It's still misty but the sun is trying to break through. Across the car-park the washer women start their morning's work in the communal wash house. Occasionally one comes out with a basket of washing on her head and pegs it on the communal lines, a bird's nest of sticks and string looking like a naked big-top tent. Ali and Grete find a small market at return with fish, pork slices, vegetables and fruit, including strawberries the size of snooker balls. ...

it's a miserable, drizzly and rainy morning. We decide the best thing is for Ali and Grete to get the bus into Oporto. Neither of them is happy this morning, the showers were cold, the laundry driers don't work and the [different] receptionist shrugs and couldn't care less. Nick C goes to the wifi room, Nick W tinkers with their van and the girls head for the bus. They have a good time in the city and a pleasant lunch, despite the rain. Oporto is Portuga...

Overcast morning when we get up. Ali has a short walk into Coimbra. It's a typical university town on a Sunday morning; rowing crews on the river, joggers in the park and lots of young people all around. We leave at 11:55 heading towards Oporto. After five nights and not so many miles, our batteries are getting very low so we need a campsite and electric hook up. First there is a little drizzle but as we head north it turns to rain. The roads and sc...

After a lovely sunny day yesterday it rained heavily in the night and this morning is grey and overcast, but we stick to the plan to explore Nazare. We go a hundred yards to the sea front where the empty golden sands are being lashed by curling waves. The world record for the biggest wave ever surfed was made off the coast of Nazare. The promenade is lined with mostly modern style whitewashed buildings but here and there a few older styles can be seen. The...

We are up early this morning to explore Obidos before moving on. It's a 500m walk across the carpark to the fortified gate and although it's only 13deg C the sun is bright and warm. The streets inside the walls are every bit as picturesque as the guidebooks say; whitewashed shops and houses with blue accents matching the clear sky, and tiny windows. Obidos holds a chocolate festival each year, not on at the moment, but many shops are selling local produce, w...