Saturday 31st October

After leaving A Rua this morning we travelled west down the valley of the Rio Sil. We stopped along the way to take this picture of the river.

After a journey of 56 miles (90 kilometres) we reached the Galician town of Chantada and stopped for the day at the Aire which is next to the football ground and a very nice small river.

There is a weir on the river below where we are parked.

This is looking back up from the river to where we parked our campervan.

We walked along the river into town. Strangely for Spain all the shops seemed to be open at lunchtime. Maybe things are different in Galicia? We bought a bottle of Albarinio, the wine from the Rias Baixas (the Lower Estuaries),  where we hope to travel to tomorrow.

After returning from town we walked a little way up the river and collected chestnuts in this wild area.

As we were parked next to the football ground and there was a match on we decided to attend. Chantada (in red) won 3-0 in a local league match. The standard of play wasn't very high - mainly booting long balls up the middle. 

As we don't have an oven in the van it was a question as to how to cook the chestnuts. We peeled and sliced them and then fried them in butter with some salt and black pepper. We ate them with mushrooms, chicken fried in olive oil, garlic and chilli, some fresh local crusty bread and all washed down with the Albarino we bought earlier.

Friday 30th October

As we were about to leave Braganca we spoke to a vanner from Seaton in Devon who had been staying on the Aire. She noticed our van as it had the first 4 characters of its registration plate the same as hers - WA 58. We travelled north west from Branganca initially on minor roads high up in the Serra. (Mountains in Portugal and north west Spain are called Serra. In the rest of Spain Sierra).

We stopped to make a brew of tea near this wild river.

We crossed from Portugal back into Spain, into the region of Galicia. There is a derelict border post here. Maybe it will be recommissioned soon. I hope not.

We stopped for the day at the Galician town of A Rua. We are at the town Aire which is next to this lake a few minutes walk from the town centre.

Here's a view from the Aire towards town.

We had a walk into town and bought a few oddments at the Supermarket - Steve Morley - if you're following this blog - surely these are Pomegranates?

 

There was a really nice sunset over the lake this evening.

There are a few ducks on the lake. We travelled 73 miles (118 kilometres) today.

Thursday 29th October

Today we travelled north to the city of Braganca. Some of the journey was along the banks of the river Douro. We parked at the municipal Aire close to the old Citadel. We had come 71 miles (114 kilometres).

We walked uphill from the Aire to the Citadel - great autumn colours.

We entered the Citadel through this gate.

Inside the walls you are immediately confronted by the castle.

We went into the church, churches seem to be unlocked in Portugal, it has an unusual painted wooden ceiling.

Here's the front of the church.

This is the Council Chamber next to the church.

We took a walk around the Citadel walls.

There are some great views down from the walls.

Inside the Citadel is this old sculpture of a pig. I think that it may have been associated with some pre Christian religious cult.

The pole coming out of the pig's back is apparently some kind of medieval pillory. All very symbolic.

We went out for a meal this evening. I asked for grilled lamb and got lumps of barely cooked fat and bone. I stupidly ate some of it. The proprietor of the restaurant asked me how my food was and I told her I didn't like it. Ann's food was just about edible. We said we didn't want any pudding but they brought us some anyway - Ann managed to eat a little of it but I couldn't face it.

Wednesday 28th October

This enormous articulated camper was parked next to us during the night and we photographed it as it was leaving in the morning. What a monstrosity! I've no idea how long it is but it has 10 wheels.

 

We travelled north to the town of Vila de Foz Coa. Saw these interesting old fortifications along the way.

As we approached the town we just missed getting a photo of the cruise ship on the river Douro.

This area where the river Coa joins the Douro has been designated an Archaeological Park in recognition of the numerous stone age rock carvings which have been found in the area.

 

Ann visited the museum where reproductions of many of the rock carvings can be seen.

The museum itself is an amazing modernist building. This is the entrance.

The municipality at Vila Nova de Foz Coa has thoughtfully set aside dedicated overnight parking places for camper vans. Here's our view for the evening.We travelled 63 miles (101 kilometres) today.

Tuesday 27th October

After leaving Torre de Don Miguel we had an interesting journey through the Sierra Gata. We were up in the clouds at times.

Before too long we crossed into Portugal on a minor road. These open borders across Europe are now under threat with EU countries talking about building razor wire fences along their borders with other EU states.

We travelled north just inside Portugal and parallel with the Spanish border. We stopped for the night at the town of Vilar Formoso just inside Portugal. We travelled 62 miles (100 kilometres) today. We parked at a commercial Aire, most Aires are municipal and free. This one cost 5 euros a night with an additional 1.50 euros for electricity and a further 2 euros for water!

 

We wandered into town. The railway station at Vilar Formoso is absolutely spectacular - covered with decorative ceramic tiles!

Monday 26th October

It rained during the night at Caceres and it has rained off and on all day. We travelled north and stopped along the way to look at the remains of this old bridge.

We headed to the remote town of Torre de Don Miguel in the Sierra Gata. 

The Aire is high above the town. If you look closely you can see our van. This is taken looking up from the way into town.

Everything is very steep in this town. Grapes are cultivated on terraces.

The streets are steep and narrow with quite a few low arches. I tried to do some shopping in the only (open) shop in town but they had very limited stock and I ended up buying a loaf of bread, a litre of milk, some tomatoes and a packet of crisps. The shop keeper and her old dad were very interested in me - someone who had arrived in an autocaravana - I got the impression they thought I was a bit like someone who had come from Mars! 

I think this building was a hermitage.

On a hill top high above the town stands this tower - Torre de Don Miguel? We travelled 80 miles (129 kilometres) today.

Sunday 25th October

This morning dawned reasonably bright but as the day went on there were variable amounts of cloud. This picture was taken looking down the hill from our overnight parking place in the Sierra de Montanchez showing agricultural terraces.

We moved on heading north towards the city of Caceres. We temporarily started heading south due to first ignoring our sat nav's directions and then deciding to follow them. We stopped briefly along the way to investigate this (fake?) Castle.

After stopping just short of Caceres to fill our LPG cylinders we parked at the City Aire. We had travelled 42 miles (68 kilometres) today. We have been here before - in 2012. We walked the short distance to the historic centre.

It was (of course) as we remembered it from our previous visit. Narrow streets leading to squares with imposing buildings.

These marvellous old buildings were built with the wealth the Spanish Conquistadores brought back from the Americas.

Here's another one.

There are numerous churches in the historic centre of Caceres - they all seemed to be having religious goings on of one kind or another this Sunday afternoon. Who says all churches in Spain are always locked?

We saw this statue just outside the town walls.

This is the Plaza Major, just outside of the old town walls. Numerous tourists and numerous eateries here.

When we arrived here about mid day there were only a couple of other vans in the Aire. This evening the Aire is completely full and there are just as many vans outside in the bus and car parking areas. Very popular this Caceres place! (Sorry the pictures' a bit blurred) We tried to go out for a meal but all the local eateries were closed it seemed despite their having signs outside indicating that they would be open from 20.00 onwards but then what do we foreigners know?