Rise early – bread, butter, cheese, jam and coffee on the house. Lug the increasingly obese cases down the stairs to the car –even it looks like it yearns for the country side.
Issue instructions to Tommy – avoid the motorways and get on your way! Tommy interprets us literally and endeavours to avoid motorways at all costs – we learn the Portuguese words for “deteriorating pavement ahead” -
We pass plantations of eucalypts many suffering die back, pass through small villages and towns – we take back streets and side roads – we climb and climb and climb the magnificent Serra da estrela . As we climb it shows us increasingly rugged terrain decorated with rounded rocky outcrops of granite coloured with vegetation of purple heath and bright yellow broom. As we climb higher and higher the flowering reduces and we alternate between bare ridges and lush valleys on roads that have Bernie gasping and tormenting the grab handles.
We pass spectacular views across the mountains, finish our climb and look down on the twisting, 10 kilometre descent into Manteigas. We pass a sheep herder with his flock and shepherd dog and reach the old, beautiful little town that is the main centre within the Serra da estrela – Out of season – the sun is shining and the tourists are few.
Sit on the porch –write – read – admire the view – look down at the car sitting in the lonely car park below – she smiles back – indeed it is nice to be in the countryside.
I don’t believe it – its true – no it cannot be true – the first snake that I see for the year weaves its way down the rock paved driveway of a hotel on a European mountainside– delivery vehicle passes - weaving ceases. Another lesson for the antipodean travellers!
Issue instructions to Tommy – avoid the motorways and get on your way! Tommy interprets us literally and endeavours to avoid motorways at all costs – we learn the Portuguese words for “deteriorating pavement ahead” -
We pass plantations of eucalypts many suffering die back, pass through small villages and towns – we take back streets and side roads – we climb and climb and climb the magnificent Serra da estrela . As we climb it shows us increasingly rugged terrain decorated with rounded rocky outcrops of granite coloured with vegetation of purple heath and bright yellow broom. As we climb higher and higher the flowering reduces and we alternate between bare ridges and lush valleys on roads that have Bernie gasping and tormenting the grab handles.
We pass spectacular views across the mountains, finish our climb and look down on the twisting, 10 kilometre descent into Manteigas. We pass a sheep herder with his flock and shepherd dog and reach the old, beautiful little town that is the main centre within the Serra da estrela – Out of season – the sun is shining and the tourists are few.
Sit on the porch –write – read – admire the view – look down at the car sitting in the lonely car park below – she smiles back – indeed it is nice to be in the countryside.
I don’t believe it – its true – no it cannot be true – the first snake that I see for the year weaves its way down the rock paved driveway of a hotel on a European mountainside– delivery vehicle passes - weaving ceases. Another lesson for the antipodean travellers!
End our afternoon watching sheep and goats being herded home past the villa.
Take out own advice – dine on Pizza and white wine – superb.
Take out own advice – dine on Pizza and white wine – superb.
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