621: Buddha Eden and One Man’s Vision

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Clunegapyears

621 – Buddha Eden

Farewell to Santa Susana – northward bound… We had met an American lady (living in Portugal) at Bacalhoa near Setubal who told us about Buddha Eden – wow factor again! Thousands of hectares devoted to Buddhism, peace and tranquility – perhaps Mr Trump should visit?

Dogs (of peace not war) were allowed in the gardens – Oscar is eminently qualified… K question – why is Buddha always male? Someone out there will know. Our K is always peaceful and tranquil – eh, Oscar?. Even when you, Oscar snaffled the bag of treats in the van when K’s back was turned. Less rations in your dinner then, O.

Once again, no apologies for letting the photos do the talking… I know we’re old fashioned – but when did we stop calling our pictures “holiday snaps”?

On to Peniche – home of Dictator Salazar’s prison and ‘interrogation’ chambers, fort, old town and harbour.

“Knock, knock” – “Who’s there” – a local fishermen selling fresh fish – £0.85 for a meal! We are in Portugal… K here: think it may be sardines, but they all need gutting whatever they are!

Sorry, Oscar wants his say – again…..

Oscar’s Diary

Hi there – me again – just a quick catch up – I need to be on my paws in case her nibs leaves the bag of treats unattended – again! Why should I get blamed if K is a bit remiss? OK – 7 may have been a bit much to grab in one go – but… no, James – it was definitely not 17!!!

I can’t remember if I mentioned how nice it was when Alison stayed with us for a week? Maybe I’m repeating myself – but – she’s nice – called me ‘darling’ a lot. Made the hairs inside my ears stand horizontal. I know with humans it’s ‘hairs on their necks standing up’ – but, we’re well, different. Nice warm feeling – pity she had to go back to a very cold place called Bath? Imagine cold Bath(s) in January…

K and J are still OK (I’ve stopped calling them my owners – they know their place, I think…) They are really kind people per se (I learned some Latin too) – philantropical or philandering, maybe – philaundering? Fil-Something – filofoxily – wily old birds…

James has this geetar instrument that K kindly gave him for Christmas – let’s say, he practices most days. Now, I’m no great musician, me – but I do have an ear (or two) – and I say quietly, he needs to expand his repeatery, sorry repertoire… He doesn’t censor my diary, I hope. Sometimes, he quotes Shakespeare/Marlowe (don’t get him started on that subject!) – like when I knocked over something trivial – his wine! “Get thee to a K9ery” he said! I don’t want to be a nun, or a monk, either…

Gotta go – I heard my doggie bowl being lifted out of the saucepan cupboard… They have given me new dog food – reduced rations – 160 g down to 125g (!) – K has rebuked me for taking her fresh nail varnish of with my teeth when she offered me a measly (one) treat! What lady applies nail varnish before K9care? I’m hungry, a growing dog, after all…

Bye for now…

Oscar

xxx

Notes on Buddha Eden

35 hectares of Peace Garden created by the wealthy Portuguese Berardo (made his money in Africa, collects art and owns various galleries as well as wineries … don’t know what else) in response to the “cultural barbarity that forever erased masterpieces of the late Gandhara period from the C6th AD. In 2007 around 6000 ons of marble and granite statues were commissioned in China to create this monumental homage to peace.” What an amazing vision and generosity to share so much art with people and sponsor so many artists.

The Palm Lake.

The African Sculpture Garden dedicated to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, who have been hand sculpting stone for a thousand years. They believe that every stone contains an ancient life spirit which influences what the stone will be carved as.

A right royal King.

We saw some of the blue terracotta army at the Moscatel winery near Setubal.

Amazingly, people had scratched their names into the gold paint … Grrr!

21m high and overlooking the whole park.

Tile map of the wine regions.

Both parts of the sculpture moved with the wind at different speeds.

619-620: Mafra

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Clunegapyears

619 – Sunday 5th February 2017: Silly Sunday in Sintra

K here: Guilted by the local runners and the perfect path along the coast, I dusted off my running shoes for the first time in about 3 weeks, followed by Pilates. I wanted to see inside the Palace de Pena, which J and Alison had done, whilst I walked Oscar. I’d done my homework and identified parkings, but after a near miss with another car and finding our preferred parking was hosting a car show – we offered Jez as an exhibit, but no room. Of course, it’s Sunday and guess where everyone’s come!? We cut our slightly frazzled losses and headed up towards Mafra.

Our overnight stop was an aire in Santa Susana. J rested and I took O down to the river. Just as well I’d put walking boots on as as it was slightly muddy, steep downhill and back up … and at times like an assault course, but I saw a kingfisher and many other birds.

Lovely peaceful overnight with just 2 other vans (1 UK) for company. Free aire – with services – can’t beat it…

The path was a little overgrown in place … I reversed low with my waterproof hood up through the brambles.

The path was on the left bank …

… phew made if across without getting wet feet, but I did have a muddy bum!

620 – Monday 6th February 2017: Mafra

J takes over. K ran with Oscar in the am – and I rested my back – probably run tomorrow? Brekkied and van all serviced up (although we may stay here again tonight), we sailed towards Mafra – a hilltop town with a huge Palace/Basilica/barracks. Quite a few sharp bends along the way – but nothing Jez has not successfully navigated. Nice wide streets and lots of parking – including our choice – free right beside the Palace. Oscar drew the short straw – and was left guarding the van – a sort of ‘alarming’ dog….

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Perfect Parking.

The Palace is immense – built in 1717 – the 300-year anniversary is this year with lots of events planned later in the Annus Mafravelous….. Unfortunately, all the original furniture was taken to Brazil with the Royal Family and not returned. What we saw presumably was largely sparse reproduction. Rooms and ceilings wonderfully decorated – lots of hunting scenes – the Royals who stayed here had to be heavily into hunting. We couldn’t get into the Basilica but saw it from an upper floor. The un-wow factor was a huge room devoted to hunting – more stags and boars heads than we have ever seen in one place – tables and chairs made from antlers and skins – no prize for guessing why this stuff didn’t make it to Brazil – or maybe the Brazilians returned it!

The absolute mega wow-factor is the Library – the photos show the scale – with 36,000 books – a lot with covers in gold leaf – breathtaking – worth the visit for this gem alone. But otherwise, we were left a tad disappointed – maybe after Sintra and the surrounding Palces, this was slightly out of palace?

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The Royal family’s hunting Lodge: Begun in 1717 in a mammoth spree of wild spending. The Palace has over 1,200 rooms, over 4,700 doorways, 2,500 windows … At one point there were over 45,000 artisans working on the Palace with 7,000 soldiers keeping them in order. The world’s largest collection of bells are in the twin towers – 92 of them. The story goes that the Flemish bell founders queried the extravagant bell order. On on being asked, King Dom Joao said, “ So cheap? Double the order!” Apparently the cost and the use of such a large workforce nearly destroyed the economy, despite the gold that kept coming from Brazil. All this expense, but it felt soul-less.

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The King’s bed. The Queen had a smaller one in the opposite tower. Both had their own kitchen etc.

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The long corridors with doorway stretched on and on…

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The Queen’s bathroom … one of the more appealing rooms.

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One of the salons, but it would not look amiss in an English south coast hotel!

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A treasure – an C18th pinball machine.

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Not a treasure – some of the animal furniture … spot the baby boar’s head on the sofa!

The top treasure, which made the visit absolutely worthwhile – The Library at 83.6m, built on a church’s cross with books dating from C15-C18. Many were bound by the monks living there. It is so precious that the Pope issued a ‘bull’ (law) that no one could remove books without the permission of the King.

Oscar (released from bondage) – once he had stopped pawing Katherine, accompanied us for a very good helping of local ice cream. We would have visited the Tapada – hunting grounds with plantings, but wild boar are not dog friendly! Enough of Mafra, we took a small division to Sobreiro, where Jose Franco built a miniature village with ‘kooky’ houses that you can walk into – great fun for children.

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The miniature village was complete with bandstand, waterwheel, primary school and castle.

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Honestly J, you don’t need to do the washing by hand, we’ve a twin tub!

Back towards Santa Susana with our 2 redoubtable SillySatNavs – Madge and Colin – we ended up in a very narrow street – with parked cars, sharp turns and an overhanging roof!!! Luckily, the local neighbours turned out to advise and guide us – the clearance between our roof and the overhang was millimetres – K piloted us to safety and a better road back to our bivouac. Peace reigns and blogging (a short J guitar practice) – and Knitting……. Now, K nitting – not Knitpicking – is not an exact science – it’s sometimes “Knit 120 – undo 120” – nothing to do with wine Consumption, either! Possibly, unKnitpicking….

617-618: Cascais and Rugby

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Clunegapyears

617 – Friday 3rd February 2017: Cascais

We left Campismo Lisboa – clean.

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The route along the coast is ‘littered’ with forts …this one out in the misty sea.

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And a little closer on shore. I was confused as to whom would attack from the Atlantic, other than Sir Francis Drake who inflicted much damage on the Med coast, so I googled, that a lot of the forts were trading posts. As Portugal and Spain recognised each other’s territories (mostly), there was little threat from the Atlantic, until the English, French and Dutch showed up.

Through Estoril (mainly resort town with high rises) – and quickly to Caiscais (pronounced ‘Kashkish’, we think). Nicey (pricey) parking at the Marina with really helpful dog friendly attendant – and off to walk – beautiful green park with chickens wandering around – we were gently reminded by a park attendant that humans need to be on leads – controlled by a (our) dog! As if he’d chase anything?!? He controls us! I wandered back to Jez while K and O walked on – to discover an O’Neills Irish Bar – which will show the opening day of the 6 Nations Rugby tomorrow! Ireland v Scotland and England v France! A date booked.

A truly beautiful overnight parking with about 8 other vans – facing the Atlantic Ocean – strong winds blowing – but not much van movement – and not a spot of mud for K’inometres! K and O walked to the nearby beaches and wowed about their dogambulations. We can hear the waves crashing on the rocks – no 2:00 am relocation, tonight, eh……

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Outside the bankrupt Irish villa … Once the royal family started spending summer’s here, the riff raff started building their villas nearby … an Irishman built Condes Castro Guimaraes (now a museum) including Shamrock emblems, but he went bankrupt and had to sell.

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The Citadela is the former Royal Palace, now a Pousada (posh atmospheric state run hotel chain that my Aged’s like to frequent … on occasion), shops and restaurants.

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Dom Carlos… from the dates he was only 47 when assassinated. Along the front are some stunning villas.

K here … I also booked a hair cut at 1.00 tomorrow before the big games … my annual chop! 4” to come off I reckon. We drove along the coast looking for an overnight spot, mindful of the terrain and not being overly wind buffeted. We spied a parking with about 6 other ‘vans … but that’ll do nicely, thank you. Hardstanding, great views and not too windy. J rested and I took O to investigate the area. On the other side of the road was a massive sand dune area … the wind blows the sand from here – Praia do Guincho and Praia da Crismina inland and according to the info boards to another beach a little further south. Can’t work out the geography myself, but it was an impressive boardwalk through a dune eco system with plants and birds. They do get around, the Brits … a family at the info centre … drinking beer … booze is such a less obvious preoccupation here to the locals, at least. After the boardwalk I headed onto the beach … the Atlantic rollers really are something. I used to be a reasonably strong swimmer, but no way would I have ventured out in these. Oscar attempted to eat a salt foam ball and then eschewed chasing any sticks or flotsam.

The dune board walk.

You can just spot the vans on the coast.

Shame it was so misty, as there was another fort and a rocky cost.

I’ve not see foam like this since we had a holiday home in Norfolk and the beach in Eccles used to turn white.

618 – Saturday 4th February: A Resounding English Result

Leisurely start as our first appointment for my hair was not until 1.00. Just as well we had time, as I bagged up 5 portions of broad bean soup … the flavour is relevant! As one of the bags had a hole and it looked as if a giant sneeze had coated, surfaces, sinks, walls and the interior walls of the fridge. Oscar tried to help clear up with his tongue and was also snotted. Ho hum … we had flying soup about a year ago in Italy.

We left Jez at the free parking by the Boca do Inferno – the sea crashes into a cleft in the rock sending up a lot of spray and, on occasions a loud booming noise.

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Boco do Inferno.

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Onto my hair cut – much needed… about 10 cm off. The half S.A. and half Portuguese lady hairdresser told me that Cascais, whilst still being touristy, has retained its Portuguese identity, unlike the Algarve. I really liked the feel of the town … so far this is my ‘could live here’ Portugal destination.

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Before … Maddy told me it was my witchypoo look last weekend. P1130175

After 🙂

I met J and O at the O’Neill’s Irish bar and were told we were welcome to take O inside. Just as well, as the outside TV failed to work. I don’t think we’ve sat on one firm chair so long since our work days! Ireland lost to Scotland’s amazing defence in a brilliant to watch game. J’s daughter Sinead was at Murrayfield but obviously did not bring them enough luck! However, the main event – France and ENGLAND, was a perfect score! The pub did not provide food, but brought in piazza from another restaurant …. as it took soooo long to arrive, and was pretty cold when it did, we even had a complimentary round of drinks … another good result!

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O’Neill’s and you may just spot a Lepracorn in a green fleece with an Irish rugby cap!

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We stayed over at our previous night’s parking …

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Our neighbour for both nights. I don’t know why the young man had it in for dolls, but they or their body parts were everywhere!

616 – Mud in Your Eye!

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Clunegapyears

616 Thursday 2nd February 2017: Amazing ADAC – Especially Cabo Espechel – Mud in your Eye !

Our quiet evening alone at Espichel got more interesting as the wind grew stronger – abed at 11:00 – and not much sleep due to the increasing wind (outside). At 2:00 am, we decided to move location from our firmly sand surfaced (remember this phrase for later, folks) parking – to a smaller area about 500 metres away. In the dark, it looked ok if a bit uneven. Drove forward and went to swing wide to face the exit for ‘vanevac’. No movement in any direction – we were stuck firmly – IN MUD – not sand!. Nothing for it but to bed – a more sheltered pitch – we couldn’t have blown over anyway – being anchored in the red sticky stuff. Confident in the knowledge that we have snow chains and GripTrax to pull us clear in the morning.

Dawn was late – well, 8-ish – and Oscar and I did a recce – signs not good – Jez well bedded in. As my movements were hampered by my back problem, K gallantly got the rescue equipment out and assembled. The snow chains first – no movement at all for Jez. Grip Trax – no progress to begin with – but our heroine K – decided to excavate down to a firmer base – by digging – with a soup spoon! This will heretofore be part of essential SAS (Slip And Slide) survivor training. The digging operation involved K lying on her side under the front wheels – the photo shows her before she got really muddy – in her hair and all over her spectacles! She looked even more beautiful after her mud bath – but when we told her that, Oscar – she didn’t immediately thank us? Grip Trax broke & Snow Chains wrapped around the axel – last resort – ADAC – our German based emergency service – “Pannenhilfe”! They arrived as promised in about an hour – smiling. (The snow chains had wrapped themselves around the axle – we hesitantly said.) A stout crow bar sorted that quickly. Within minutes, they hitched us up and towed Jez clear. I had felt a bit helpless during the operation – like a spare trick at a wedding! Thank goodness for my keyboard eyesight, again… James, the ‘p’ is nowhere near the ’t’ key…. You have to cross your ’t’s and dot your ‘p’s though? The photos don’t really do the situation full justice…

Serious lesson to all motorhomers – check the parking surface – first before parping – sorry, barking or even embarking…

We have only the highest praise for ADAC – the very best!

Mega relief – K kissed both rescuers – and we both decided that Campismo Lisboa beckoned – for showers, cleaning and clothes washing…

Back at Lisboa Campismo, K sorted the washing – and cleaned the van – my small contribution was walking (a different coloured) Oscar (Espichel muddy hue) – and a forced resting of my back.

We (O and I) have nominated K for the DGSM (Done Great Service in Mud) medal for the next Queen’s Honours List – and Oscar has nominated himself for a MBE (Maybe Breakfast Earlier?).

6:00 pm saw 2 glasses of fine white port being served – abed by 10:00 – K dreamed of being suffocated – in mud?

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Thank Goodness for waterproof trousers and jacket – I had to lie down in it several times! Oscar found a stick so didn’t give damn.

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I have a winch and I will use it!

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Time to uncouple … free 🙂

Oscars’ Diary

‘Frankly, my dear I don’t give a damn… all was well in my world.

614-615: Setubal Peninsula

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Clunegapyears

614 – Tuesday 31st January 2017: On the Move Again – To Setubal

It rained! And we packed up (wish I’d taken down the washing line yesterday!) and left our home of 15 nights. Whilst nothing like as clean and cared for as Turiscamp in Lagos, Lisboa Camping has serviced pitches, the best hot and high pressured showers and helpful staff. Handy for Ikea and a shopping mecca (if that’s your thing), the airport (and we did several trips there with picking up the hire car, Alison’s visit and my trip home), a bus into town or a short taxi hop around EUR10 with a dog!

Having not done a major shop for 15 days, something to do with a number of good lunches out, our cupboards were bare. We headed for Palmela, a hill top village with the must-have-as-all-towns-do-castle, a Lidl and LPG. Leaving the Boys in Jez, I filled a trolley, approached the till and realised how out of practice in shopping I am … I’d left my wallet in Jez. Quick phone call to J to ask him to bring it to me. No – not going to happen. He’d damaged his back wiping Oscar’s paws. I found him leaning over the kitchen in more pain than I’ve ever seen him (bar the massive dislocation of his shoulder). Alternate Ibuprofen and Paracetamol and a heat pad administered. And I did get back to pay for the full trolley load. Next stop was diesel and LPG. With having emptied grey and black waste, filled with fresh water … we are in a state of utopia … everything full that should be and everything empty that should be. Just the slight issue of J’s back pain.

Rather than attempt to park near Palmela town, which looked narrow with no ‘spotter’ to assist with parking, and it was in the clouds so the promised views would not have delivered, we headed towards Setubal (pronounced Stubal!). I recognised a car park from one of the parking apps we use as we drove past and pulled in. Really handy for the town. Whilst J rested, I donned waterproof trousers etc and wandered Setuba with O. I KNOW the weather makes a BIG difference, but Setubal was pretty uninspiring. A number of recent attempts by the council to ‘prettify’, and yet a lot of run-down and high rise areas. In search of something ‘pretty’ I found the colourful fishing harbour, Igreja de Jesus (truly special) and the Bull fight Torre (not even photo worthy) and a couple of parks with odd sculptures and one with an EU funded helipad (!). About to give up and write off Setubal, I wandered back via the old town. A number of narrow dirty streets with cafes and men hanging about on corners, but then into the old town proper. Lovely squares and charming shopping streets. So in conclusion, worth a half day visit and judging by the size of the small boat fishing fleet and the number of fish restaurants, good for lunch.

J still in a lot of pain, so we opted to stay put in our car park overnight. We were one of 8 ‘vans.

Run down and high rises.

In the middle of a roundabout … wonder if these damsels have a mermaid effect and cause accidents.

Aah … the Igreja de Jesus. Designed in 1494, pink Arrabida (local) stone … the first Manueline style edifice. Looks great ….

… but surrounded all round by graffiti.

Dodgy pic, as I had to take this from the doorway, whilst trying to keep O just about outside. But the twisted columns and the tiles really were something.

One of the parks … another area had plastic flying dolphins.

The Spanish star shaped fortress is just visible through the mist.

615 – More Moscatel

Oscar and I walked along the front away from the town this morning and the sun was out in force. Favourable impressions of Setubal improving. On our return the fishing harbour was ‘bustling’ with men hanging about and chatting … no doubt about where today’s best catch might come from.

We’d booked another Moscatel tour and tasting, but Jose Maria de Fonseca is right in the middle of Vila Nogueira de Azeitao town with no room for Jez. Having parked a little outside the town, I walked to Fonseca to apologise that two people had become one. No problem … I had a one-to-one tour with an excellent English speaking young lady. Not a lot to see compared to the Bachaloa tour we did with Alison, but very good value at only EUR3.

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Jose Maria de Fonseca started the winery in 1834 on land he claimed as a debt. Daddy was in tobacco so funded the start up. I had not realised that the vines produce some grapes in year 1, but a decent crop in year 2. In only 3 years did Fonseca not produce wines: 2 years during the Spanish Civil War as Salazar the dictator sent troops and supplies to support Franco and 1 year during the Second World War … despite being neutral, Portugal sent supplies to both sides and wine was not considered a staple!

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Unusually the 8th generation of family still own the winery, although they no longer carry the Fonseca name. The family lived in this house until 1970s. Now most of the family are in Lisbon, but the chief wine maker lives locally.

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One of the earlier bottle filling machines … 4 bottles a minute.

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Whilst French and American Oak barrels are used (foreground), these beautiful big’uns are made of Brazilian mahogany. They impart no flavour to the Moscatel. The Oak barrels are only used for so many years fto flavour the red wine and then moved to storing Moscatel.

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A Fonseca chandelier hanging in one of the cellars …

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… casting the Fonseca emblem on the floor.

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My two glass tasting … the Periquita red was the first Portuguese table wine to be bottled.

Being so close to the restaurant which we ate at with Alison (recommended by Bachaloa), it seemed silly not to stop by … so we did. Again we started with the local DOP Azietao cheese, followed by codfish, potato and cream bake and chicken baked in orange … again yummy.

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We passed Sesimba on the way to our overnight destination, so again I left J resting whilst O and went to discover, and I quote: “the old town is a maze of steep narrow streets with the Santiago Fort (now a customs post) in the centre overlooking the sea”. Well, at least O got a run on the beach! Very ordinary … perhaps it comes alive in summer when the Lesbians (darned predictive Applespeak) – Lisboans – flock here. Perhaps I should change guide books and predictive!?

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Sesimba: the fort is the bit jutting out and break the beach into two.

Our overnight destination is another peninsula: Cabo Espichel. Sheer cliffs dropping into the sea on a windy and bleak outcrop. A good few miles from anywhere and Pilgrims flocked here from C13 after a local ’saw’ the Madonna coming our of the sea astride a mule … no mention of her clothing ore perhaps she covered her modesty with her hair (Lady Godiva perhaps)! Between 1701-1707 the impressive Santuario de Nossa Senhora do Cabo was built and Pilgrims were accommodated in the rooms either side that you see below.

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Back home each of these arches would now contain a craft shop or cafe. Here some roofs were falling in and all windows bricked up. Actually I prefer this natural state.

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No photos inside, but it had stunningly worked statues in each alcove and the ceiling was painted in 1740 by Lorenzo da Cunha, considered one of the best fresco painters in his time … this ceiling is the only of his work to have survived the 1755 earthquake.

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This is all that remains of the Opera House, where the Pilgrims were entertained, often by travelling Italian troupes.

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View across the the lighthouse, where O and I walked, avoiding two lads on quad bikes.

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Looking back to the monastery … you may make out a tiny black dot on the top of the cliff. Some muppet has ignored common sense, all the signs about the strong wind and risk of falling and crossed the barrier to stand right on the edge!

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Just below the lighthouse … a derelict military installation complete with concrete gun installations … not sure why or when.

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Jez is in the centre of the pic and tonight we are blissfully alone with just the wind (not just Oscar’s snoring) for company.

Clune Gap Years

A journal and reflections of our motorhome travels