We are staying at Peniche for four days waiting out the New year period to get our camper fixed down by Lisboa (Lisbon). Not a bad place to stay on the coast of the Atlantic. Today we walked the tip of Cabo Carvoeiro along the rugged peninsula about 7.5km return from our base. The town itself has an impressive walls and we are a minutes walk to the beach from inside. Surf beaches are a popular destination here, and surf shops line the boardwalk. I can see this place would be packed in summer it has everything here, including a pretty wicked view from the cliffs as we left the Continte supermarket today.

Portugal, the thinks we love and don’t

  1. Charcoal chicken, ribs, sausages…. anything cooked on charcoal, is divine and very cheap. We can buy a whole chicken, fries and a sausage for under £8.
  2. The people are friendly and speak english…. mostly. Yesterday whilst waiting for Jas in the post office. A lady yells something from her car in portuguese. I say sorry, I don’t speak portuguese. To which she replied “are there a lot of people in there” (in english) …… I smiled and said “yes”, she waves and off she goes.
  3. Road rules… Portuguese will walk on the road, cycle and drive on every part of the road, like they own it. They don’t like to give way or let you out on an off ramp either.
  4. Road conditions vary from good to pothole, cobbles and manholes that seem to be all over the road but set 2 inches below the road level. Oh and they love a good old judderbar (speed bump). Speed limits also go 70 and then in 10 metres 50, so who knows the actual speed limit.
  5. The older generation walk everywhere and its seems the way to live longer, unless you walk on the road when there is no footpath….. a sure far way to reduce life expectancy.
  6. Alcohol is cheap, Jas bought Smirnoff Vodka for €7 today and a can buy wine for under a €1
  7. The Portuguese take pride in their towns, hardly any rubbish in the streets. Recycling bins everywhere and everything is communal. One rubbish bin for everyone on the street for black rubbish. I think they are emptied daily, people sweeping the streets and washing the bins…. so employment for people.
  8. Local markets are where it’s at for plants, fresh produce, bread, meat, live chickens and seafood to furniture, linen and clothing…. so everything
  9. The toll roads are a nightmare for tourists…. don’t even get me started on that one, the only thing that I think could really put off tourists coming here again.
  10. Fuel isn’t cheap, but everything else pretty much is
  11. The beaches are stunning green-blue waters with varying sand and surroundings
  12. Cafes are the meeting place on every second street corner, men usually sitting outside in the day, chatting to each other.
  13. Dogs everywhere….. and if you think the brits are bad at picking up after their dogs the Portuguese are worse
  14. The buildings in most towns have some form of Azulejos, colourful tiles, some with blue and white pictures depicting a scene or beautiful patterns.
  15. The weather has been good to us mostly….. warm nights with mainly warm days. The Portuguese have coats and scarves, the brits, swedes and Jas are in shorts and t-shirts.

Still to hit the Algarve, but so far the scenery especially the beaches are stunning in the west.  It’s easy to sit on the beach and chill for a week or two……….