Back Online

Our telephone (and internet) were out for 9 days. Yesterday (Saturday) a telephone engineer turned up in the afternoon and spent 3 hours looking for the fault. It transpired that damage had been caused to the telephone line further afield by people hunting. Anyway, it's good to be back online and being able to Skype our families.

Here is a quick overview of what we've been up to:

We went up into the Serra da Estrela just above Seia, to a pretty little village called Senhora do Desterro that has 5 chapels. From here we walked to Praia Fluvial da Caniça. We had the place to ourselves, but in summer this place must be brimming with people. Before we walked back we wandered down to "Buraco da Moura", a granitic cave. Jon was brave enough to venture inside and discovered that there seems to be quite a network of tunnels off the main chamber.



On another day we decided to go on a exploratory walk from Alvôco das Várzeas. We followed a caminho florestal for about 2 1/2 miles, all uphill, until we came to signposts indicating we could either continue on to Chao Sobral, retrace our steps, or tromp back down another caminho florestal to Parente. We chose to walk to Parente, that was about another 2-3 miles but all downhill, and from Parente we walked the final short stretch back to Alvôco das Várzeas along the road (and mostly flat). There were great views of the mountains, the valley and villages on the walk, but the first 40 minutes on the uphill stretch to Chao Sobral was pretty mundane as the trees lower down obscured the views.

We returned to Senhora do Desterro twice to explore the Mata do Desterro. The Mata provides 3 walks (percursos pedestres, PR1, PR2 and PR3). We explored PR3 and PR2 on two different days. We also did a small detour to Cabeça da Velha where there is a large granite rock that resembles the face of an old lady. The views were also really great.



The PR3 is the hardest and steepest, it takes you all the way to the top of the Mata, firstly through pine forest and then through a landscape of granite rock formations. Absolutely stunning views and landscape. We went on 24 January 2010, and the weather was fabulous. In contrast, when the next day we did the PR2 route, the weather was much chillier and there was a smattering of snow on the ground. There was a biting chill wind, though in the sheltered spots the sun was wonderfully warm. This walk was again through forest to begin with, and less steep than the PR3 route. Again, the views opened up to allow you to enjoy the fantastic scenery. The return path is mainly downhill/flat.



Being without the internet we made use of the free internet service at Coja library and Oliveira do Hospital. At Coja the computers are old and cronky and extremely slow. The computers at Oliveira were much better but you are not allowed to use the service at Oliveira without registering and being allotted a username and password. The "Monitor" at the Oliveira library speaks good English. The library at Oliveira is on the first floor inside the Casa da Cultura. To register you have to take a photocopy of your proof of ID, eg passport and fill in a form.

Several other things have happened in the past week worthy of mention:

Twig is back! Twig went awol when we went to the Algarve last December. Our landlady took Twig to live with her in a nearby village, the intention being that it would be a permanent move. But after a couple of days Twig ran off. We hoped she would make her way back to the cottage but after two months we'd more or less given up. And then a neighbour of our landlady spotted a little cat that fitted Twig's description near her barn. Twig is now safely ensconced back at the cottage. She's become very clingy, following us up and downstairs and insisting that she sit on our laps almost all the time (she's on Jon's lap as I am typing this). The poor little mite is half the size she was when we last saw her, but her fur is still luxuriously soft and clean and her eyes bright. It's good to have her back in town, though we are not counting on her to dispose of the new mouse who has taken residence!

The second thing is that we saw the second episode of Surivors on the tv on Tuesday night. There was this action scene where they run into an enemy gang and there is lots of chasing and fighting. And all of this was set in the grounds of the old HQ for West Midlands Fire Service in Birmingham! The new HQ is now a purpose built building a few miles down the road. On this footage, the nodding geyser who first appears is none other than Firefighter Tony Ball from Bilston Fire Station (E7)! Jon worked for the West Midlands Fire Service for 30 years and retired in May 09, and I worked for the Fire Service for 14 years. We both spent some time at the HQ either in the office block, or going up there for meetings etc. It was really weird to see it on the tv!

Weather wise - we've had a run of good weather from mid January onwards. Before that it was very wet, and now we get some glorious sunny days with frosty nights.

The only other thing to mention for now is that we have discovered "Sempreviva". This is a shop, not unlike Wilkinsons. We only wish we had found it five months ago! It's situated on the N17 near Oliveira, slightly offset, on the opposite side of the road, from Lidl.

Waterfalls, Picnic Sites, Mediaeval Bridge and Veggie Sausage

Yesterday it was surprisingly warm. It must have been about 18 degrees celsius, though the sunny spells were interspersed with goodly rain showers.

Off out geocaching we went. First to Barriosa where there is a river beach and a waterfall, weir and restaurant. There has been a fair bit of rain over the past few days/nights and the waterfall was impressive.



After Barriosa we visited Vide where there was a picnic site hidden away up through the lovely narrow streets in the village. The start of the T1 waymarked pedestrian walkway through the Serra da Estrela begins at Vide, though we couldn't see any obvious starting point. On our gps we did have one of our calibrated maps though and managed to find where the walk would lead out of the village.

After Vide we went to a mediaeval bridge at Alvoco das Varzeas. The bridge is in good condition and the marks made by the stone masons perfectly preserved. Near the bridge we found another waymarked pedestrian walkway but with no information board etc we have no way of knowing where it leads to, whether or not it is circular, and how far it goes. We may try and follow the path for a couple of hours to see where it goes and then retrace our steps if necessary. Also at the bridge is a picnic site that must be a real magnet in the summer.



And on a different subject altogether - We have been experimenting with vegetarian sausage/burger recipes. You can buy tofu and soya products here, but the processed veggie fare is very expensive. We have found several recipes on the internet and are adapting these to give them more of a kick. One of the recipes is more labour intensive but is lovely with mash and peas and gravy. It consists mainly of cheese, mustard, onion, mixed herbs, breadcrumbs, and then floured egged and breadcrumbed on the outside. These are then gently shallow fried. Another recipe is from soya mince, contains thyme, sage, turmeric, coriander, stock, mustard, Marmite, and eggs, and is easily shaped into patties for sticking on a bun with fried onions, mustard and HP sauce. Hmmmmmm delicious.

Loriga - Serra da Estrela

In contrast to today, Monday and Tuesday were beautiful. On Tuesday we went out geocaching in the Serra da Estrela to the town of Loriga. First we visited the turismo and managed to get loads of leaflets, some detailing walks in the area. On closer inspection some of these are circular and some are shorter linear versions tagged on to the main trails that run through the Serra da Estrela. Another booklet the lady in the centre gave us was outlining walking (and separate car) routes of the glacier valleys. These are all linear though so extra forward planning required. The lady in the tourist information centre spoke excellent English.

Next we grabbed a coffee, treated ourselves to a bottle of organic Medronho Brandy (and as it cost 22.90 euros it will be a treat!). We also bought some bread rolls and "Bon Bons" from a local bakery. The Bon Bons were like little doughnuts with a what might have been a custard filling.

Then we made our way up to where we knew there was a river beach (praia fluvial) at Loriga. We were not disappointed. The council have worked hard to make this a great place for all the family to visit and enjoy the river in it's wonderful surroundings. Today we were the only ones there and enjoyed our packed lunch in harmony with nature.



We then set off for the nearest geocache, ie Casa dos Ingleses (house of the English) or also known as "Penedo de Alvoco". It seems that the house was originally inhabited by locals (one of the inhabitants was born 1825 and died in 1900) but then the area was inhabited by English who were mining for metal in the area. One of these (by the name of James) died in November 1911 and was buried in the local cemetery. (In 1944 six English aviators were also buried in the same cemetery after crashing in the mountains).

Loriga info: It was an English military airplane; Hudson Aircraft, that had that day left Gibraltar for the United kingdom, carrying the following occupants: Captain-Robert Tavener HILDICK; Lieutenant-John BARBOUR; Lieutenant-Daniel De Waal WALTERS; Lieutenant-John Patie THOM; 1.Cabo-Jack Learoyd WALKER; 1.Cabo Henry Ernest HEDGES.

The Civil Register of Seia, registers the six deaths as having happened on 22 February of 1944. The assumption is that the plane came down in fog.

We returned to the village of Loriga and wandered along to the Roman bridge. But as it was getting late in the day we decided that further exploration (and other geocaches) would need to wait for another day.

We returned home to find a big bag of homegrown potatoes on the porch from our neighbours (recompense for the goats eating all our veggies). On Sunday they had given us one of their goat cheeses and asked if we wanted them to pay for the damaged crops. We would not accept any money, it wouldn't be right. Yesterday there were further gifts of cabbages and turnips, freshly harvested.

Weather

We think we have the "weather" sussed out now. First we check what the local forecast is (ie lower down where we are) and then we also look at the webcam for Manteigas that is tucked snugly in the middle of the mountains. If the overall forecast is reasonable and the picture of Manteigas is clear then we go for it. We could go out in most weathers but fine days are still plentiful at this time of year so we prefer to pick and choose. There's not much point travelling up the winding roads of the mountains for a view as far as the car bonnet. The other thing we have noticed is that the weather forecast predictions change almost daily. You can't rely on looking at more than the immediate day ahead.

Today, Thursday, as I write this, the webcam for Mantegias reveals mist and fog up in the mountains. The local forecast is pretty miserable too, 50% chance of precipitation and cloudy. We were intending to visit Piódão and Chas d'Egua but they are in the mountains as well, so that's not really feasible today. See webcam image of Manteigas below, taken at 08.46 this morning.



And Manteigas webcam image approximately one hour later...

A Drive through the Mountains

The weather has turned more inclement over the past few days but it rains mainly during the night. That gives us a nice break from watering the veggie patch. The peppers and tomatoes are actually flowering again! Jon has spotted that the figs have finally ripened off so we will be trying to harvest those. About a week ago we noticed the locals picking the wine grapes.

We went for a drive today, first we skirted the mountain range, Serra da Estrela, passing through parts of a river valley we have never seen. The rain has given everything a new green tinge, and autumn is only barely starting judging by the colours of the trees.

We drove over to Covilha, not because we have heard it's a lovely place to visit but, in the words of Wainwright, it makes the journey all the more rewarding to have a destination in mind...

Covilha was a bit big and a bit busy for our liking. There was a shopping mall! And a McDonalds! We avoided all that and found a lovely park with fountains and swans to eat our picnic in peace. There were black swans with bright red beaks (see pic).

Then we drove up through the Serra da Estrela, making a visit to the Torre, with its redundant observatories. The Torre was a bit of an anticlimax really, as there were no views to be had, and a few shops selling tat for tourists. Here are the ski tows too, and judging from what we saw, it would suit beginner to middle grade skiing.

We enjoyed the rest of the drive through the mountains, soaking up the landscape. Apart from about 3 other cars we had the place to ourselves. The clouds were quite low, and one moment we were in glorious sunshine and the next in pea-soup mist. Good job Jon was driving!

More information about the Serra da Estrela can be found at the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serra_da_Estrela