Thursday 12th January 2017

Before leaving our overnight stop at Aldeia Nova this morning I managed to photograph this Hoopoe - one of two which were hopping around just outside our van. About the same time Ann bumped into a couple of vanners from Mid Wales which we had met in Northern Spain in Autumn 2015 - amazing really.

After leaving Aldeia Nova we initially traveled north through rolling hills covered in pine woods. 

We then turned west on a more minor road which was often lined by eucalyptus trees.

We stopped for the day at the aire at Ameixial - still just in Algarve region but close to the border with the Alentejo region. The aire here provides free electricity which is a real rarity.

There are a few other vans here most of which appear to be staying permanently - or at least until winter is over in northern Europe.

It's a rural place this aire - a herd of sheep just turned up and started eating the grass behind the vans.

We traveled 56 miles (90 kilometres) today. We are at N37.36539 W7.97145