day 7 map

Dried cod in Pingo Doce supermarket

Dried cod in Pingo Doce supermarket

Pingo Doce supermarket

Shopping at Pingo Doce in Portugal

photostop Douro valley

Photostop Douro valley

overnight stop

Freixo de Numão Area de Autocaravanas

Douro valley terraces

Douro valley terraces

Day 7 - O Moinho near Chaves to Freixo de Numão


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We wake early to the roaring sound of the water, still surging over the weir, mighty power that has driven the seven turbines of the watermill for centuries. There is fog over the water, hanging like wispy scarves wrapped around the rocks and trees. Spiders webs laden with silver jewels of dew hang like lace necklaces between forks of twigs. It is a surreal but beautiful morning.

As the sun comes through it soon burns off the mist and by about 9.00 am there is blue sky and sunshine with no inkling or foreboding of what the day was to hold. Grey wagtails (with yellow feathers!) skim the water and cormorants are diving in the turbulent pools below the weir. We could spend the morning just watching nature here. We breakfast and plan our route. We hear that the ferries are being cancelled because of coronavirus lockdown so check online with Brittany Ferries. Yes, our ferry is cancelled and Brittany Ferries' website says there are no planned sailings until 12th April (three weeks after our booked return). They will try and reroute passengers on bigger ferries, we must wait and be patient.

We consider our options: we could drive back through France and the tunnel or try the ferry at Caen. We decide to just ‘wait and see’. As the day proceeds, emails drop into our mailboxes of cancelled events: Adlington (Cheshire) spring ball, Casterton folk dance weekend, Preston folk dance club and, finally, Galliard folk dancers. All cancelled until further notice. We feel like we are in a bubble of our own.

We leave mid-morning and take the road back to Chaves. From here the N-213 to Mirandela where we stop at Pingo Doce supermarket and stock up with fruit, vegetables, milk and supplies, just in case there really is a lock-down and we are stranded. Pingo Doce has no queues or restrictions, Alan manages a few words of Portuguese, even if they are simply to say that he doesn't speak Portuguese, even that little is appreciated and draws smiles and help with the pronunciation from the ladies on the counter.

From Pingo we continue on our way stopping for lunch in a layby, next to local allotments. The day is hot and sunny, about 21˚C and we enjoy the warmth of the day. Back on our way we turn down a small road, M578, which takes us over the mountains to the Douro valley. The landscape changes dramatically to fertile olive groves and vineyards. As we rise through the mountains, the vines and olive trees are grown on steeper and steeper terraces, acres and acres of them; dramatic and spectacular at the same time. We drop down into a green valley and follow the Douro river on the IP-2/N102 to Foz Coã natural park. We cross the river by the dam and stop to look at the hydro-electric station on the river (huge and rather ugly). From here we take the N222 along the valley and climb again to the village of Freixo de Numão.

We find the small camping area behind the rather delipidated sports stadium (must be 50 years old with concrete benches) and park up. We look at the facilities, the toilets and showers must have seen 30 years of wear too! There are two of us here for about 24 spaces, well-marked and about 16 with electric hook-up. We park up, plug in and get settled. Alan talks to a Swiss woman in the other camper who tells us the owner will close the site tomorrow morning because of the virus. He calls later to collect his €5 and tells us one night only. We get the impression that he wouldn’t close but has been forced to. The rain starts about teatime, rain and wind batter the camper all night.

We are snug inside, drink Alsace wine, and eat crevettes and stir-fry.

 

Summary of motorhome journey

Total
miles
mpg average
speed
mph
hours
driven
77 28.2 25 3:02

Totals for this journey

718 28.8 32 22:06