Packed up in out tiny Fiat we heded north west of Seville on the N433. Absolutely no idea where we will end up, it just looked liie the only scenic road nearby heading towards Portugal. The highway (which we try to avoid) runs straight west through the busy beach towns.
With stops in Aracena & Cortegena (Aracena the more interesting of the two) we found ourselves caught in a round abouts in Beja looking for a place to spend the night. Found a great place that had an even better restaurant. Best meal we've had so far! The entertainment factor was also a plus. This place is the local pizza joint as well. Watching the owner make pizzas (1 per minute) was amazing. You can't buy that kind of entertainment. We were both wishing we'd stuck around till lunch the next day so we could taste one.
First impressions of Portual were the number of storks nesting o any high flat surface. The truth is that there were storks in Spain but they were all on the top of the power poles. In Portugal they put spines on the top of the power poles so the storks have to look for more traditional housing like chimneys and tall trees.
The second impression of Portugal was the run down state of the roads and towns. That does translate in to cheaper prices but at what cost? Then there are the olives groves & cork trees by the thousands...did I mention the bulls, pigs & sheep!
From Beja we drove north to Evora (great little town with lovely views from the historic center) then south to try to find an ancient stone circle. Never did find the circle but we did see lots and lots of rocks.  
South along the secondary roads through small towns, past many farms & orchards we made our way to Sagres for the next three nights. This area is the most south-western point in Europe. It is here that a Mariner
s school was established at the beginning of the 15th Century. Improvements to the sextant were made here which led to the use of navigation by calculating latitude from the height of the stars above the horizon. This school was, for a time, used as a youth hostel. It was here, 45 years ago, that Shane spent some time. Just belown the hostel, off a lovely sandy beach, he and a friend were caught in a rip tide. Were it not for an errant wave they could still be fighting that current.
So we've walked the beaches, sat in the sun, tried to stand upright in the fierce wind (which makes for amazing waves off the Atlantic) and relived a lot of memories. On windy days like we are experiencing I can
t imagine one of those former maritime students looking towards the uncharted broiling horizon and wishing to place themselves in a wooden sailing vessel to head out to parts unknown! Perhaps that is why this school is also known for designing a new type of ship - the Caravel. A long boat with a shallow draught and wider hull. It had triangular sails as well as square which made it easier to manouver. They also decided a stern rudder would be a good idea. This design proved to be popular for over a century,
Think it's time to walk along the beaches again. Might need rain gear tomorrow to, if nothing else, keep my legs warm. Thought we were coming south for the heat??