Mafra, Sintra and nearly Lisbon

I getup early and move on from Ericeira. But not before I watch my Belgian neighbour surf the big waves that are rolling in. It is difficult to catch the waves, but he surfs a couple whilst I watch in the van. He is having a big gun board made nearby, and he is off to southern France to find bigger waves soon, even though the water will be freezing. He is certainly dedicated.

I getup early and move on from Ericeira. But not before I watch my Belgian neighbour surf the big waves that are rolling in. It is difficult to catch the waves, but he surfs a couple whilst I watch in the van. He is having a big gun board made nearby, and he is off to southern France to find bigger waves soon, even though the water will be freezing. He is certainly dedicated.

I stop at Mafra, and take a walk around the Palace-Convent. It is a big impressive building. I don’t stay for long and drive on, but first stopping at a supermarket, where I get a duvet for €11, which should keep me warm during the winter nights.

I stop at a Motorhome dealers, and ask about solar panels. The owner is very helpful. They only have the massive 85w panel and with all of the bits it costs €600. Definitely more than I wanted to pay. I get the details and say I will think about it.

I drive to Sintra, which is a nightmare to park in. I eventually park up and take a walk into the town. I am tired today and find myself not doing very much in Sintra. I don’t do most of the things I intend to do. I head back to the van for a sandwich. I decided to get the solar panel, it will make life good, allowing a full-time fridge, without the hassle of gas, and allow me to work all of the time.

I go back to the motorhome dealers. I get the panel and accessories. The guy and his engineer and very helpful, and give me some fitting tips. Whilst getting my invoice from the office upstairs the owner chats about his renting of the motorhomes to English people, and asks if I would be his UK agent. I think at first that this is definitely not for me, what do I know? I say I have his card and that I will think about it. Later, having thought about it, the idea starts to appeal. I know quite a lot about travelling around Portugal and Europe in a camper van, and have a good knowledge of vehicles. This is defiantly something to think about further. If I can make some money doing it, it would be great. Maybe I can eventually upgrade to a motorhome!

It has been a long day and I am tired. I head to the main campsite in Lisbon. It costs €11. I later decide to not go into Lisbon. I don’t feel like it at the moment. Lisbon is thin on the ground with attractions, and I think that I might not enjoy it fully on this trip. I will save it for a proper backpacking trip, or maybe later on this trip.

I am keen to get back to the coast and chill out. My month in Peniche has mellowed me a lot, and I want to spend my time on the coast now. I will head off tomorrow morning, for Porto Covo or similar. I could do with stopping at a shopping centre on the way, there are a few towns, and getting a couple of English novels, and hopefully an internet card for my laptop. If I get the card I can work all of the time, but I fear they will be expensive, so I may go without.

I’ll probably watch Pulp Fiction over a beer tonight, and have an early night.

Posted by Darren

I'm a huge campervan enthusiast, and the maker of CampervanLife.com. I believe everyone can convert their own campervan, and enjoy a great lifestyle with it.

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