Category Archives: Hiking

Day 45 – Bilbao Taster

We were torn – no two ways about it. The Picos de Europa caught our attention, big time. On the other hand, with ¾ of our trip done, we just could not muster the energy for a full day hiking day. Plus, ever since one of my friends came back from a weekend romp to Bilbao raving about it, it was placed pretty high on my list. We are city people, after all.

And so we waved good bye to the impressive peaks and valleys of the Picos and headed back for the coastal highway. I snuck in a brief detour via a particularly recommended beach in Eastern Asturia – but when we got there, pretty much everyone except myself was already sound asleep. Bilbao it is, then.

I don’t even know where – there were many beautiful estuaries up here

After a minor challenge finding a parking garage (google does not differentiate between the public and resident only garages) we were smack down in the old town ready to explore. Briefly, at least – as we were quite knackered and the camping situation for tonight was not fully resolved.

Lunch then: Here came the great hour of a local food culture institution. One that quickly won me over, second to only maybe Warung Makan in Indonesia. Pintxos (pronounced peen-chos) are two bite extravaganzas similar to tapas, but smaller and more elaborate. They are pretty much a standard in any bar or café in town. So we did as the locals, picked two bars we liked and had two or three pintxos in each. The Café Bar Bilbao (while sporting an excellent carnivore selection) had no vegetarian option on offer, but were quick to whip up deep fried vege for Nina. Not as good, but A for effort. The location was great, though, giving us flashbacks to Barcelona almost a month ago.

The second spot was chosen for the vegetarian option. Nina enjoyed her chance to join in the fun. The place, Irrintzi was more our vibe as well – a bit artsy, a bit alternative. After two bars, we were actually full enough for lunch time. Just great – a drink, some food, 14€ for two and off to the next bar. I can totally see doing 3-4 in a night and avoiding both a bit of the hangover and a late night food frenzy stop at the golden arches. I want this at home!

this time, with veggie options (burglar still afoot).

We wandered through the old town a bit more, enjoying the architecture as well was the vibe. But it was time. The next campsite was half an hour out of town, which sort of made the decision for us on how to tackle tomorrow. That was a bit too far for public transport, so we would camp for the night, come back into town to park here and move on towards the Rioja valley once we had our fill.

[Flo forgot the most important food selection of the day. I managed to talk him into going to Opila, a patisserie pretty much next to our parking garage and i.n.d.u.l.g.e.d. while Flo planned the route for the next couple of days.]

The camp was one of those we would always rather avoid – expensive, tiny parcels without shade and not quite in a nice location. It was the closes one, though, and given that it was almost empty and the facilities were freshly renovated, it was kind of ok. We did get a chance to see the sunset – at the cost of almost freezing our toes off (in 10° C).

  • We got some good views …
  • … even on our way out
  • could be ad shots, if not the manufacture of both the car and the rooftent recommend against the combination …
  • I don’t even know where – there were many beautiful estuaries up here
  • as I said, we were in the zone … no idea, still pretty
  • farewell, this was our last glimpse of the high mountains
  • pretty … but the lure of the city had us ensared
  • we really liked these windowed balconies
  • first round, meat monster pintxos (see the burglar?)
  • nice enough to wip something up
  • off to the next bar
  • this square reminded us a lot of Barcelona, hawkers and all
  • this time, with veggie options (burglar still afoot).
  • we both quite like turn of the century to ’20 architecture
  • the burglar has made it to the vault …
  • … he had help!
  • I think he got away with it!
  • sunset always takes longer than expected
  • time to finish with some blogging
  • geometrically, the sun had already disappeared by that point …
  • lit ships anchoring at dusk

Day 43 – By popular demand

Days feel like they are getting longer again. 36 hours after waking up, I can hardly remember all that has happened yesterday. That’s why we take thousands of pictures, I guess 😉

The night was calm, even though not quiet in the literal sense. I don’t know if the waterfalls steady roar helped, but we slept well. Not too cold and most importantly undiscovered and undisturbed. Breakfast was as lovely in this place as was dinner last night – although Nina might make an exception for the mozzies that came out in force while it was a bit overcast.

Everything needs to be packed

Number 3 dutifully obliged us on our drive to Santiago de Compostella with sleep. With the awkwardness of this being a place known primarily for being the foremost Christian pilgrimage destination looming over us, we decided to treat this as we would any other city. Sights, good food and a bit of walking to get the feel.

We did. The first thing we noticed was how much more familiar the old town felt. Heavy stone buildings that befit the Galician climate much better than would the more iconic Mediterranean and Andalusian styles of Spain and Portugal. It frankly looked a lot like home, or at least France. We decided very early on not to go into the Cathedral – we had seen our share and many more recently. The outside was … well, the usual. I guess the majesty of it all comes more to the forth after 60 or so days of pain to get here.

“The Camino” (spoken mostly in an obnoxious American accent) and general pilgrimage kitsch was omnipresent, even though not too many pilgrims arrived before lunch. On the main plaza, there were maybe 50 who just now had arrived, mixed in with a lot more tourists and people recovering. For some reason, and I will not muse too much about it out of respect for our friends who have walked the Camino themselves, I felt strong rejection welling up in me about this whole pilgrimage thing. Even though I know it is by far not purely religious (better, Catholic) thing anymore. Read up on it and make up your own mind, I guess.

We turned our attention to more relevant things for us: Food! There was a hip recommendation next to the city market halls. We headed there after a brief stroll over the market. We sat down with drinks, looking forward to some exceptional tapas but were disappointed soon after. Not a single vegetarian offering – fish, seafood or meat. I was OK to call it there, but Nina urged me to at least try some. So I went with cockles and the fish of the day offers. The portions were really no more than appetizers, but the quality was exceptional. The best clams I ever had were good enough that Number 3 helped me out quite a bit – to the surprised eyes of any onlooker. The seared fish filet was absolutely spot on as well.

Footpath inscription

After that brief delay, I was ready to go with whatever Nina would decide on. We stuck with our other choice, the one we had discarded earlier due to their late lunch hours. We only had to kill 20 more minutes, but then were the first in for lunch once more. The place was definitively more our vibe. Nina had homemade ravioli while I went with the waiter’s recommendation of pork in Galician cheese sauce without bothering with the menu. Actual lunch was good, too. We rounded the whole thing off with a sampling of the local pastry of choice (Santiago Almond tart) and the best coffee I’ve had in a while.

All that was left now was to make a bit of distance north, to end up in striking distance of our next goal, the highest cliffs of Europe. We reached our chosen camp by 4 and decided to push on a bit further and to stay on the coast for one more time. This time, everything worked out.

  • Packing up the camp site in the morning
  • Number 3 enjoyed our private waterfall
  • Everything needs to be packed
  • Goodbye campsite
  • Detail of a railing or fence of the cathedral in Santiago
  • Top of one of the towers
  • Gate of Santiago
  • A cool sign in an alley around the corner from the cathedral
  • Number 3 testing his strength again a small chain
  • We enjoyed the European flag flying next to the cathedral
  • He invented a game for himself: Pick daisies…
  • …run over to the fountain and put them up there
  • Urban explorer
  • Why does it have to be so hilly? I need a break!
  • A taste of great seafood
  • Must have been good. Baby ate six of them
  • Number 3 planning our next moves out of the carrier backpack
  • He pulled himself up on the bench
  • Footpath inscription
  • Hippie lunch place
  • Back at the ocean
  • A bit of a sunset
  • How we camped

Day 34 – I see ice on the mountain tops

With our excursion to the east already a success, we now put our eyes on the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela. It’s a good 2 hour drive to get there so we planned to spend a night in the mountains to fully immerse ourselves.

Hopping back down

The drive through the small villages with orange and lemon trees full of fruits was delightful. Quite a lot of houses are for sale so we mused for a while about getting a quinta with an olive grove…you never know.

Before we entered the National Park, we stocked up on groceries and fuel, just to be safe. Coming from the plains, going higher and higher up the mountains was pretty cool already. We stopped at the first view point for exactly those views but it was too close to the road for a lunch stop. So we continued further into the park. Finding the perfect spot proved to be a difficult thing. The next official picnic area was pretty full with a busload of people. Thus, we backtracked a little bit and took a gravel road for a couple of hundred meters until we were just out of sight. Blue George had quite the adventure getting us there. We were happy with the place though it was really cold, when we got out of the car. Really cold. You-can-see-your-own-breath cold. There is no bad weather, just bad gear…we wrapped up in warm clothes and had lunch. Flo decided that since it was so cold, we needed a warm lunch, got out the cooker and fried eggs and sausages.

It made for an epic lunch. Number 3 had a lot of fun running around and examining the pine cones on the ground. One thing was clear after the stop though: We wouldn’t spend the night on the mountain. The altitude of 1600 meters meant that it was 4 degrees at high noon. This time, we really just didn’t have the gear (or the heart/nerves) to camp in minus degrees with Number 3. His nights have been bad enough lately without us adding “being cold” to the list of reasons why he wakes us up.

Epic Flo shot

After lunch, we really enjoyed our drive through the National Park up until the town of Manteigas. The town is on a lower altitude already but was still too cold for us. We went in search of a café but couldn’t find one. Instead we bought baked goods for the road and continued.

The “rustic” camp ground in Gouveia, still an hour away, was our goal for the night. The way out was about as windy as the way in. Filled with great views and great roads for Blue George (and Flo).

At the camp ground, we took it slow. The interrupted nights took a toll on Flo and my energy levels.

  • Into new adventures…
  • …in the National park
  • Looking onto the plains
  • Hopping back down
  • Field of granite boulders
  • Enjoying the ride
  • Yes, that is definitely a patch of ice
  • Exploded Blue George
  • Running and running and runnig
  • Sausage rolls for lunch
  • Blue George on his own adventure
  • Car fun!
  • This is my view of things
  • Into the valley
  • Roadside waterfall
  • Different valley, now towards Gouveia
  • It is still pretty here
  • I wasn’t too keen on the roads with absolutely no guards against falling for a couple of hundred meters
  • Lookout into the valley
  • Epic Flo shot
  • Nina on the rocks
  • Still having fun
  • Camp at Gouveia
  • Silly buggers

Day 33 – Cherry on top

Today was one of those days that we are craving for on our trips. It started a bit low – even though our camp was very nice. But Number 3’s newest software upgrade is a bit labour intense. Him running away without thought or fear made for a rather slapstick packing time. He felt perfectly comfortable walking alone all the way to reception some 100m and 20 stairs up and then be escorted back by the owners when he fell. Somehow, we still managed to cram in a shower for both of us.

great way to bring the mood up

The route for today was another matter: There is a recommendation far east which would add at least a day before going to Porto. We are already on our final 10 days in Portugal, based on our rough outline. Will it be worth it? Weather was supposed to get a bit worse again. At the very last minute, I made the call to go east.

Our day improved steadily from there. After crossing over the reservoir lake near Tomar, we drove for about two hours along mostly windy backcountry roads. Good choice to avoid toll roads once more. The weather got better and the landscape wider and dryer the higher we got. We re-upped at a supermarket along the way. That allowed us to have a picnic lunch somewhere off the highway down a lovely track through a pasture.

The sight we’re aiming for was a fortress and village named Monsanto. In my mind, the last 50 km drive through Beira Beixa were a sight of their own already. Gently rolling hills strewn with granite boulders and fieldstones of all sizes. Very rural, with lots of open spaces dotted with eucalyptus, olive, orange and cork trees. There was a campground in the area, but if something would come up – this would probably be the best area for wild camping on our trip so far.

the touching bolders from above, and another granite hill in the back

As the steep hill with Monsanto flowing over its side came into view, we got really excited. We could drive almost all the way up, got a good parking spot and were ready to explore soon. Our goal was to find a nice café and chill with a coffee and pastries and take in the village atmosphere.

It did not work out like that in the best way possible. We started exploring along the excellent signposts and felt like up first would be a good plan. Signs with “touching boulders” and “castle” started to show up. We climbed through the village build organically into the hill and the huge granite boulders strewn about when we sort of popped out on top. From here, it became a little hike through a magnificent granite boulder field. We continued on all the way to the very top. Ruins of previous settlement and the “creative restauration” of a Templar castle waited for us there. The view from the highest point were splendid. This granite hill stands out in an otherwise rather flat landscape. One can see other peaks like this in the distance – used back in the day to build up a defensive chain of fortifications against first Moorish, then Spanish intrusion.

pastries found!

It was getting right time for coffee by the time we were back in the village. We popped into the first place we found inviting and were lead out to one of the coolest terraces we have ever been on. The restaurant was built into a boulder, and the terrace was on the side of another one. Only about 10 seats here, but we got the best spot (in our opinion) overlooking the village and down into the surrounding lands. But the positive surprises did not end here: We ordered our usual, but got interrupted after “pastel” … when they arrived, it turned out that the local speciality is a pastry similar to pastel de nata, but filled with a cherry flavoured custard instead! There were ripe growing cherries right next to our seats as well. It was magnificent!

With spirits soaring, we got back to our car and made our way to the campground nearby. It was a municipal camp, but almost deserted at the moment. We enjoyed the stiff spiel from the civil servant at the reception and were positively surprised one final time when the price came in at 8.90€ – the cheapest stay yet. That made not wild camping go down a bit better for me. We even managed to get a load of washing done before bed time (and before running out of critical … bits).

  • 5 minutes off the road
  • weird things happen
  • great way to bring the mood up
  • there it was – castle and village
  • all embedded in rolling farmland
  • out of the car, excercise!
  • Boulders were integrated into the village all over
  • already great views, half way up
  • the high mountains in the bach are our goal for tomorrow
  • those two came down from 100m above
  • big and small, strewn all around
  • the touching bolders from above, and another granite hill in the back
  • only a little bit up to the castle
  • chapel for the dead, at one point
  • no handrail, not for Nina
  • All the way up, showing Number 3 the world
  • from the upper yard, views peek over the wall
  • towards … pastries!
  • pastries found!
  • yea, this is cool. Now feed me more pastries!
  • We do everything but sleeping outside – so there is alway a bit of a gipsy vibe going in our camp

Day 30 – Waiting for Tomar

So tired. Yesterday was worse for me, Flo feels the full brunt today. :S At least, we know exactly where we’re going to be tonight and that it is probably a nice camp ground. Flo had chosen another Dutch-run camp ground in Tomar for a rest day and campwerk had mailed our spare parts to that camp ground last week. Now, there were only two things: We needed to get there and the spare parts needed to be there.

We got up and away okay. Number 3 had one of his better nights, breakfast and packing went smoothly so we even had a good chat with our British neighbour who was interested in the rooftent.

Our morning stop was Fórnea, a natural amphitheatre. To get to it, we drove through the plains, up into the hills. The road itself was nice already. Fórnea was supposed to be a hike…in our minds…but it turned out to be 300 meters from the road. Those 300 meters were uphill however. It’s still sunny here with temperatures over my comfort zone. The views were pretty spectacular though.

Back at the car, we realized it was already lunch time. Since we liked the road and had enough food for a roadside lunch with us, we continued through the hills, looking for a good picnic spot. A view point over the plains provided just that: Shade and a view. 🙂

The last couple of full-on days had gotten to us. We decided to cut this one short and head towards the camp ground in Tomar. Another stop at a big supermarket to stock up for the next days later, we were on the last stretch. The Pelinos camp ground is lovely. We had quite a bit of luck to get an amazing spot to park our car and pitch the tent. Lots of trees provide much needed shade, we even have enough space for a private sitting area behind our usual set up. There are chickens roaming free, the owners are nice and Number 3 immediately started to explore the whole thing. Only…only the spare parts haven’t arrived.

  • One can just make out the Atlantic some 40km out
  • poppy in bloom, always an eyecatcher
  • The knob on the right is where we are going
  • the valley behind us was also worth a view – like the fieldstone walls
  • all that to the smell of wild rosemary and thyme
  • amphitheater make for good updraft, it seems
  • Here it – all thats missing is the soprano down below
  • hard to convey the scale, but it was mighty cool
  • more views west
  • He was quite irretated by the 10 butterflies flirting around his head
  • jo man, nice shades
  • great picnic spot with a view
  • checking out the huge ants
  • hello, hello – anybody there?
  • one pebble, two pebbles …
  • we got a new bib – great addition to our gear

Day 23 – Go with the flow

We said we would only stay one night. Unfortunately, and at no fault of the campground, the night was not the most refreshing one. Number 3 cried through the witching hour. Molars come easy, most of our friends say – apparently, Number 3 begs to differ.

Everybody a bit cranky, not in the most efficient of spirits, packing went slowly. It was also a bit overcast, so the (desperately needed) washing from the night before took its right time to dry. Instead of literally watching our clothes dry, we decided to break it up and let the little one explore the camp ground.

tough night, time to explore

First, he cautiously waved at the young Dutch family I had a good chat with last night. Then he set his eyes on the big price: The only age appropriate playmate around. Once again, the camper population is almost exclusively divided between (mostly Dutch) retirees and young German parents on their parental leave trips. His playmate was part of the second group.

Jonna, it turned out, was almost exactly the same age as Number 3 – and almost uncannily alike in development. In contrast to our grasshopper, this one came with an elder sibling. So it happed that we first stopped, then chatted and in the end “occupied” the spot of this German family. The elder sister was called Rahel. Number 3 took an immediate liking, and she was very good with the little ones. Or maybe it was her flash red Pucky pushbike that captured his interests.

In a bit of a playground conversation situation we ended up all on a blanket and in a very pleasant chat. Pia (Jan took the opportunity of 3 supervising adults to the same number of kids to socialise himself J) shared a bit of their travel story so far, and time went by. Decision time came and as the sun came out a bit, it was just too good a moment and place to be interrupted by departure. So we will stay another night. With that off our shoulders, things took a turn to the bright side.

Late night blogging

We moved the whole cabal over to our camp when the obligatory 12 noon Dutch campground lawnmower brigade had bugged us long enough. I had a chance to show off our mobile “cave” to Rahel and we got some tips on what to do with the afternoon.

After a great lunch finding a creative use for the odd Portuguese cheese I bought the other day, and a long nap by the sleepers of the clan, we buckled up for a bit of walking. There was a loop walk following the little river Mira right next to the camp and through the surrounding hills. 5 km seemed just our thing.

The start of the track was the best part, following the riverbank for two kilometres. It was very much our thing, with a few rugged bits and beautiful views of the valley. We took our good time and had a break half way for some fresh fruit and a chance for Number 3 to stretch his legs.

All in all we were out for a bit more than two hours. All the washing was dry now, of course. A quick bread and spreads dinner and a little romp around our camp gave us enough time to let the evening fade out with a bit more good company. I still had most of a bottle of red wine lying about – I needed just a swig for cooking. So we kind of invited ourselves to Pia, Jan, Rahel and Jonna’s dinner baring gifts.

It turned into a lovely warm evening sitting and chatting. Dinner was even vegetarian, hence Nina could tuck in for a second meal as well. When we came back to our campsite about half an hour past bed time for the little one, everyone was in a good spirit. It was the right decision to hang around – I think we have learned from our last stop in Spain!

  • tough night, time to explore
  • Late spring has every patch in full bloom
  • Right in front of our camp
  • time to get some activity in
  • Î think I got something in my eye …
  • following the steam
  • better!
  • the valley widened at the end a bit
  • sometimes the track was almost overgrown
  • good mood
  • exercise makes happy
  • time to strech his legs
  • gimme, gimme, gimme!
  • colourful pastures
  • The way back to the camp
  • the grass is almost taller than him
  • anyone any idea what this is? about pinky sized
  • Late night blogging

Day 20 – Up the hills

Our second day at Quinta de Odelouca began. This time, I had opted for fresh bread rolls which the camp ground offered as a breakfast option. Quite happy with the choice, we started to pack the carrier backpack and my own small backpack: Today, we’d see some of our surrounding!

The short hike Flo picked was to get to San Marco de Sierra via the hill route, have lunch there and then come back along the river. We started around 10am when the sun was already up high but temperature-wise it was still okay. Then…we went face first into the hills. 😉 To be fair, we first had to cross a small river to get to the hill. There was no convenient bridge close by, just a railway one, so we did it the old fashioned way. I, once more, was quite happy for my hiking sandals because I just walked on through. Flo, carrying Number 3 in a backpack, had opted for heavy hiking boots and thus needed to find a shallow route. It wasn’t a problem either.

… and up! Not much shade

Then, we went face first up the hill. I’m not sure if the pictures will do it any justice. It was steep. Very steep. I was wondering if a 4WD drive could make it. Probably yes…anyhow, have I mentioned that it was steep?

It was a very pretty hike though. Through fields of flowers, under cork oaks (which I hadn’t seen before) and by the stump of an old tower. Towards San Marco de Sierra which appeared as a lovely white city in the distance once we had crested the hill in between. Seeing the village was quite misleading though as the path wound its way on the crest to the tops of two more hills before descending again.

By around 11.30am we had made it. Half an hour to spare to meander through the village before having lunch in a recommended eatery. Wait, is it closed?

Turned out, it isn’t open Saturday at lunch time. Feeling rather hungry after our hike, we checked the next eatery. It was 22 minutes by foot away. Back into walking mode, we finally arrived at a place that was open. And buzzing. Geez, is that because it’s Saturday? There was hardly a table available. And a whole pig roasting on a spit in front of the eatery. No one spoke a lot of English so I am not sure if it happens every Saturday or if it was a special occasion. Anyway, we got food, even vegetarian things for me. The poor waitress made a face once she understood that I wanted something vegetarian but then was quick to suggest an omelette with cheese. Portions were enormous. Baby also dug into the food. Seems like it’s true and kids just looooooooove chicken.

Flo finished the whole affair with a coffee while Number 3 charmed everyone again. Like a chiselled farm hand, looking serious and ordering a coffee and a shot for lunch…suddenly cracked into a big smile and waved at baby because baby was standing in his way, waving at him. Portugal turns out to be a very good country to travel with kids.

Its breeding time – never seen so many storks

Filled to the brim, we were ready to go once more. This time, we followed along the river for a bit and crossed the river one last time. The way back seemed long now but then, we could see the camp ground and were rather relieved. At least in my case.

Flo still had energy left to jump into the pool with Number 3 before having a short stop over on the porch of the camp ground owners. They offer glasses of wine, port or soft drinks for a very reasonable price while you sit at the same table and chit chat. Unfortunately, most of the campers were Dutch and just could not be persuaded to speak English. Unable to follow the conversation (especially me), we cut our time there short and went to have dinner instead.

  • Fog in the morning made everything damp and slightly cooler
  • tiny bridge over a stream on the porperty
  • Wild roses I would guess?
  • still flat
  • crossing the Odelouca
  • nina through
  • A beautiful cork oak
  • going up …
  • .. and up …
  • … and up! Not much shade
  • San Marco de Sierra taunting us
  • great viewpoint
  • what a life
  • almost here
  • Number 3 checking the decorations at the town square
  • Its breeding time – never seen so many storks
  • A paddock we crossed full of wild flowers
  • Back at Quinta de Odelouca

Day 18 – A different scenery

The next morning didn’t start much better. We were unsure about where to go and what to do next. This part of Portugal is all about the beaches. Here, between Tavira, Olhão and Faro, there is a National Park just off the coast, full of sandbanks. Taking a boat to see parts of it is a thing according to the guide book. So I thought that’s a plan.

After breakfast, we headed towards the reception area to get information about tours through the park. The lady gave us one that looked promising, having an eco tour in it. She couldn’t give us any more information though or sell us tickets so we packed up (not really sorry to leave this camp ground) and drove to the marina of Olhão to make a final decision.

Daily ritual …

While I still entertained the thought of a boat ride, Flo was having serious doubt. None of the boats had any roofs or cloths to create a bit of shade. Going on a 1 ½ hour tour with Number 3 in full sunshine seemed like a bad idea. And a tour would already be the exotic thing to do: Most people opted for a ferry to the “desert island” sandbank to tan for up to 5 hours and then take the ferry back. That seemed even less of a thing that we would enjoy, least of all Number 3.

When we saw all those people at the docks, prepared to worship the sun for one day, even I changed my mind. Maybe we’re just not beach people. Or maybe we got snobby through all our travels…I just couldn’t see the appeal of sand with no shade anymore. Maybe the rugged west coast will be more our thing.

Thus, we changed course and drove inland, exchanging the ocean for the hills. Flo immediately felt better. And Number 3 was asleep in the car again. 🙂 So our first stop was to get more groceries, because food makes you feel better as well.

We stopped briefly in Salir as the Lonely Planet said, it is a lovely little village but we were still not feeling it. The tourist info was closed and none of the cafes looked too inviting. We had a quick ice cream and coffee intake and then continued.

Only about 8km further, the loop walk of Rocha da Pena started. We arrived, had a quick sandwich lunch with our groceries and prepared for the walk. The estimated time to complete the loop is between 2.5 and 3 hours. It was already past midday when we started and the sun burned down quite mercilessly. Right at the start, two walkers came back down so we asked them about shade on the path and were told, it practically didn’t exist. It would wind up to the cliffs, become a walk along the cliff edge and then get back down. Nothing big, about 160 meters in height but all in sunshine.

Only 150m up, but steep and hot

Now I had doubts. So Flo and I settled on going up for 30min and then coming back down again. And this is what we did. It was a scorcher. Even for me and I wasn’t carrying Number 3 on my back. The views were great, wild sage and thyme bloomed and made it smell delicious everywhere but there just was neither shade nor wind. All of what we saw would probably turn brown in summer, given the heat we experienced. But…we both enjoyed the walk. Finally, we were back on track with how we felt about Portugal and what we are doing.

Our next, and last stop before the camp ground for today was Alte. Agua Mel was a cosy little café with a small balcony-like outside seating area. All of the cakes and treats looked delicious. So we had another round of Portugese Gao, black tea and treats. Baby seemed quite hungry as he was really tugging into the sweets.

Alte itself was a picturesque little village. We wandered through a couple of roads on our way to the “Fontes”, walled in springs next to a small stream. The village used to come here for the washing, nowadays it’s a picnic area where you can look at the stream and count the fish. 😉

Feeling amazing, we headed towards our camp ground. When the road turned into a gravel road two kilometres before we arrived, we got excited. These camp ground out in the sticks are usually the best. As was correct again in this case. The camp ground was small, tucked away and just overall lovely.

There was a bit of a frenzy at the end. First to get back to the petrol station nearby to buy ice for our cooler and then to set everything up in time for another Skype date with our German friends. But all was well. It was warm, sunny and just the kind of quiet place we love. So a little rush does nothing to phase us on this night.

  • Daily ritual …
  • … for the faint of melanin
  • Just a little help … tall stairs …
  • Only 150m up, but steep and hot
  • For our kiwi readers: This is were gorse belongs
  • Daddy got out the big boots fror this
  • cool view, worth the hot hike in our books
  • Final bit up under the cliff
  • this would be less chill with a white landship
  • cracker still in hand, was a good walk
  • walking makes hungry
  • portugese coustardy treats – worth it
  • new skill: climb steps up to the bellybutton
  • walk through Alte
  • brave fountain defender
  • Checking out Fonte de Alte
  • perfect day to walk the hat
  • Number 3 mesmerised by all the …
  • … fishies!!!
  • Blue George felt like a rally car 🙂
  • making sure dad goes past the post
  • base set up in record time
  • combine x with dirt = entertainment
  • georgeous spot
  • first sunset picture of the trip

Day 311 – Pamukkale

On the last stretch of coastal road

On the last stretch of coastal road

Breakfast right at the ocean was still nice even after having had it three times in a row. Pamukkale was the destination for today; it is one of the top experiences in Turkey according to the Lonely Planet. It wouldn’t be a long day on the bike as it is only 200km away from Kaş. So we packed up and left. Flo grumbled about the “service” of the camp ground which meant we couldn’t take the bike to the tent. Instead, all our stuff was transported on a tiny pick-up to the bike…and then we had to strap everything to the bike for the next 15 minutes, in the sun.

Beautiful but rather chilly place

Beautiful but rather chilly place

We followed the Mediterranean Sea for another 100km before turning inwards to get to Pamukkale. As soon as we started to go up into the mountains, it got much cooler again. Flo actually started to feel cold with the compañeros letting the wind through. For lunch, we decided on a picnic once more and all we needed was some bread which was easily found. Then, we turned off the road at a promising looking dirt track, went up a hill and had a great spot with a view. Because of the wind, we both felt like having a nice cup of tea. A bit of organizing later, the cooker was out of the pannier and we got to have a great break.

About an hour later, we were in Denizli, the big town before Pamukkale. The couple from twentyonesteps.net had recommended a camp ground so we knew where we were going. Buying groceries for dinner was all that was left to do. I slightly overdid it when I went into a bakery for bread and left a while later again with baklava and bread. Well, at some point we will not get baklava anymore and that time is approaching fast.

A geese pond in front of Pamukkale

A geese pond in front of Pamukkale

The camp ground was nothing special except that you are right at the terraces of the Pamukkale sight. So even from our tent, we could look onto the white mass on the hillside. However, both of us were so tired that we needed two hours just for relaxing before we thought about anything else again. Starting, we first went to the Nature Park below the hillside. It looked like the entrance might be in there and you got to play around a bit. Looked like fun and it was. 🙂

Entering the real site, we nearly turned around. 35 lira per person is the most we have paid for an “attraction” in Turkey. Flo decided that we’d still do it and I am glad that we did but it hurt our budget. Also, all the tickets had been adorned with “35 lira” stickers and when you looked underneath it said “25”. *hmpf*

More still to go

More still to go

Pamukkale. From a distance, it just looks like a blindingly white hill. The path and the people on it are visible but the beauty lies in the details. The whole hill has or has had water flowing down over it, depositing calcite on every surface. The so-called terrace walk lets you walk up. As soon as you hit the calcite, you have to go barefoot as shoes would destroy the intricate patterns that the flowing water has carved into the surfaces. Some water is still flowing down the hillside and additional pools have been created so getting wet feet is expected. And much fun. I really enjoyed the look and feel of the calcite. Where it is in standing water, it is slippery and soft. With just a little stream of water flowing over it, it is rock solid. Flo claimed that we will have baby-soft feet once we’re back down.

Ancient theater of Hierapolis

Ancient theater of Hierapolis

On top of the hill are the ruins of Hierapolis. We tried to see some of them but first, the museum had an extra entry fee of 5 lira per person and second, the ancient pools had an entry fee of 32 lira per person. Annoyed about not being properly informed at the gates on the base of the hill, we skipped all of it and made our way back down again over the terraces. Still great fun…even the second time around. 🙂 Back on the camp ground, the usual evening routine set in and we were both incredibly tired from a long day.

Day 306 – Southsun groove

The roadworks picked up at some point in the morning. So although the light morning haze kept the sun from burning us out of our tent, we got up eventually. The morning ritual was performed efficiently if a bit lacklustre in the energy department.

The whole island is taken up by another fort, just off-shore from the castle

The whole island is taken up by another fort, just off-shore from the castle

Soon after though, the rhythm of the road started coming back to us. The wall of high-rise vacation bunkers loosened up and soon we finally felt like riding along the Mediterranean. There was a cool double fortress / castle very early on that got us a bit excited. One castle stood on shore, the other maybe 500m into the sea, fully occupying a small island there. All nicely illuminated by the morning sun shining down a now clear blue sky.

The first planned stop were the caves of Heaven and Hell. The Gorge of Hell is a massive sinkhole that ancient Greek colonists believed Zeus imprisoned the 100 headed monster Typhon. The view down the almost vertical shaft from a little viewing platform perched over one edge was a good warming up exercise. The real star was the massive cave at the bottom of the chasm called Heaven.

The sparsely lit cave was indeed beautiful

The sparsely lit cave was indeed beautiful

After a brief climb down to the “bottom” of the open chasm, an enormous cave opened up at one end of it, leading way deeper into the earth. The footing going down was treacherous, but we managed to reach the lowest part without a tell-tale “mud butt”. The cave was huge, going down almost 200m and was in places maybe 70m high.  The ancients believed that the river at the very end to be an access to the underground river Styx – not for us though, since the river was currently dry 🙂 It was really cool, nonetheless. On our way out, we had a short breather and rest at the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, build in the 5th century by the Byzantines to let a raucous bunch of teenage school kids pass.

Great lunch right at the sea

Great lunch right at the sea

On our way to the next destination, we had lunch at a beautiful and quiet restaurant right on the water’s edge. The eccentric proprietor served us a beautiful vegetarian bean dish and we enjoyed the sounds of the calm sea for a while.

Said next destination were the ruins of Anemurium. This city founded by the Phoenicians was ruled by Romans of one kind or another (Byzantines) until destroyed in 580 AD. The ruins are a magical place and exploring them in the beautiful afternoon light was just the thing we needed to get us back on track. Some of the public buildings still have bits of ancient mosaics decorating them. All can be explored freely and there was almost nobody there. Just an amazing spot.

An overview over Anemurium

An overview over Anemurium

With our spirits soaring, we were ready to tackle the road once more to reach the next campground along the coast. Unfortunately, this one was another 150 km away. Until now, we travelled pretty quickly on the brand new 2 lane coastal highway, with its many new tunnels. The next bit would go through the national park and while supremely beautiful, the more careful routing of the new road meant that it was not done yet. Any other day, this would be perfect for us. A quiet one lane highway, hugging the coastline as close at it can with hundreds of turns along the way.

From Anemurium, it was another 100km to the next camp ground

From Anemurium, it was another 100km to the next camp ground

We made the best of it, grooved along towards the setting sun and enjoyed ourselves. We had one more heart-warming encounter with two Kurdish guys at our last fuel stop and made it to the outskirts of Alanya sometime after 6 pm. The “campground” turned out to be a rather odd thing. Mainly a restaurant, they directed us to a tiny patch of grass within 5m of the diners sitting at the edge of the beach. We did not care much, though, got our cooker out and keeled right over after dinner was had. Earplugs helped a lot to drown out the sound of jolly diners and surprisingly loud peacocks.