Sailing on the high seas!

We made it to the ferry on time (there was never any doubt, but it sounds terribly exciting!).

 Carrying our 6 ½ bags, and enough food to last a week, 

we were excited by having a shower and toilet in our room, and used both with enthusiasm! We then tried whale watching out of our forward facing room.. we think we have seen the fin of something.

So then we did some work out routines

Tried more whale watching..

And now Jana is going to do some work, and Cat is ‘going to stroll about and make faces at people’

UK..INCOMING!

XXX

Sometimes it's great to have a map..

Though our map of Spain and Portugal (thanks Heidi & Kerry!) does not give the right distances to ANYWHERE.. however,  it DOES show some very small places that bigger maps don't.
Which is how we found the tiny village high on a cliff side last night whilst driving towards Santander. It has an amazing beach that you have to clamber down to (3 old fishing guys had done it so we figured we could too!). It’s gorgeous, and seemingly in the middle of nowhere!

There is a restaurant on top of this cliff edge, and if you ever happen to be this way we strongly recommend it!

(el Cazurro Bar restaurant, la arnia, s/n liencress)

We ate HUGE  yummy buttery lemony salty Langostines from the grill, and drank some Rioja – all very civilised for our last night!

Going to sleep we were slightly worried about rolling off the cliff..though we had HB in reverse, and chocks under the wheels, and the front wheels aimed to hit the bar if we did roll!.. We were fine, though the mosquitos had a good time with Cat..boo!

So this morning, with nobody else about, we scrambled back down the hill and dove into the COLD Atlantic Ocean..what a way to wake up!

We are now making food for the ferry, packing a small suitcase (well who knows what we might need, it’s hard to travel without HB these days!), and getting excited about seeing our UK peeps!

Big love, and very refreshed Jana & Cat XXXX

This is for Heidi, Jana's Mum!

After Jana recieved an email from her mum..

 

"Loved your blog - pity you didn't post a pic of the four of us in the garden as its a fab shot.

Went to Golders green this am to visit charity shops -  no-one seems to do jigsaws in this area - boo hoo - still bought some paraceutimal for Spain - l;ess than half the price in the UK. Must go to Cafe Japan when you come to London! Safe drive thro Portugal and Spain to the ferry - luv you heaps xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

 

..that you would only get from mums, Jana decided a dedicated blog was in order, mum, this is for YOU!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And the drive to the Sea!

We wake up to the sound of a city waking up and decide to set off on the next stage of our adventure!

Bidding Lisboa a fond farewell, we head further west and towards Mira, where we hear there is a good beach (we are missing Ibiza weather and beach time!).

The drive is fine, until we enter a fog cloud that lasts virtually the whole 200km drive. We are not impressed, and are even less so when we see a factory chugging out huge clouds of dirty fumes and realise that is what we have been driving through..yuck.

But then the sun came out, the fog lifted, and driving through a TINY village followed signs to Playa Mira.

We parked up in a gravelly car park, laughing at leaving Honey Bunch with her ‘friends’

we climb up the wooden stairs, over sand dunes, to a HUGE  beach! We ONLY had cheese and crackers..so Cat then whipped up a HUGE  pop of peppers (thanks Heidi!) and beans, yummy!

 

 

 So we managed a final goodbye to the beach and sea, pleased we have seen both the Mediterranean AND  the Atlantic.

From here we will drive across some of Portugal, back into Spain, and head towards Santander to catch our ferry back to the UK!

Big love Jana & Cat XXX

An extra day and night in Lisboa

So the three of us, relishing an extra day in Lisboa together, plan what we will do.

After a cake heavy breakfast, we head off towards Barrio Alto to the Fado Museo. It was great, who knew guitarist had their hands tattooed to prove their guitar and Fado skills?! 

We stayed to listen to a live Fado singer.. The guitarist, like any good Fado Guitarist knows, smoked through the entire warm up and short bit he played. But there was no show from the singer, the boss was furious, the guitarist gave up, and we left in search of ‘more old stuff’!

We headed up hill – everything is up hill, even when it’s downhill in Lisboa! The Castel Sao Jose would have been seriously well protected in the days it was used; god knows how anyone would have ever got up the hill with any stealth.

We explored it thoroughly, and one of our favourite bits were the baby Peacocks, and very sleepy Cats!

After we had clamoured down from a VERY OLD  tower, and watched the sun set over the city, we headed for dinner – the best veggie restaurant in town. Finding ‘Terra’ was slightly tricky, mainly as we couldn’t believe it could be down such a tiny street! But it was yummy, though we were all pretty tired. Walking back to the subway we are freezing, used to warmer evenings, so wearing everything we have got. We got the subway back, and retired early to Hotels and Vans (Still parked down small side streets).

We like Lisboa!

Big love Jana & Cat XXX