Bubbles on the beach near Sintra

 We arrived in Sintra on the 22nd January. However our plans were thwarted again by the weather.  Pena  Palace and other local buildings were closed due to the recent high winds that had brought down over 2000 trees in the area. So after waiting in a traffic jam for yet another tree to be cut up and taken off the road we headed out for the coastal towns of Cascais and Estoril.  The seascape was fabulous with pounding waves.  Due to the weather we headed for a campsite on the outskirts of Cascais.  This turned out to be a lovely spot set alongside some sand dunes and being relatively sheltered.  However Mike and I could not resist walking down to the beach where we were battered by the wind and blasted by sand from the dunes.  The waves were really crashing on to the beach and producing masses of foam so that the beach looked like a bubble bath.  I had never seen anything like it. It was really exhilarating and Mike enjoyed kicking bubbles of foam at me.   We returned to the van for supper and to wonder what the weather would throw at us next.



The wind died down in the night and we actually woke to see the sun (to be short-lived). We had heard that the palace at Sintra was re opening today so we took the scenic route past the most westerly point of Portugal (note not south westerly) at Cabo da Roca and across country to Sintra.  I have to hand it to Mike - the drive included narrow roads with hair pin bends plus fallen trees and over hanging branches.  All were negotiated with great skill.  Men were hard at work at Pena Palace cutting up the trees but the gardens were considered too unsafe although we could go into the building.  Pena Palace is a real fairy tale castle with numerous turrets, walkways and hidden places.

 It must have been a great place for the Royal children to play.  We spent most of the morning there before moving back down the narrow roads to head back in the direction of Lisbon. Our route south was to take us over the Pont April 25th bridge.  This is a huge suspension bridge that crosses the river Tejo.  We also had to fill up with diesel, gas and food so it was late afternoon as we left Lisbon with much of the driving down to Odeceixe done in the dark. Our overnight stay was a large car park overlooking the sea.  It was now quite wild again but there were no trees so we felt reasonably safe.  There was another British van there and the couple invited us in for a glass of wine and to share our travelling stories.