recommended to be similar and continued my journey up stream.
The sun came out long enough for one last glance of the headwaters, or close to, of the Rio Duero/Douro.
An attempted short-cut got cut short on account getting stuck in the snow. I barely even made the longer, lower, alternate route. Both were only one lane mountain roads with little traffic...plows busy elsewhere, I'm sure.
It is less obvious how to un-stick a MoHo, with no chains, snow tires, shovel, or 4X4, than it is to stick it.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 53e for 57l at 99436km and 463 since last tank Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 125e on vino tasting/buying Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 99474
Monday March 6th
San Sebastian, Espana: Another long drive day (but no shoveling snow with a pan!) to arrive at Camping Igueldo and see if my eyeglasses had arrived yet from Valley Vision Clinic. Nope, held up in Spanish customs, but the receptionists worked the phones hard for me and I should have them by Wed.
With dinner, I tasted quite a spectacular bottle of vino I picked up yesterday. The '01 Torresilo (~30e) is a very rich wine and even at it's young age, I should have decanted this bottle of ink. Dark, long finish, with flavors of nuts and dark fruit. FIND MORE! This was by far the best Ribero Del Duero I have tasted.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 3e for internet, 10e laundry, 1.5e on parking Odometer: 99708
Tuesday March 7th
San Sebastian, Espana: Thanks to some great help from Camping Igueldo, my glasses arrived this am and I went to explore town. San Sebastian is truly a beautiful little city with Gothic Church after Baroque Church after Neogothic Church...all mixed in with some great museums and an OK Aquarium. Definitely worth several days, but not in the rain. I move on toward Greece in the morning.
Oh, had Allen and Allison over for a bit more of a wine tasting. A couple of nice Aussies.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 61e Supplies: 0 Misc: 2e bus fare, 3e laundry Odometer: 99708
Wednesday March 8th
Trebes, France: It was many hours of driving, but little distance made. Got almost to the Adriatic coast by dusk and then Microsoft Autoroute helped me find a nice camp by Canal du Midi in the center of the Trebes. Finding an English translation of Autoroute would be great.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 36e Fuel: 30.6e for 32l at 99741km for 306 traveled Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 30 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 100124
Thursday March 9th
Nice, France: Long travel day. Sometimes it's just better to bite the bullet and pay the stinking tolls than to drive in circles for hours on end...like I did yesterday. Still in transit, not stopping to see much of anything. The camp last night by the Canal du Midi was, regardless of the quite loud ducks this morning, MUCH nicer than tonight's road-side travel center.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 61e for 55l at 100208km and 467 traveled + 30e for 26l at 100692/483km. Tolls: 35 Food/Drink: 23 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 100692
Friday March 10th
Venzia/Puento Sabbioi, Italy: Great morning views of the Riviera...actually they were great all day both in France and Italia. Quickly blasted across Italia to arrive in Venizia after dark. Drove out around the spit to Puento Sabbioi to meet a few other rough campers from France and Sweden.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 74e for 64l at 100964/272km Tolls: 32e Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: ~101334
Saturday March 11th
Venizia, Italy: Great place to hang out for a day or two. Walking is the main form of transportation, followed closely by boats. Both make seeing Venizia a pleasant snap. No way to get lost on the islands, but it is easy, and fun, to not realize exactly where you are as you discover new sights. Water taxi is about 5e for an hour, or 10e for all day, and it is a lot cheaper to pay 5e for parking at the ferry dock, than pay 25e for the normal lot.
Was planning on catching the ferry today, but missed it, and none run on Sunday. I sail on Monday, instead.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 64e for 56l at 101434/470km Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 15e Supplies: 0 Misc: 5e ferry boat, 5e parking, 3e for internet Odometer: 101438
Sunday March 12th
Venice, Italy: It was snowing at dawn and I am ready to get the hell out of it! Happy to be at a campground so I was able to run my 220volt heater all night long.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 0 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 0 Supplies: 0 Misc: 0 Odometer: 101438
Somewhere on the Adriatic Sea: Finally on my way to Greece where I hope to catch a decent view of what could be the last European eclipse of my life...although I hate to put any specific timeline on my ultimate demise.
Turkey, or Rhodes, would be a better place for viewing, but making it there in time would mean sacrificing my trip to Crete.
The Minoan Lines has a lot of amenities on this ship...WiFi, a disco, a few bars, swimming pool, a Casino, NON smoking bar!, a couple of restaurants and lots of deck space to stretch out on. The trip will take about 30 hours and most of the cheap passengers, like me, brought a sleeping pad/bag, and some snacks verses paying double, or quadruple, to bunk with others, or get your own room, respectively.
Camp Fee from prior night/s: 38 Fuel: 0 Tolls: 0 Food/Drink: 22e Supplies: 0 Misc: 200e for ferry to Greece, 6e for WiFi Odometer: 101447 on the ferry dock.
Click here to see Section 14: To Crete, via the Peloponnese
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was
clearly the most
visually attractive room, although others were as elaborate. Also, the Royal Armory had some interesting displays
of ancient weaponry and armor (Hmmm, good name for it) for both man and
beast.
Thursday February 16th
Saturday
February 18th
Wednesday February 22nd
fascinating
and had hundreds of ship models and paintings in addition to various
other artifacts highlighting Portugal's long and strong sea history.
famous
little custard tarts are pretty darn good! Don't miss out if you make it
to Lisboa.
Thursday
February 23rd
Sintra, Portugal:
Don't miss Sintra if you ever come to Portugal. GREAT place built on a
series of hills with old castles and fortifications on them all. I
camped in the new town and enjoyed the walk on the windy tree-lined road
(about 2 km) with wide pedestrian walks, benches all over the place, and
another interesting piece of modern and/or new age art every few meters.
I found the old town was nice as well, but sort of going the way of the
tourist a bit too much for my tastes. Instead of dawdling there, a hike
up to one, or more, of the hill-top castles is the ticket. Great views
of the surrounding terrain, interesting ruins, and fun people to meet
along the way. If you are lazy, I know you can take a cab, but I bet
there is bus service as well.
Figueira da Foz, Portugal:
For 150e I had a great day of watching true mechanics go to work on my
rig.
night
life, so when the sun started coming up, and I said goodbye to my new
dance and dart instructors, it was easy enough to find my way home.
On the Rio Douro near Bemposta
at Barragem Carrapatelo, Portugal:
Moving upstream, the Rio Douro becomes better and better. Less housing
sprawl and more scenic nature. The route is continuously dotted by
villages now, but they are more defined, verses one running into the
other. One had an interesting communal laundry area plumbed with
sulfurous thermal water. Not sure the clothes would
be
better, or worse, after that, so I chose to skip laundry for the day.
Saturday March 4th
Monday March 13th
