We had intended to visit Estremoz today but the campsite leaflet tells us there is a Saturday market. Suspecting this may limit car parking, and because it is a sunny day, we decide instead to do a round trip to see the scenery on the 'wine route' which also takes in some of the marble towns. If we can see bits of the towns we have picked as pinpoints then all the better, but we don't plan on lengthy visits. The route goes to Estramoz - Borba - Elvas - Jur...

After an early night to bed we are up in good time and check out by 10:30 having paid a total of €6.94 including electric and wifi, bound for Evora. It's beautiful scenery for all 50 miles of the journey; wide, open fields of green vegetable shoots, fields carpeted in yellow and white meadow flowers, dairy herds, the odd stork including the only one we've seen that has built a nest on a tree-top instead of a man made structure. Talking of manmade structur...

We are awake early and on the road before 09:30. As it is overcast we don't bother with the coast road up to Vila Nova de Milfontes but drive on the main road through flat open fields. There isn't much to see in the town, typical low whitewashed houses and seasde businesses shut down for winter, so we drive through and set off for Beja. Our drive is pretty despite the odd patch of drizzle, first up through a eucalyptus forest then through extensive cork ...

Definitely cooler up here in the mountains, at nearly 900m, but we have electric hook up for the heating and a lovely sunrise anyway. We take our time over breakfast then service the van in situ as the pitches here have water and drains, so it is around 11:30 when we check out and trundle slowly down the track in first gear. Our first stop is in nearby Monchique after climbing up through a hill of eucalyptus and mimosa. This little town is most famous fo...

The temperature dropped last night and we need to put on the heating before getting up, but there is an almost cloudless sky and the bay looks as beautiful as it did on our first morning here. We watch three fishing boats literally racing to the quay in Portimao then it is time to say our goodbyes and leave Nick and Grete after five weeks together. Driving across to Portimao there are storks everywhere on chimneys and lamposts. The town is not that attractiv...