Tam, Jade and Franky's European Adventure

[Northernraider]

Okay so I'm in Lisbon. ...what a feckin nightmare

Don't want to go starting a whole debate on tolls again but there's no way to get from where I was to Lisbon without going over one of the bridges so had to pay a toll ( well actually there is but it would have taken near 3 hours and 90 km to avoid tolls so i decided to cross the bridge )

It's no wonder it's confusing ....on the approach to the toll booth I had a choice of lanes ....the green v one which requires the tag , a vc one which requires a card or one that's clearly marked as a lorry lane, I had picked up a morrocan hitchhiker who now lives in Holland and has hitchhiked round 13 countries in 20 days so I had someone to moan and complain at and also to helpfully put the window down and pay the woman at toll booth for me , and what a delight she was ....she sat and didn't say a word when I stopped so I asked how much , she rabbled in Portuguese I said sorry I don't understand I don't speak Portuguese she shrugged her shoulders and according to.my hitch hiker companion said the equivalent of "not my problem " in Portuguese .....torn faced cow!

Anyway relieved of €5.95 I was in my merry way ....then gets in to Lisbon where I'd set the satnav for a park4night carpark ....holy hell the drive here worse than anywhere in stressed to max and no idea where I'm going now. Dropped hitch hiker near train station and sat round corner trying to decide whether to attempt to sightsee the city by bike or scooter or whether to escape out of it very quickly back to the coast

Some lovely looking buildings I passed but looks very busy and not sure if I can get parked anywhere remotely close

I really don't like cities .....i only like the buildings within them.

 

[tacr2man]

You should have said
"no hablo español"
seeing as she was Portuguese that would have cheered her up even more

I thought they didnt allow toads

 

[buttons]

Well that's it the day has arrived to set off on what should hopefully be my trip of a lifetime ....still bricking it but the excitement of exploring new ground is starting to kick In.
Thought I'd start myself a dedicated thread which I'll try to post pics and stuff on ...still not figured out how to do a blog...i might do at some point but will see.

Id planned to set off early this morning as I want to spend a few days travelling down from Fife to Portsmouth rather than just hitting the motorways south. But I got delayed as I'd stayed over at my mum's yesterday so I could do a few things round the house for her begore leaving , took her to asda to get her shopping in etc this morning , can't help but worry about her just now...dont know if it's just because I stayed with her a few weeks after I had my hernia opp done back in August and again there over Christmas time and I can't help notice how much she's aging ....shes had a few falls while I've been there and although they haven't been serious she's had some cracking bruises and i worry incase she has a more serious one
So although she is tough as old boots my mum and the matron in her is good at putting on fronts and hiding stuff she was choking back tears when I left which nearly had me started and I've had to drown out my brain with heavy metal tunes all the way from Fife to the borders.

I also had a minor disaster earlier as I dropped a 4 pint bottle of milk in the van and it exploded and the milk went everywhere I got covered and so did the floor the units and part of the carpet .....i done the Rita Hayward scream and dashed around trying to mop it all up and washed everything but i thknk some wrnt under the units that i cant access and im now dreading the repercussions over the next few weeks if it has .....nightmare.

Got off to a good start on the Edinburgh city bypass too as think there was an accident buy I got stuck in tailback for 45 mins.

Ah well the journey has began lets hope it goes smoother.
Not far from Berwick upon tweed now and I think that will be my stop for tonight if I can find a wild spot.
Gotta find someplace to pick up a pair of leisure batteries too as mine are definately knackered but I didn't get a chance to use my usual choice of retail outlet ie eBay as earliest delivery was Monday 8th which is no good.
So if anyone can recommend anywhere to pick up some that would be appreciated.
I'm travelling down the a1 might venture off here and there for Yorkshire etc

Hi Northernraider not sure how I have missed your travel post up until now when it has been going since January. I will slowly read through it with interest. Has it all lived up to your expectation so far.

 

[Northernraider]

Hi Northernraider not sure how I have missed your travel post up until now when it has been going since January. I will slowly read through it with interest. Has it all lived up to your expectation so far.

It's been a mixed bag ....i enjoyed spain I'm having teething problems getting used to Portugal but it's been an enjoyable trip

There's a fair bit to get through if you start from the beginning but lots of nice places throughout.

 

[buttons]

It's been a mixed bag ....i enjoyed spain I'm having teething problems getting used to Portugal but it's been an enjoyable trip

There's a fair bit to get through if you start from the beginning but lots of nice places throughout.

Any problems then JJs your man, anything he dont know about Portugal aint worth knowing... Enjoy

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[Teuchter]

Hi Northernraider not sure how I have missed your travel post up until now when it has been going since January. I will slowly read through it with interest. Has it all lived up to your expectation so far.

C'mon Mr. B pay attention Oh Please!!!

 

[chaser]

C'mon Mr. B pay attention Oh Please!!!

howcould anyone miss it , its been on the front page for 7 months

 

[teddybear]

Parked at Cascais got the very cheap combination bus and rail ticket from straight outside the orbitur campsite therr

 

[buttons]

howcould anyone miss it , its been on the front page for 7 months

Anything to do with Gin Palaces is normally outside my field of vision.....

 

[tacr2man]

Hardly a gin palace , @Northernraider none intended
more a mobile dog kennel , with a Human lodger !

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[Northernraider]

Parked at Cascais got the very cheap combination bus and rail ticket from straight outside the orbitur campsite therr

I'm at cascais now ....not on a campsite mind you.

But I managed to park in lisboa and jade and I had a cycle round. ..will upload photos later
Some lovely buildings bit it's a very busy place and not my thing at all so we had a look around and got out of there quick smart.

 

[Northernraider]

Hardly a gin palace , @Northernraider none intended
more a mobile dog kennel , with a Human lodger !

Oi cheeky bugger just cause you drive a double decker bus

 

[namwaldog]

Going back to posting No 5008 prompted me to post this very old, often repeated joke....

There was a man who really took care of his body. He lifted weights and jogged 6 miles a day. One day, he took a look in the mirror and noticed that he was tanned all over except his 'thing.' So, he decided to do something about it.

He went to the beach, completely undressed himself and buried in the sand, except for his 'thing,' which he left sticking out.

Two old ladies were strolling along the beach, one using a cane. Upon seeing the 'thing' sticking up out of the sand, she began to move it around with her cane, remarking to the other lady, "There's no justice in the world."

The other lady asked what she meant.

"Well," said the old lady,

"When I was 20, I was curious about it.

When I was 30, I enjoyed it.
When I was 40, I asked for it.
When I was 50, I paid for it.
When I was 60, I prayed for it.
When I was 70, I forgot about it.


Now I'm 80, the damn things are growing wild on the beach and I'm too old to squat!"

 

[tacr2man]

Oi cheeky bugger just cause you drive a double decker bus

Well we all know Jades in charge

 

[jumartoo]

When we visited Lisbon we dumped our van at a campsite somewhere near and went to stay with a Portuguese friend and his wife. Manuel walked us round all the good bits, and the hidden bits, for two days and we really enjoyed it although we "don't do" cities. Saving them until we're too old for anything else!

There are some lovely bits though, Tam.

We have many Portuguese friends (met through our mutual sport of orienteering) and we like to visit Portugal but there's (for us) something missing that we get from Spain.

Each to their own!

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[monzer]

Jade will be too big for the basket now is she? You got her running along side?

 

[Northernraider]

Jade will be too big for the basket now is she? You got her running along side?

Nah she still goes in the basket ...i keep telling you lot she isn't that much bigger lol ...but when we are in parks or away from cars she can run alongside. But today she was in the basket.

 

[Northernraider]

Well after a morning round Lisbon then an afternoon around cabo do roco we are now in sintra. ....had the satnav set for a carpark in the town I missed the turning and ended up taking franky a the up the bloody mountain and back down ..that was a little hair raising I'll tell you thankfully it's a one way system so didn't meet oncoming traffic but it's like a rollercoaster. ...if you've never been trust me it's not meant for motorhomes bit I had little choice after missing the carpark.

So I'm now in the fore mentioned carpark and gonna stay here tonight ......and if I can get the scooter out tomorrow I'll take a ride back up there to see the castle etc.

Tried to upload the pics from today but weak internet signal so not getting anywhere. I'll try again later and if not I'll upload them tomorrow

 

[Northernraider]

Ok so finally managed to upload some pics ....these are from our cycle around Lisbon yesterday.

 

[Northernraider]

After lunch we then visited cabo do roco lighthouse....very windy and very busy with coachloads of Chinese tourists ...but a walk along the cliffs there were only a dozen or so folk along there ....some spectacular views from the clifftop and miles and miles of deserted ocean.

we then headed up to sintra about 7pm as it's often easier to get parked up in these places late evening when the daytrips have gone home. Missed the turning for this carpark first time round and ended up driving all the way up the mountain on the steep cobbled roads past the castle and palace gardens and back down....that was a little hair raising but we survived unscathed apart from a few very loud screeching wheelspins on a few of the bends.
It was a bit like the coach scene at the end of the Italian job as i deftly threw franky round the bends chased by some very brave tuk tuks that were a little to close to the back of us when we rolled back a few times at the junctions lol. But finally got parked up safe in the carpark for the night.
I'd left enough space at the side of me to get the scooter out in morning but around 10pm a French man in a westfalia nugget squeezed in a foot from my garage door ...appropriate name as he is a bloody nugget.

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[Northernraider]

I do love when people self identify

 

[2657]

It's a car park, is it so surprising that somebody parks next to you, looks a reasonable distance away.........for a car park

 

[Northernraider]

It's a car park, is it so surprising that somebody parks next to you, looks a reasonable distance away.........for a car park

It's also a nearly empty carpark ..i just don't get why they like to be so close.

Besides ....its a transit and I don't want franky catching any nasty infections like rust

 

[Southdowners]

What is it with the French and their parking? We've had a number of occasions when in an area the size of a football pitch and no-one else on it only to have a French MH park within a couple of feet from us.

Are they scared of being parked alone? Genuine question, does anyone know their reason for being parked so close when there's absolutely no reason to do so?

 

[Northernraider]

What is it with the French and their parking? We've had a number of occasions when in an area the size of a football pitch and no-one else on it only to have a French MH park within a couple of feet from us.

Are they scared of being parked alone? Genuine question, does anyone know their reason for being parked so close when there's absolutely no reason to do so?

I honestly don't know ...i was actually going to ask this one why he decided to squeeze himself between me and the other silver transit you can see in the pic of the carpark I posted above ....he has left a foot of space either side of him and as the silver transit is nosed in his sliding door is right opposite the French guys too.

I've had several of them do it and it's seriously annoying ....its not that I'm unfriendly or unsociable but I like a bit of personal space

But sadly his curtains are all still closed and no sign of life from it despite the banging about I was doing trying to get the scooter out the garage without hitting the nugget

Anyway I headed up nice and early to go see the Moorish castle etc and the queues to get in were just ridiculous.....i don't queue so that's out the windae.

Not to mention it's cold damp and misty here today so I'm off.

If your in this area touring I would reccomend a visit ....if you have the patience to cue for a couple of hours at each place I think it would be worth it.
I don't have the patience and it's mostly the outside of castles I like so I'm reluctant to queue for ages at a gate before I can even get in the grounds .

Judging by the queues at 7 o'clock last night and at 9.30 am it's busy all day with loads of coaches and tuc tucs ferrrying folk up there.
The surrounding national park is very nice too i only got s couple of pics as I was freezing in just shorts and t shirt on the scooter.

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[Lenny HB]

What is it with the French and their parking? We've had a number of occasions when in an area the size of a football pitch and no-one else on it only to have a French MH park within a couple of feet from us.

Are they scared of being parked alone? Genuine question, does anyone know their reason for being parked so close when there's absolutely no reason to do so?

There appear to have a herding instinct they can't comprehend that other people like their own space. Been on a fairly empty French beech carefully placed ourselves at lest a 100 m from anyone else, a French family arrive and plonk themselves within a metre of us. Go into a public loo in France there is 6 urinals you are the only one in there, you can guaranty if a french man comes in he will stand next to you.

In France at a wild spot saw a French Motorhome arrive asked another French guy in his van to put his step in so he could get in close next to him. To my amssement, the guy did put his step in.

Tam should be grateful it wasn't a Spainish van they would have had the TV on with the sound at 120db.

 

[Teuchter]

Tam should be grateful it wasn't a Spainish van they would have had the TV on with the sound at 120db.

Aye Len - the Spanish campers sure are a noisy (but cheerful) lot!

 

[Northernraider]

Aye Len - the Spanish campers sure are a noisy (but cheerful) lot!

Bloody French are noisy too ....usually phoning home and shouting so loud they don't need the bloody phone

 

[Northernraider]

Ha ha well now I'm getting revenge.
Pulled in at ericiera for lunch and I've squeezed in between two French vans so I can get a view of the beach while eating

I could see the blinds twitching as I drew in

 

[Drum Major]

Good on you know what it's litke they do like to be very close when there is loads of space around had that experience don't like it

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