Archiv für das Jahr: 2013

20.07.2013

The night was calm and nobody disturbed us. We got up very relaxed in the morning.
Well, me first. I was out of cigarettes and couldn’t get some in the evening. The cigarette shop at the railway station, just around the corner, was also closed already. Luckily it was open in the morning already. So I went there first of all and bought my drugs. Back to the car it take a while till we could start finally.

The flat of Julias friend in Paris was just 23km away. On the way we stopped at a small Lidl. But we couldn’t get what we wanted, but a post office was around the corner. We still had postcards to send. But Julia had to write hers first of all. So we parked for an hour on the parking… without paying the ticket. :o Then we went to Paris.

The stress on the streets was luckily not so hard. I expected it much more badly. But maybe Inge was leading us good… apart from the main stream. Except of a small stop and go on the highway was there no trouble. And this in the middle of Paris. We found the house of the friend very easy (thanks to Inge) and even got a parking almost direct in front of it. Just she wasn’t at home yet. She would arrive first in the evening. So, our plan for the day was the Eifel tower.

After a small shopping in a small supermarket around the next corner, we went to the next subway station. The nice lady at the ticket center explained us where to go and we went in the underground of Paris. Interesting subway here. Or maybe it just seems ‘different’ to me. We had to go with the line 13 to the next station and then changing to the number 6 till the station at the Eifel Tower. In the subway 6 was suddenly a young guy starting to play and instrument. In the subway and loud. But he was not bad. Of course I had to take out my GoPro and had to make a movie of it. Just before the Eifel Tower station he went around with a cup… why that was so clear that this will happen. But he was good and I gave him some coins.

When we arrived at our station I realized that the subway became an overhead railway. The Eifel Tower was just 500 meter in front of us. On the way to it I realized a lot of black people, which tried to sell toy Eifel Tower to the tourists. Of course were there a lot of souvenir shops on the way. We had here and there a look, but we wanted to see first of all THE landmark of Paris. And we arrived there a few minutes later. In the middle of the city is this metal monster standing. At the beginning of a big park.

It is stunning and amazing to see the famous Eifel Tower in real. To see it with my own eyes. It looks smaller in real, then it’s famous status lets expecting it. But anyway great. We sat down on the meadow and tried to realize that we are here.
After a few minutes we went further and had a look around. There are also toilets… totally crowded of course… for woman. The men toilet wasn’t that full.

Then we passed the ticket shops. Up or not up, that was the question. It was around 3pm already. I wanted to go up, I am here now already. Julia was not so interested in it. So we decided that Julia will wait down and I will go alone up on the tower.
The tower has several ticket shops and entries. At one was a very long line, at another one was it long. And then I saw one ticket shop where no line was. I was asking myself why. But then I saw that someone went there and got a ticket. Then was it empty again. Maybe it is a special ticket shop or maybe the people like to go to the crowded shops.
So I went there and asked if I can buy a ticket here … and got it. Through a side entry, which was only for people with a ticket, I could get into the staircase of the tower… took me 3 minutes to get in the tower. At the other shops I would had to wait for at least 30 minutes.

I bought a normal ticket for the stairs, not going up with the elevator, up to the second floor. I was not sure if I want to get up to the top, when I arrive at the second floor. So I went first of all to the first platform. From here I had a good view over Paris already. I went one round around the tower and made pictures. :) Then continuing to the second platform. From here was the view more better. Again I made pictures and movies. Up here are even souvenir shops. I bought a postcard for Anna, but nothing else. It was even more expensive up here.

And then I saw the line to the first platform and rethought my plans to go up to the top. Luckily I couldn’t even find an open ticket shop up here.
I went slowly down again. The trip in the tower took me around one hour. Not really much. So I had a look first to the meeting point with Julia. She was lying in the grass there and was calculating our expenses.
I was lying down as well in the grass and took a rest from my exhausting tour. :)

After half an hour we got up and started to walk around, to have a look in the park. I wanted to go a bit further, to make pictures with the Eifel Tower in the landscape. During our tour we saw the finish of a bicycle race (Tour de London to Paris). Tomorrow is here even the finish of the Tour de France.
We made some pictures of it, bought some more souvenirs and went slowly back to the subway station. It was already half past 5 and around 6-7pm we had the date with Anais.

On the way back we passed also some thimble rigger. Julia stopped to watch them. I stopped as well and watched it as well. Looked simple. Someone always turned around the wrong one and another one turned around the right one then. It was always clear where the ball is. The point came where I couldn’t anymore… it is clear what’s next. I was 150% sure where the ball is… but it wasn’t there. Julia told me that I shouldn’t do that…
My stupidity got punished very painful. Especially because we are traveling with a low budget… it would have been a petrol filling for the Kangaroo.
I think I’ve learned something from it and will make a big circle in future around this cheater. I was really angry, mostly about myself. The nice money, what I could have made with it this evening… well, it was gone.

We arrived back at the railway station where we started from. A few meters further were the café where we wanted to meet with Anais. The café had charm. The street was very ‘French’. Like Paris is in my head. A small street with walkways on which the cafés put their chairs. And here are the people sitting and drink their coffee or whatever. The people which walk on the pavement doesn’t bother at all that they have to share the pavement with the café customers.

We went to the café, in which we wanted to meet, and was waiting on Anais. She came soon and we sat together an started to chat. :) The girls about their time in Asia, about our trip and a bit bla bla. Things people talk about.
We became hungry and relocated in a restaurant. The ladies ordered the fish menu of the day and I had a steak. And one is sure, Paris is not a cheap city. A dish cost generally 16 euro (and I wasn’t full after), dessert 8 euro generally, beer 4 euro, a scoop of ice cream 2,50 – 4,50.

Around 12 we were back at Anais home. Finally we could take a shower, surfing in the internet and more talking. We could also sleep in her small flat. And the first time since 8 weeks we didn’t slept in the Kangaroo. The girls were sharing the bed and I slept on one of our airbeds.

21.07.2013

We were alone when I woke up. Julia was already awake and Anais wasn’t there anymore. Julia was reading a note, which she left for us. That we shall send her a SMS when we are awake, so she will come back with breakfast. Totally sweet! :) She woke up earlier and didn’t wanted to disturb us sleeping and went to a café. That was very… yeah, sweet. :)

It was already half past 10am when we finally got out of the bed. It wasn’t so nice then in the Kangaroo but anyway great to sleep alone. Julia was sending a message to Anais, that we got up now and she was 5 minutes later back with a bag full of sweets from the bakery. Amazing :)
And I got even a coffee…

After the breakfast we started our day trip. First of all was Notre Dame on the list. With the subway we went almost until the doors of the cathedral. The line on the entrance was huge again. But this time the people went true quickly. It looked like we have to wait at least for half an hour, but at the end it wasn’t even 5 minutes. Inside it was like… in a church. Like many others as well, but still different. The atmosphere was different here. I think it’s because of the design of the cathedral. I would say the atmosphere is mystical. It has also huge mosaic windows.
But there is not much to see. We went one time through and sat down after on a bench, before we left it again.

We went further by feet to the La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre. Another church. But before we had another plan. We took pick nick stuff with us and wanted to make our pick nick here. The church is on a hill and we went it up a bit, to sit down on a meadow. Of course we weren’t alone there. The place was full with people. The dark colored people was also ‘at work’ already again and trying to take the tourists to the cleaner (partly almost brutally). And direct in front of us were Korean musicians busy to get ready for a concert there. They just made a sound check. It sounds very interesting. We hoped that they start the concert before we leave. But after one song they left into a tent and didn’t come back. Pity.
Anyway was it a nice pick nick. The place was already a bit higher on the hill and we could watch Paris from a bit higher position.

After our pick nick we went up to the Sacre Coeur. A church which I wouldn’t recommend as interesting. Only the painting at the front is interesting. At the try to make a picture of it, a guy came and pointed me rude on the fact that making pictures is forbidden here. No I’ll go to hell… if I would be a member of this sect…
We went out there immediately and went further to the place of the artists, named Place du Tertre. It is a square place at which a few artists try to sell their paintings and even paint there in public on the street. Of course are there also some bars and souvenir shops.

From there we walked to my personal sightseeing highlight. The café Les 2 Moulins. The famous café from the movie ‘Amelie’. Anais was with us the whole time, of course. And she was leading us through this big city. :)
We were drinking a coffee there as well, of course. We was anyway really thirsty from all the walking.
The café is a bit different then in the movie. At least was it not that easy to realize that this is THE café. But with a closer look… the bar, the toilets, the door to the kitchen, the entrance door. But the chairs standing different, there are many mirrors which are not that visible in the movie. (I need to see the movie again to check this details. :) ) That we was in the correct café I could realize at the people.
Sometimes came people in, made a picture and left straight away again.
It was definitely cool to drink a coffee in THE café. :)

A few pictures later (from inside and outside) we went further. Back to Anais home.
After another small walk through the city, where we passed as well the famous Moulin Rouge, we went back to the subway station and back home to Anais.
Our feet where tired and hurting already.
Back home I wrote a bit, Anais was cooking a great salad, which we eat as dinner. And we went early to bed, because she had to work tomorrow again.

22.07.2013

So we had to get up very early today. Anais had to leave at 8 to work. We could stay a bit longer in her flat, to take a shower and so. But at 9 we had to be gone from the parking, because it was free on the weekend, from Monday 9am it became a payable parking.
So, we said Good Bye to our friend, took a shower and then go. Back on the street in direction to Luxemburg. I imagined driving in Paris much more badly, but it was very calm (for such a huge city). The Kangaroo didn’t got even a scratch. Good!

After a quick stop a Lidl, to refill our provisions. The rest of the day we spent on the street, until Sedan. Here we went again to Mc Donalds. We still had to write postcards, which we had to send from France, as long as we are in the country. A bit internet is also always good. After we wrote our postcards and used the internet enough, we went in the shopping center opposite. Outside was a postbox, where we left our postcards and then we went shopping a bit.

And then back on the street a bit. We came till Belgium. Around 100km was still left to our next target in Belgium. But for now we found a lonely, but huge, parking in the forest. Like made for us. We converted the Kangaroo and went around midnight to sleep.

Best regards
Gordon

Bigger map

17.07.2013

The night was very calm. I was afraid that someone from the camping place will come to shoo us away. But nobody came. We got up very relaxed at 9:30. I drunk a coffee in the café and used the clean toilet of course.

After we packed everything together we went back on the street. First of all down to the sea again. It was just around the corner. To say Good Bye to the sea. From now on we would drive in the country side and wouldn’t see the sea again.
We sat down on the stones and was just looking on the sea for half an hour. While we were sitting there I found shells of oysters between the stones and collected some as souvenirs. :)

And then we went back on the street. On the country roads through France. The rest of the day we were just driving. With one stop at Carefour (supermarket).

Around 6pm we went again to our favorite restaurant. First of all we were eating something and I had to work urgently. We stayed here until they closed. My work took longer than expected.
Just before they closed I ordered another burger and a milk shake. That was the vengeance of Mc Donalds. One of both wasn’t good anymore… my stomach was against it. Just ‘pity’ that Mc Donalds just closed… I had a funny evening…

18.07.2013

My stomach was healing a bit over night… but not fully ok. I dared to get a coffee… no burgers or shakes anymore.
We went away there very quickly… before other bad things would happen.

Also today we were most of the time on the road. Target was a place just before Versailles. I found a lake on Inges maps and told her to lead us to this point. It was working fine, till the last turning. The field road was overgrown. No way to pass it. :( So, to the next lake. I wanted to sleep nice calm direct on a lake.

Also the next one we couldn’t reach. Here was a sign which told us that it is the end of the road and further is it a private road. Using prohibited. Later we realized that it was the lake of the golf course :D

So, we were moving on, until we found finally a nice place direct next to a field. It seemed to be a great alternative place and we parked here.

To mark the occasion we took a shower… this time our own. A shower out of the bottle. We had enough water with us. And we went fresh (thanks to the field shower) to bed. :)

19.07.2013

Our field place was a good idea. Nobody disturbed us in the night and the trees behind us were spending shadow the whole morning. Thanks to that we could sleep long this morning and the alarm clock was first at 10 am ringing. What a great morning. We enjoyed it extensive at the field and started first around noon.

Target today was Versailles. The city with the probably most known castle in Europe. The castle of Versailles, in which the treaty of Versailles was signed.
Versailles was just 10 km from our sleeping place away. But first of all we needed urgently petrol. So we went to the next cheap petrol station. Good that petrol stations from supermarkets are reliable. We went to the next Carefour petrol station and got the good 95er for 1,52 Euro per liter. Mostly you’ll find only 95er with E10. But Julia didn’t want this stuff for the Kangaroo.
Also in France is makes every petrol station its own prices. We recognized price differences of over 10 cent in a small radius.

Then we went finally to Versailles. I was afraid that it will be busy on the street, but it was more or less relaxed. We didn’t drive much through the city. The castle is visible from far away already. But first of all we needed a parking place. Which we found very quickly. Not direct in front of the castle (even there were also parking places), but therefore one with a parking ticket until the next day. So we had also a place to sleep in the night. It’s not allowed to stay there with a camper, but we are not a camper ;)

It was late already when we started to the castle finally. Around half past 3. The first point of interest was … Mc Donalds of course. Just quickly eating something and then straight further to the castle. Around 3 we were finally at the castle. And this is a castle! It’s huge. The courtyard is huge already. And it was full with people. Julia even realized in this crowd a line of waiting people, which I didn’t realized. And the line was huge as well. We went to the ticket office and the guy said that we will wait approx 30 minutes, to get into the castle. The alternative is the gardens. This would be free.
After a we were thinking a while about the opportunities we decided not to spend the 16 Euro for the castle and to visit the gardens first. We could come back tomorrow morning to see the castle itself.

And so grabbed a free map and went to the gardens. Also here… impressive huge. I don’t even know if huge is the right word. Gardens, flowers, trees, lakes, fountain, statues… as far as you can see. The last lake is so huge that you can drive on it with a rowing boat. And of course a lot of people.
We had a look around on the right side first and decided that the bright side is not always the best choice. Sometimes is it better to walk on the shadow side.

So we went at the next best chance to the left side of the way. It was by chance a fountain. We stopped here some minutes and relaxed a bit. Then we walked further to the big pond. Here was a meadow in front of it. Some people was lying on it and we did the same. We relaxed, watched other people and I made some pictures (of the garden!).

After that great break we continued our excursion through the park. It’s approx 3,5km long, according to the map. But we went through gardens back in direction to the castle. We reached it after approx one hour and sad down close to the ticket office on a bench. Here is supposed to be free wifi… but we couldn’t find it. Instead we made a break and had a chat with 3 girls from Germany, which just made a holiday week in France. After our break we went back to the car.
A small visit in the city center and we found a bakery for a Baguette and a small supermarket for some other shopping. It was already half past 8 and all other shops was closed already.

Back at the car we made a very yummy dinner with original French Baguette. Interesting and tasty.
And of course there can’t be a Mc Donalds visit be missing in the evening. We had one just around the corner. I wanted to make a research for the address of the café, from the movie Amelie, in Paris. I need to see it, when I am already there. And also I needed to check my emails.

Around half past 12 we converted finally the car and hopefully nobody will bother us in the night. In the evening was a breakdown car came on the parking and a guy was running around to inform everybody who was at his car this time that tomorrow all cars have to be gone. The Tour de France will pass by the day after tomorrow and the parking must be empty at this time. But we will be (unfortunately) not here anymore at this time. Tomorrow we will drive straight to Paris in the morning. I hope we will get out of the bed early this time.

Best wishes
Gordon

Bigger map

13.07.2013

Also this night was very calm. The rubbish collection came in the morning, direct next to us of course. Then the Mc Donalds opened finally and we could get breakfast… coffee and a cheeseburger for me and 2 hamburgers for Julia :)

Around 10 we packed together and was ready to go… but just around the corner, to the Lidl next to it. Here we filled up our stocks and went back on the street, in direction to the Dune du Pyla. It was still 200 km to drive.

The route was leading us through all the little villages there. And every 500 meter a roundabout. Roundabouts are a great invention, but when there is one every 500 meter then is it annoying. It was going on like that for the next 40km. Until we reached the freeway finally. Now we could travel faster again.
Just a few kilometers later we were in front of a tollbooth. But it was forbidden for Inge to lead us via toll roads. I guess they were rebuilding a freeway into a highway with toll and Inge didn’t have it in the system yet.
Ok, 1,80 Euro are still a good price and we could travel faster. Later we had to pay again 1,80 Euro. Therefore we were in 3 hours at the Dune.

On the access road to the parking we could get a small view on the 100 meter high sand dune. The Dune du Pyla is the biggest shifting dune in Europe. Over 2km long, 500 meter width and over 100 meter height. It’s shifting around 1-5 meter every year.
We parked the Kangaroo on the parking and went straight to the dune. It’s amazing to see such huge pile of sand. So much sand and no sand mold… :) (It’s a saying)

There are even stairs up on the top. We went up the steps (it’s really exhausting) and was standing a few minutes later on this sand hill and had a great view around, the bay and the rest of the dune. The dune looks from the top like a small desert. Just the temperature is more pleasant. :)

We was sitting (and lying) at least one hour on top of the sand mountain, before we went back down. But this time we was running the dune down… in the sand. One time running down a dune… fun, fun, fun! :)
After viewing the dune we went souvenir shopping. What else? :) We found some special postcards, which look like a bottle message. Practical, especially here. Because it is great to fill some sand in it and to send it then. :) But these ‘postcards’ are expensive, so just my most beloved people will get one. :) I was sending so many postcards already, I can’t see postcards anymore…

Actually we also wanted to eat an ice cream there, but be was wasting too much time with other things… the ice cream house was closed already.
So we went to a parking place, which 2 other camper, which we met on the dune, recommended to us. After all the usual camping places shall be a place which is free of charge. When you drive the street parallel to the Dune du Pyla, then you will pass 4 camping places. 2-3 km after the last camping place you’ll see on the right side a place with several campers. That is the place. Not far from the beach, with (dirty) toilets and some restaurants near to the beach.

We met the both people from the dune again here and parked next to them. A father and his daughter. They also make half a Europe trip, just the other way around. He is German and his daughter is half Sri-Lanka and half German.
We were talking with them for quite a while and went then to bed. … Before 12, premiere for us :)

14.07.2013

We slept until half past 10 today. Another premiere. But it was really good. Fresh and well rested we started in our day today.

And the whole day went like that. We didn’t left the place today anymore. The whole day just relaxing. I wrote a bit for my blog and Julia relaxed in the hammock. Like that we wasted the whole day. Another resting day where we could relax.

In the evening we invited Amanda for a BBQ. Amanda is the lady which we met the day before on the dune. Together with her father. Amanda is just 17, be we hit it off. She is a beautiful young lady, without being smug and also with brain. In this age is that combination rare. So we decided to spend some time with her, that she can experience something without her father. To do something with ‘young’ people.

One hour before sunset we packed the BBQ stuff together and went to the beach, to make there a nice pick nick with BBQ at sunset. Very nice!
On this day was also a national holiday in France and everywhere we could see, far away, some fireworks. One of it last for at least one hour. It wasn’t ending anymore :)

Around midnight it became a bit cold at the beach and we went back to the cars. We brought Amanda save back to her ‘home’ and went then also to bed.

15.07.2013

The night was ending at half past 9. Of course we wasted time, arse around till 5pm. I was talking with Amanda and Julia went away with Friedrich somewhere… for around 2 hours. We was worried already. But when I was looking after them, I found them just around the next dune and they were talking and talking.

Some when they came back. We said good bye from both and went to the Dune du Pyla another time. We had to collect sand for the ‘postcards’. :) After we went to the café again and was finally eating our ice cream. Ok, I had a discussing Cappuccino and a Crepe with Nutella.
After it we went to the other side of the bay. It was good 80km to the Cap Ferret. On the way we stopped for 2 hours at Mc Donalds. I published quickly another article. The one for south Portugal. Slowly I start to be long behind with the articles. But what to do? I don’t want to spend all my time just to write and translate my articles. Then I’ll not do anything else anymore.

After Mc Donalds we went to the Cap Ferret, to the other side. It was almost dark when we arrived at the end. We got a quick view on the Dune du Pyla from the other side.
Here was a restaurant, which was just closing. But luckily it has an open WLAN, which was also on in the night. So we converted on the parking and used this free service for a while, till we fall asleep some when.

16.07.2013

We got up very late today. Around 10 maybe. It was already high life at the Cap Ferret. A lot of people were there already. We went first of all to the restaurant and ordered a coffee. Ok, Julia a cacao, because she don’t drink coffee.
The coffee was 4 Euro (even it was better than the one yesterday).

After we went to the beach and had a look to the dune by daylight, from the other side. From here it looks much smaller, as if you are standing on top. But still big.
A boy just brought a huge jellyfish on the beach. That was another highlight, even a sad one.

We packed our stuff and went back. I needed urgently cigarettes, because my one finished. But that is not that easy in France. Just special shops are selling cigarettes and they are well hidden. We was asking in the next village for such a shop and they was sending us through half of the village… but we couldn’t find the shop. We drove further and I found one direct on the street. 6,70 Euro per package… there is it better to stop smoking. … I bought 2…

Half a chicken we bought as well… we were hungry.

Then the big question… what to do now? Actually we wanted to go straight to Paris, to visit a friend from Julia. But during a phone call yesterday we got informed that the friend will be first in 5 days in Paris. Now we have 5 more days to fill up in France. What to do?

We decided to visit a small island in the north. I wanted to go till the Bretagne, but this detour would have been too far, said Julia. The tires are at their limit already, from the profile. So, the island.
I told Inge where do we want to go and she was calculating the route … and we started. But first to the next Lidl… our drinks was almost empty. We needed urgently supplies and got them. Actually we wanted to try a local store… again not. Next time.

Inge told us the way… until another bay. But suddenly we found us in front of a ferry, instead of a bridge. And they wanted 29,50 Euro to bring us to the other side. To drive back was not a solution, because this bay went down till Bordeaux, where we just came from. And to drive 300km back cost the same then the ferry, at the end.
So we had to pay the 30 Euro and went with the ferry. Again something new… but too expensive for our budget.

Finally we arrived and could drive on. Until the bridge to the island. Now they wanted again money, for the usage of the bridge… 16 Euro. They are really mad. This time we turned around and didn’t drove on the island… and didn’t pay. Just before the toll house we turned around and went to the next camping place. But it was full. Not our day today…

But the nice lady from the restaurant was so friendly and let us takes a shower and we bought therefore a cacao and a glass of wine. But a wine on an empty stomach is not a good idea. So we are now on the parking place of the camping place and will stay here for the night. We got also this permission from the nice bar lady, even it is probably not in her authority. But it doesn’t matter for us. It is a great place to sleep.

Best wishes
Gordon

Größere Kartenansicht

09.07.2013

The morning started relaxing like always. The sun was high on the sky already, but with the wind from the sea was it still nice. We opened the sliding doors on both sides a bit and had a nice draught.

We was very lazy today. No mood for nothing. And the best was to make a lazy day again. Especially with this nice beach in front of the door and the internet. Like that I could write a bit more for the webpage and we could relax. Sounds strange, but when you are every day somewhere else, then is it also exhausting. And I am always the driver, on top.

In the afternoon we even managed it to go a while to the beach. The weather was good and the sea… sorry, the ocean, looks really nice here. Unfortunately is the current also very strong here and the waves are strong as well. Just Julia went full in and I was enjoying the surf. It’s anyway cold in the Atlantic.

There is nothing else to tell about today :)

10.07.2013

What can I say? We got up today… like every other day as well :) Maybe a bit earlier today, then usually. Our nice lady from the tourist office, Ielva, was sending us a SMS that we definitely have to visit the nature park. We had a look where it is… and it would be direct on our way to Santiago de Compostela. So we decided to check it out. Maybe it could save Portugal from its ‘boring’ status.

I was drinking again a coffee in the café, 10 meters away (also to use the toilet). And then we started the engines. :) First of all we went to the next post office. We still had to send our postcards, before we could leave Portugal, which would be the next day. Inge was leading us, in the next village, to the local post office. But I couldn’t see any post office, when we arrived. I just saw a pharmacy. Maybe the post office is in it. So we went in and asked if here is the post office. No, around the corner. Ahh… ok. So we went around the corner, behind the house. There was a DIY store. Hmm… we saw a tiny sign with ‘Correiro’ (portug. For post). Okk… we went in the store. Looked like an information stand in a DIY store… in which was no light. The both guys in there were talking to each other and one was typing something.  They didn’t deigned to look at us… for minimum 10 minutes. We felt a bit ignored. We wanted to go already, as we got finally a bit attention. Julia was waving, a bit pissed off, with the postcards, in the hope that they will understand what we want. The lady, which joined the scene, took the postcards and started to read them… the addresses and the messages… we didn’t thought we become mad. Then she started calculating and the man, who had to translate, because he spoke a bit English, said that we have to pay a little amount, because we used the wrong stamps. The ones we used where only for Portugal. Interesting… someone was cheating us. But what could we do. So we paid another 5 Euro for our postcards… which went hopefully on their journey. So, who gets a postcard from Portugal, please let me know!

After that experience we went further to the north. To Geres. Here starts the natural protection reservoir (or it is already in it). It starts already with a nice lake, on which they offer even water sports. We stopped quick for some snapshots and went straight further to Geres. But we went also just trough, on the way to the next camping place. I wanted to see how the prices here are. We reached the next camping place, which was easy to find, by all the signs, very adventurous. The surrounding here looks really like a nature protection reservoir. The nature is very lush, in compare to the rest of Portugal (but also south Spain or Cyprus). Many trees, hills, fern and so on. And of course mountains again. And almost no traffic, which is good with this narrow streets here.
The way to the camping place was leading us down from the tarmac, on a country road. We had to drive over a wooden bridge, crossing a river… I was a bit worried. :) And further on a ‘field road’ to another bridge. Here was a Stop sign (on the bridge) and we could recognize a camping place. A young man came and took the sign away, to give us the way free…

We went first of all to the reception and asked for the prices. 3,50 Euro per person and per car. So, 10,50 Euro for one night for us. Very nice prices.
But it was just noon and we wanted to have a look around. Julia was asking the guy what we could see here. We were especially interested in waterfalls. In a bad English/Portuguese mix he tried to answer our questions (very friendly and helpful). We bought also straight a map from this area. So we could check on the way also where we are and what where is. Our navigation systems wasn’t helpful here. Inge had at least streets here.

The first point was an allegedly a great waterfall (we saw a picture in the office of the camping place… looked great). We had to went up the hill. Via small, narrow roads and many curves. The slopes we could drive mostly with not more than 30km/h.  But it was ok. Like that we could see more from the park. And we can also slowly arrive at our target.
We reached finally the point where the waterfall is supposed to be. But there was no waterfall. Instead of the waterfall we found … well, a small waterfall and a natural pond in front of it. That looked also very nice… for the first time. Just the parking was around 300 meter up the road. I could convince Julia to a small walk and we were walking to the pool. It was a bit lower located and the decline was a bit complicated… but it was worth it. There were a lot of people already. Mostly young people.
The water was crystal clear and chilly as well. Actually exactly as we needed it. And as I said already, with a small waterfall.
Of course I didn’t go there without my diving mask. And we went straight snorkeling a bit. We was a bit surprised to find small trouts in this little pond. They were swimming there happy between all the people.

We stayed there around an hour and enjoyed the atmosphere of the pool. :) Then we went back to the car. The map was showing more waterfalls. We wanted to try another one. The next one was 10km away. We had to drive back to the camping place, from which we started. Inge doesn’t know waterfalls, of course and so we told her to lead us to a small village behind the waterfall. This one she knows.

Unfortunately we was probably on a point where she was a bit confused. So we made a victory lap on one of the most plunge road I ever drove. I have no idea how many percent the descent was… I would guess around 30%. And the with curves and narrow roads through a village. We made it without any accident… luckily. And came back to the same point where we started. We took a wrong turn. So back again and now the right turn.

We went some more kilometers through this beautiful nature and landscape. Lonely streets up the hill and down again. I can count the cars we passed on one hand. Partly we got a view from the hill over the whole valley and Geres. Amazing beautiful. And the forest looks partly really like an enchanted forest… here is Portugal’s true beauty hidden.

We had to take a turn, on which the road ended and a sand trail started. It was leading us to a bridge. From here we had to walk to the waterfall. But it’s just a few minutes by walking. He is just around the corner. This waterfall is already more impressive. He has 4 levels. From the top is the water falling into a pool, approx. 8-10 meters deep. Then the next fall into a pool, 4-6 meters deeper. And then the big fall to the bottom, which is approx. 20-30 meter. From the 4^th to the 3^rd floor was just climber busy with abseiling. It also looked like that a cave is in the 3^rd level. At least I believe that I saw stalactites and I couldn’t see the end of the cave. Now I am curious of course :) But I think I will never know it…

It became late slowly… what to do? After a bit watching around, we found not far a parking with view. Just made to sleep there :) We parked there and made a BBQ (with a common grill of course). It was a great day and a great evening. :)

And the best was, after we converted the car, the light was off and the night came. I never saw such a clear star sky. I could see clear the Milky Way. A dream (just hardly to ban it on a picture or video).

11.07.2013

It was again a surprising morning. We woke up from very strange, very close noises. Like a jingle. Goats? … Goats! … What now? Julia opened carefully the door and we got a very … strange view. Direct next to our car was goats walking. But not just 5 or 6 … dozens.
The goats didn’t feel bothered by the car. Not even as Julia opened the door and we was starring out of the car. They just passed by, like here would park every day a car and strange tourists would stare out of it.
Just 2 or 3 stopped for a moment and was gaping inside like we were gaping out… and continued walking after a few seconds.

But suddenly one young ram felt bothered from our car and attacked the kangaroo. We, still inside, could hear how it was hitting the bumper with its horns. Julia tried to banish it from inside by calling it. But it didn’t work out. Finally she got dressed and went out of the car, to stop the ram. Actually we didn’t want to present us to the shepherd, because we were still in a nature reservoir and he shouldn’t really now that we are in the car.
But Antonio, this was his name, wasn’t interested in it. Julia caught him quickly in a ‘conversation’. If you can call it like that. Antonio didn’t spoke any English and we don’t speak Spanish. But somehow we understood that his name is Antonio and he takes care of 500 goats… which just passed us. His shepherd dogs were small… I mean really small. I have no idea what race it was, but they were mini. But they were 2 and very agile. They were good after the goats.

We packed together, after this interesting start in the day, and went to the next highlight of the day. A shower under the waterfall or at least in the pool in front of it. The waterfall was just 100 meter back the way we came from. So we was rolling down the hill and parked the car a bit below. We packed our stuff… diving mask, snorkel, GoPro and swimwear… and started. On the stony riverbed in direction to the waterfall. We reached a pool which we couldn’t pass without swimming through it. But we couldn’t see the waterfall itself yet. It was around the next corner. But the pool looked also very nice. So we changed and went carefully into the water. The water was again crystal clear and a bit colder. Also here were small fishes inside. But I don’t know which race.

We relaxed here for approx 1-2 hours. It was a beautiful place. Quite and calm. After the swimming we laid down on a big stone in the sun.
Julia found in the pool a bottle of beer. It was still closed and good. It will sweeten one of my next evenings. :)

Some when we realized that we still have a long way in front of us today and that we should better start. The target of the day was Santiago de Compostela. The end of the Camino de Santiago. It was still 200km to drive. It doesn’t sound far, but without a highway it takes it’s time.

We had to drive through the whole reservoir again. A very beautiful place and the most beautiful in Portugal, which we saw here. Just here I could spend weeks, to go on photo tour. The reservoir adjoins in the north to Spain. We left the park direct to Spain.

Around 5pm we reached Santiago de Compostela and walked straight to the cathedral, of course. Santiago has a very beautiful and old city center and the cathedral is really not bad. Old… and she looks like that. But it has its own charm.
We needed also postcards. So we checked first only the opening hours. The cathedral itself is open until half past 8pm. So we had enough time to go to buy postcards and some souvenirs. The streets around the cathedral are full with souvenirshops and cafes. We bought some postcards, stamps and souvenirs and went back to the cathedral.

Basically is it very simple. No paintings on the walls, no marble… but 2 things strike the eye immediately. The organ with its tubes, which are hanging into the room and the huge golden altar. And you can go in. Below are catacombs, which are also partly open.

For our surprise they started a mess at 7:30 pm. No camera and no video were allowed anymore. And being quite was requested. Julia wanted to stay, I am not really a friend of this things. But ok, in this special cathedral… an exception. :) So we sat down on a bench and I hold my camera shut.
A nun came on the microphone and said something in Spanish. She finished her speech and the organ started to play and she started to sing… breathtaking! She had an amazing voice and with the acoustic in this place… amazing.
Then someone else was speaking and in between she sang again, from time to time. And then came the best. The filled up the incense holder and moved it… and how they moved it! I really thought it will fly out of the window in a second. At this point I didn’t know the whole cathedral and didn’t know that there is another hallway to the left and right of the holder. The people who were sitting there must have got the whole incense load.
After one hour was the mess over. Of course I made secretly a movie with my GoPro. I had to record the nun. I hope the sound is good on the movie, I couldn’t check it yet.

We continued to have a look around, after the mess was over. Until we got kicked out, not even 10 minutes later. And really kicked out. A guy was running around and told the people very rude to leave the cathedral.
We decided to have a look into the city center and then to walk in direction to the car. Behind the second corner we heard suddenly music. The sound was very interesting and it was anyway on our way. Around the next corner was a place. And in the middle of the place was technique and between was musicians sitting. An orchestra… wou. In front of the orchestra were stone steps.
We stopped and listening to the music. Really nice music style… and the acoustic on the place… just great. We decided to stay longer and sat down on the stairs, in front of the musicians.
We sat there at least one hour and listened banned to the music. I can’t say which style it was. It wasn’t classic. At the end they were playing something African style.
I made videos. So you need to wait until it is uploaded. ;)

We stayed there until the concert was over. It was already half past 9 and we had to go back to our Kangaroo. It was in a car park and the clock was counting. We had to pay 5,70 Euro.
Then the question of every evening: Where will we sleep. We decided to drive a bit further and to see where we can find a nice place to stay overnight. The next tour will be long anyway. Good 950km to the Dune du Pyla in France. We are slowly running out of time. We have just a few days left and have to cover the distance. 2 Points are still on our list. The Dune du Pyla and Paris. Those are our last targets and this time without wasting time and stopping 5 times somewhere.

It was already dark and I don’t really love to drive in the dark. It is very exhausting for my eyes. But we could still make 160km. But only because 90km was on the highway. Later it became suddenly foggy (very foggy) and curvy. We reached probably the north of the Pyrenees. Some when at 1 in the night wasn’t it possible to drive anymore. Luckily we found a cemetery with a huge parking place in front of it. Here will nobody bother us and we were converting the car in the rain. I think I never fall asleep so quickly

12.07.2013

The place was holly quite. :) In the morning we heard an electronic car driving over the parking place and later a tractor. But nobody bothered us. We go up around 9. After a while we had a look to the cemetery. Very strange thing. Julia was calling it cupboard cemetery. I have no idea how I would call it. But you can imagine it as cupboard. With many small, but (obvious) deep, holes. There are the dead bodies in it. 4-5 ‘levels’ on top of each other. Very… unusual. But space saving.

We packed our stuff and went back on the street. The weather wasn’t the best today. Cloudy and foggy. For us very nice travel weather. We had to be the whole day on the street. 750km to be exact.
And so we was driving the whole day trough the landscape of north Spain. First we had the luck that we could use the A8. Later we had to continue on the N634. The fog stayed the whole day and converted the landscape into a mystic view.

One stop we made finally anyway. Of course at Mc Donalds. To do something against the hunger, a (more or less) good toilet and Internet :) We are junkies!
Ah, and we had to write and send the postcards from Santiago, before we could leave Spain. We still had many Spanish stamps.
We spent again 2-3 hours in our favorite restaurant and had to go afterwards into the city center, to the postbox. And then back on the road. Further trough north Spain… which reminded me totally on Middle Germany.

It became dark again… surprise, surprise. :) Inge said that it would take until 2.30 in the night until we would be at the Dune du Pyla… still 250km.
 We made it until the French border and just stopped on the next Mc Donalds parking. The restaurant was closed already, so nobody could bother us anymore. We converted and fall asleep. The day was tiring. Driving makes tired as well, especially driving in the night.

Best regardsGordon

Bigger Map

05.07.2013

The night was not so great. Even we was parking direct next to the sea (just a few small houses between us and the sea) it was hot like hell in the night. We had to open the doors 3 o’clock in the night, to get a small breeze in the car. We was sweating like hell.

In the morning was it better. We had a look to the beach, first of all. A huge nice beach with wonderful sand. The kite-surfer was on the water already. We saw on the beach even a whole school class with surfboards. Little Portuguese with small surfboards. :) The ocean itself didn’t look very inviting. It was dirty (from the sand or sediments) and the waves were heavy. We decided not to go in. Who knows how the current is.

We went back to the car and packed our stuff. But before we left, we went to the next café, next to us, and drank a coffee. And I realized that ‘coffee’ means also here Espresso. I got a wet spot coffee with the caffeine of a whole cup.

Then we went off finally… further. We wanted to go this day till before or after Lisbon. Direct in the city was not our goal. We didn’t wanted this stress as well. I don’t like to drive in big cities in general. Too much stress.
I found, in Inges maps, a nice place at a big bay and told her to lead us there. It was good 300km to this point. A while to drive, without highways.

And then we went in the Pampa of Portugal. And it was hot again. In the car partly 45 degrees and even outside not less. The wind was also not refreshing, because it had the same temperature. Even in Cyprus is it not that hot. Like that I would imagine the desert. Hot and without any possibility of cooling down.
And in this heat we saw now again huge gatherings of stork nests. And also here there was building their nests everywhere, like a few days ago in Spain. It seems like they don’t care about this heat.

The landscape was passing in this hours. Personally I don’t really like Portugal so much. Until now is it the most flat country, we passed… except some small hills. It is hot and the vegetation is there, but not really unique.

We stopped somewhere at a supermarket to get some cold drinks. But nothing more happened this day… expect the street.

We reached the place early. It was still bright. We had a look around. Here was a torero school before. But the owner died, as we got told later, and now is it closed and rots.
In front of us was a lagoon, which goes a few kilometer into the country. The water is brown dirty. So dirty, that I can’t see anything anymore in a depth of 2cm. On the other side of the lagoon is the next city.

We just wanted to convert the car, as a van stopped next to us with 3 men inside. They got out of the car and had a look around. We was wondering already what that for men are and what they want and was waiting what will happen. But they didn’t left again. They started to put things out of their van… fishing ropes. Ahh, fishermen. So, better then murder. :)
After a few minutes, one guy was holding a bottle of beer in our direction and said something, which we didn’t understood. So we got out of the car and went to him. He offered us a beer. Julia tried to explain that she don’t drink alcohol. But Juan, that is his name, didn’t understood or didn’t wanted. I accepted a bottle and said thank you :)

We started a chat. Which brought out that Marko, one of the men, is working since 8 years in Germany. I haven’t understood it in total, but as it looks like from time to time. So sometimes he is in Germany and sometimes in Portugal. He spoke even very good German. Juan is also working sometimes abroad. In Germany and Switzerland. But he spoke hardly German. And from the other Juan we didn’t got much information, he was very quiet.

The guys took care about us with beer and even invited us for BBQ. It became a very nice evening with the 3 guys. We was talking a long time, but usually with Marko, because he spoke German. It’s easier. Juan was trying from time to time to talk with us something in Portuguese and sign language, but mostly we didn’t got what he was trying to say. Pity actually, even he didn’t looked like, was he probably a really nice and friendly guy, like the other both as well.

After this unusual evening with the 3 Portuguese Fishermen, we went to bed. The guys wanted to leave next morning around 5-6 o’clock. So we said Good Bye before we went to sleep.
In the night the same game like the night before. It was hot like hell in the car in the night. But we couldn’t open the doors this time. This place was full of mosquitoes. We closed Julia’s window with a mosquito net and could open at least this small window.
I had slowly also an idea why it is always so hot in the night, even it is much colder outside and we also had the doors open to aerate. I think the source of this problem are the liquids in the car. This liquids heating up during the day. Up to 40-45 degrees, like outside. And in the evening they give it back… into the car. We have some liquids in the car. 13 liter in the toilet, several liter drinks, 10 liter in the washing canister. And these are just the big amounts. Plus the fridge, which is cooling from time to time and gives back the heat.
I think here is the source of the heat in the night in the car. We just can’t change it. We need the drinks, the toilet and the water for washing.

Well, we managed it to fall asleep.

06.07.2013

As expected was the night very hot. I woke up several times and was sweating like hell. And outside it became also hotter already. The sun was shining on the car already. The fishermen were also still there. The night wasn’t successful for them and they continued to catch something.

We packed our stuff quickly, said Good Bye again to our friends and went further. Further to the next Mc Donalds, which was in the next city. Which we saw on the other side of the river already in the night.
When we arrived, we realized that there is no Mc Donalds, or if, than is it inside of a shopping mall… without good parking places. Also was some festival in this village on this day. Half of the city was closed for traffic. So, we went to the next Mc Donalds in the next city.

The next one was just 10km away. Luckily in the right direction… to the north. We reached this Mc Donalds around 10 o’clock. They opened at 11. Luckily was the umbrellas and the tables outside. So we could sit outside and write a bit and using the internet already, until they opened at 11.

11 they opened finally and we could move inside. We was looking for a place with socket and we connected straight the junction box and connected everything we had to charge on it… laptops, batteries, camera batteries (I still don’t have a 12V charger for my pocket camera). Of course we used also the toilet there :)

Interesting was here the difference between the inside and outside temperature. Inside was it so cold that I was freezing. And when I went outside, to smoke one, the heat was hitting me in the face, so warm… hot was it. The car was showing an outside temperature of 45 degrees and the inside temperature was out of scale.

We spent again half a day at Mc Donalds. First at 5pm we left the place. We wanted to drive at least a few more kilometer, that day. And we did it. Till a forest lake somewhere in Portugal. We had the hope that we could go swimming in the lake, to get a shower as well. Unfortunately was the water here as well totally brown and dirty. Direct next to the lake was a picnic place, which was even at 10pm quite busy. But the last people left a few minutes later and we had the place just for us. Beside of a few fireflies. Really cool things which I never saw before.

We converted our car and went to bed. It was again great hot in our private sauna…

07.07.2013

The night was ending early. But this time not because of the heat, more because the picnic place became busy in the early morning again. The picnic places was quite full already, when we took a look outside around 9am. The first people carried BBQ stuff already on the place and occupied the first places already. Within minutes new cars arrived. They was building up a football field and 2 piglings turned over 2 huge BBQ grills. … I guess we missed some Portuguese holiday.

We converted the car before it became too busy. After a short walk on the lake we left the place. Of course was the technique not working again. It took Inge and the GPS tracker many minutes until they were working properly.

Also we still didn’t had a shower or a bath and the hill with the dirty clothes was also growing. We needed urgently a launderette for our clothes and a shower for us. My solution idea was to stop at a camping place. They have usually both of it. A launderette and a shower. To find a shower is not that hard, but a launderette is harder.

We stopped at the next camping place and asked them if we can take a shower and if we could use the launderette. The lady said, after a lot of thinking, that she could let us in as daily visitor. That would cost 3,75 Euro per Person. Ok… We asked for curiosity what it would cost to stay for one night, with 2 people and a car… 12,50 Euro. Well, we didn’t thought long about it and stayed there for a night. For this little amount of money…

The camping place was ok. Unfortunately a bit less shadow, in the Portuguese sun. But we found a place. Under some trees and direct next to the washing houses. So we had the whole evening shadow. It was just 5pm.

First of all was putting the dirty clothes in the machine and went then to the beach. It was 200 meter away from the camping place. By feet to reach in a few minutes.
A huge beach. For sure 50 meters wide. It was Sunday and the beach was packed. Many people took a sunbath. But funny was for me that many people was standing direct on the waterline. But they was just standing there and that’s it. In the water was just 2-3 people. But direct in front of it were around 100 standing. It looked like they were waiting for something… but on what… I don’t know.
We was also standing there for a few minutes to observe that a while. But nothing. The people was just standing there, but nobody went in. Very strange…

We was sweeten the way back with an ice cream from the kiosk. The best you can do at this heat. The wasching machine was also almost ready. We had to wait 10 minutes and then we could take the clothes with us to the car to hang them up there. Then was it our turn. Taking a shower… always an experience… with these showers here. But at least they had normal valves and not this push-valves, which close the water after 10 seconds again. Like this I could take a nice long shower.

And then the highlight of the evening… BBQ. The first time on our tour we was trying Julia’s great mini-bbq-grill. On the way here we stopped at Lidl and bought BBQ meat. This ended up now on this little grill. Ok, partly a bit dark at the end… but it was anyway very tasty :)

After this great evening we went to bed. The washing we left this time on the lines, that I can dry more over night.

08.07.2013

Finally a night I could sleep through the night. At least until the morning, till the sun was shining at the Kangaroo. Then was the cool time over and the car was heating up within minutes. But anyway was it a good night. Finally sleeping through the night.
And we started slowly in the day. Nice relaxed.
Slowly taking of the clothes from the lines, converting the car and more relaxing.

After we went to the bar, where they had internet… and a coffee. Later we decided also to eat something there. But it took longer than we thought and we left the place a bit late. At 1 we had to check out latest. Half past 1 we checked out. Luckily we had no extra payment to make. We paid our 12,50 Euro and left. Today in direction to Santiago de Compostela, this is in Spain already. That we will not manage the long way today was clear. But the direction was right already :)

And there was already again something… we haven’t sent a single postcard from Portugal yet. We didn’t even saw shop yet where they sold postcards. Somehow strange here in Portugal. In every country you get bombed with postcards and souvenirs. But in Portugal you have to search for them. And we will leave the country in 200 km already again.
An idea was to stop at a tourist information. They should have some or at least know where we could get bloody postcards. And so we stopped at the next tourist information. That was in Povoa de Varzim.

We explained the nice lady in the tourist information that we need urgent postcards and if she have an idea where we can find some. She didn’t had any there in the moment, but explained us where we can find some and gave us also a city map in the hand. Also we could leave the Kangaroo on the parking space from the tourist information (there is 1 free parking for the tourist information) and went into the city. First was it an unsuccessful search. In one shop we found 2 ugly postcards. In a bookshop then the first findings. Later at the beach we found even a better range. And straight we bought some cards, who knows if this is not the last shop with postcards :) Portugal is the most important point on our travel. It is the point where we turn around and heading back in direction to Germany. It’s not possible to move futher to the west. The Atlantic is in the way. So we travel from the south to the north and then back to the east. Via north-Spain through France back to Germany. Maybe 1-2 days Luxemburg and Belgium.

But now we had finally postcards from here. We found on the way then even a souvenir shop, in which we spend 30 minutes, at least. Looking here and there. Well…
After our shopping tour (for tourists) we went back to the tourist information. Ielva, the nice lady there, found also some postcards in the meantime for us. We made it us cozy there and wrote the postcards straight in the tourist information, that we could send them straight away. We also had now Portuguese stamps and had to send them now from here.

As we finally finished all postcards, it was almost 7 pm. And at 7 the office was also closing. But somehow we was talking so much with Ielva that we forgot the time. As some other tourists came into the office, we realized that it was half past 7 already. But it was nice to talk with Ielva. A very nice and interesting woman. We swapped our contact information.

It didn’t made sense to drive much more at this time. We was looking for a nice place, just 5 km further, and stayed there. It was a lonely place, luckily. Here is a hotel, but it is more closed then open. The beach is also huge here, but not full at all.
We was watching the sunset on the beach… beautiful. How the sun is set blood red in the sea.  Unfortunately is the sun in Limassol never going down in the sea.

And we also went to the hotel, for a coffee… and the WiFi password. :) And now I am writing here while Julia is sleeping well already. :) … Which I will do as well now.

Best wishes
Gordon

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