“Bom dia! Onde fica a casa de banho?” I’m at a traffic lights in northern Portugal and see the man in the car next to me looking at me strangely. Is it because I’m in a very rare GB-registered RH drive behemoth of a motorhome? Or that he’s not used to seeing a woman behind the wheel of such a vehicle? Or, because it appears that I’m talking to myself? For sure, he doesn’t know that I’m attempting to learn a few phrases in the difficult language of my adopted home – but actually maybe it’s all three……a mad Englishwoman talking to herself in a rather large campervan!

First of all, a quick recap on the adventures that have resulted in this northerly journey. It all started with the moment during the first lockdown when I feared that my beloved airline that have employed me for the last 26 years may not make it through the disaster created by the pandemic. Having recently moved to Portugal, I could see that dream disappearing until, in a moment of pure genius (madness?), I realised that my motorhome, currently up for sale in England, could provide the answer. Furloughed indefinitely, for the first time in my working life I finally had the time to undertake a serious roadtrip. So, last July Gloria (interested in finding out how she got her name?!) and I set off on a trip that would take us through 10 countries, driving 4,000 miles and experiencing the most extraordinary adventures (trip summary here). It was the perfect antidote to worrying about the turbulence in the airline industry – in fact, such was the enjoyment of the trip that my job had almost been forgotten about, the phone call from Virgin informing me of my recall whilst basking beside a lake in Spain coming as a complete surprise. I still had time to squeeze in a sailing course before starting my A350 course in Toulouse. Gloria had been parked up in a secure area near Seville airport and (no offence, Glo!), the sailing and flying were so absorbing that she had rather been forgotten about. However, once Portugal had been removed from the UK’s red list, I was keen to pick her up from Seville to go and explore the gorgeous Algarve coast in her. I was just so happy to be on the road in Gloria again, but with all coronavirus restrictions changing on a continual basis, I didn’t know if my border crossing would even be allowed. Holding my breath whilst going over the bridge, after an exhaustive examination it appeared that my documents were all in order (I have Portuguese residency, thank goodness) and the relief was palpable as I was waved through. I was BACK!! So tired, having started my journey in LA, I only made it as far as the very first beach – however, being the Algarve it was, of course, an absolute gem.

• 

• 

• 

The following day I explored Tavira, a pretty coastal town that is popular with the expats, but soon realised that the coastline to the west of Faro is the one for me. I stayed right on the beach at Quinta da Lago – technically not allowed, but with the restaurants still shut there in the evenings, I hoped I’d escape anyone’s attention and was delighted to have this amazing beach all to myself. Little did I know that in just a few weeks, I would be back there for glorious drinks on the rooftop bar of the Bold Octopus……what a view to remember.

To be honest, I didn’t get much further than Vilamoura, the town where I have been living for the last year and a half. The place keeps drawing me back – not only because I love the tennis, golf, padel tennis, cycling, beach yoga and walks there – but also because of all the friends that I have made who have made me feel so welcome. Gloria soon became a fixture in the Tennis Club car park and I had no excuse not to get on court early every single morning!! All of this was made possible by my lovely friend Lisa who opened her home to me, ensuring I always got a good night’s sleep before and after a trip, had access to a washing machine and generally made me feel so welcome.

Spring drifted into summer and my intentions of driving Gloria back to the UK were put on the back burner as, quite simply, I was enjoying being back in the Algarve far too much. However, with the heat intensifying along with Gloria having well and truly outstayed her welcome (UK-reg vehicles are only allowed in the EU for 90 in every 180 days……another Brexit nightmare), it was finally time to start the big roadtrip home. This time, however, it was going to be a roadtrip with a difference, as I had the not-inconsiderable matter of a full-time job to undertake. So, during the planning phase of this trip, a variety of provincial airports were incorporated in order to fly back to London to go to work. I love travelling and I like a challenge, but this was going to be one hell of a mission!!

After a few lovely farewells, it was time to get behind the wheel again and head north.

• 

• 

• 

• 

It was such a magical feeling getting back on the road again and, with some awesome tunes on, I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Stopping at the world’s oldest cork tree and finding out some fascinating facts about this beautiful species (see here), I was sad to learn that Portugal’s famous trees are slowly being replaced by the fast-growing Eucalyptus trees.

The route north through the Alentejo region is notable for its endless rows of grapevines, so when Gloria started slowing down before a vineyard, I just couldn’t stop her turning into it to investigate! If only we weren’t on a deadline, as I could have quite happily spent the rest of that evening sampling their delicious wines. As it was, I may have stocked up for the journey – well, at €2/bottle, it would have been rude not to!

Finally, I walked along to the pier at Alcochete, which afforded me terrific views north towards the city of Lisbon and was my last stop before depositing Glo at the airport long stay car park. Okay, so I only managed one day on the road before abandoning her at an airport, but it was a good little warm-up and meant I was now committed to continuing; airport parking is not a good long term option.

After a quick flight to New York(!), it was back to pick up my home, throw off my uniform and become a traveller once again. I headed for Nazaré, hoping to be lucky to see the giant waves that have been made so famous by the geography of the underwater landscape (see here). Sadly, it was a millpond that day – somewhere to return to when the surf is up.

• 

• 

Batalha Monastery was the first stop of the day – normally, I prefer experiencing a place by hiking or biking, but the plethora of remarkable and magnificent ancient cathedrals in Northern Portugal has turned me into a more regular tourist. A UNESCO World Heritage site from the 14th Century, it was built after a battle (hence the name) against the Kingdom of Castile which guaranteed Portugal’s independence as a Kingdom. Interestingly, another result from this battle is that it reinforced the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance which is the oldest existing alliance in the world. Not only am I discovering dazzling scenery in my adopted country, but also the depth of its history – until now, my knowledge of Portuguese history didn’t stretch much further than Henry the Navigator……whose tomb, coincidentally, lies in this monastery.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Next, it was on to Coimbra (pronounced Quimbra), full of ancient buildings and built on a steep hill above a large river, its crowning glory being the ornate buildings of the University. Having met a few past students and heard such great things about it, I was keen to see it firsthand. Reputed to be the second oldest University in the world and the country’s former capital, it is full of character and history. It also accepts the most number of International Students and, as I wandered around the awe-inspiring grounds (yet another UNESCO site), I pondered upon what Masters I could register for, as an (extremely mature!) mature student. That’s unlikely ever to happen but, judging by the state of my non-existent Portuguese, maybe I can just come and study the language here for a while instead?! Por favor?!

• 

• 

• 

• 

Always pulled by the draw of the ocean and, with a full day of sightseeing complete, it was time to find a parking spot for the night. My research unearthed a perfect spot behind the sand dunes of the gorgeous Praia da Costa Nova beach and amongst the characterful stripey houses of this coastal village.

Northern Portugal is green and verdant and with good reason – it rains a lot more here. The cool air is a relief after the scorching summer temperatures of the Algarve, but meant that I didn’t quite get the full effect of the beauty of Portugal’s “Little Venice”, Aveiro. It was quaint, charming and certainly different seeing gondola-type boats of tourists floating through its canals.

Once inland, the skies cleared and the drive north took me through mountainous countryside with small red-roofed villages surrounded by endless grapevines in scenes reminiscent of Tuscany. I was heading to Arouca, the site of the world’s longest pedestrian bridge and was taking the long route round, having consulted my ‘Co-pilot’ App – after stopping traffic in Austria, this app has proved invaluable. Today, however, it failed me as, time and time again, it was determined to take me up little mountain tracks that would have been an ordeal in a 4×4. Finally, and frustratingly, I declared myself beaten by the mountain passes and headed on to a campsite at Amarante. The extra driving through the Douro Valley was a pleasure nevertheless, with some good tunes on and extraordinary views around every corner. The beauty of having your home on your back is that you can make things up as you go along and not follow a set route……ending up in this lovely old town, spreadeagled on a tributary of the Douro River, it would never have been discovered if my original plan had worked out – the benefits of going off-piste!

• 

• 

Next stop was Gerês National Park. I enjoyed the journey there until my sat nav took me down a road that was single track only – and, in addition, was at such a steep gradient that it was all I could do to stop my nose hitting Gloria’s windscreen. Knowing straight away that this was Gloria-unfriendly territory (visions of having to reverse Gloria all the way back up to the junction – yeah, thanks Co-pilot app!), I was relieved to see a car park around the next bend. I stopped there, wiped my sweaty palms and checked to see how far it was to the waterfall I was on a mission to find. 4.5 miles. Well, I was planning on doing a hike anyway, so why not hike the rest of it??! What I hadn’t catered for was that, although only 4.5 miles away, the mountainous terrain meant that it was either steeply up or down for that entire distance! The views were beautiful though, so I enjoyed the hike, but arrived at the waterfall in such a hot and sweaty mess that its cool waters were a joyful relief; the cascading pools of the waterfall were well worth the effort. After drying out on a rock and basking in the sun, I decided that there was no way that I was going to hike all the way ‘home’ again. I knew this road was just carrying tourists, so it wasn’t long before I found myself squeezed in the back of a car with four Polish guys in their twenties!! It was fun being part of their roadtrip for a little while, stopping for food and photos along the way. They found it hard to believe that I had walked all that way and, although I had explained that I was driving a motorhome, their eyes popped out of their heads when they saw the size of her. Another few people in the world thinking “strange English woman”!

• 

• 

After the exertion, I slept well beside the river in Valença, the most northerly town in Portugal. I couldn’t resist staying on the Portuguese side of the border, despite having to set my alarm at some ungodly hour to ensure that I had Gloria safely parked at Vigo airport, don my uniform and re-enter the civilised world as a commuting pilot, flying back for a trip to LA via Brussels.

This really is the most unusual road trip……ever.

Now I’ve arrived in Spain, I’ll have to stop listening to those Portuguese lessons (the music generally won the battle anyway!) and try my hand at Spanish instead. So…..”donde esta el aeropuerto??!”

Thoughts so far:

• Portugal is the most extraordinary country; full of incredible old historical towns, stunningly beautiful scenery from mountains to beaches and (generally) great weather. I may be biased, but this country really does have it all.

• Portuguese wine is top-notch (hic!)

• Don’t trust the sat nav and always have an escape plan

• Hiking distance isn’t relevant if near-vertical gradients are involved

• Why does nomadic have ‘mad’ in it??! 🤷‍♀️🤔😂