Europe 2026 - Forte Luiza and the amazingly beautiful Salamanca

Tuesday 7^th April

A nice quiet night, which is always a bonus when we are parked in a car park!

We walked up to Fort Santa Lúzia which was just a hop, skip and a jump from Kiwi.  It cost us €1.50 each and was completely dog friendly!  

First, we walked the walls and were fascinated by the amount of ant armies trudging to work and home again. It seemed quite appropriate in a fort!

The fort was born out of necessity during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640–1668), a conflict where Portugal fought to regain independence from Spanish rule.  It was built using the Dutch system of fortification, characterized by its "star" shape. This layout allowed defenders to have a 360-degree field of fire and eliminated "blind spots" where enemies could hide.  The fort was considered defensible by 1644 and fully completed in 1648.  There were a series of tunnels and a "covered way" originally linked the fort to the main city of Elvas, allowing for the secret movement of troops and supplies.  It housed two massive water tanks and barracks that could support up to 400 men for several months without external help. 

The fort saw a few battles but the most legendary moment came during the Siege of Elvas in late 1658.  Spanish forces, led by Don Luis de Haro, surrounded Elvas and Fort Santa Luzia. Despite being cut off, the fort's garrison offered heroic resistance for months.  On January 14, 1659, a Portuguese relief army arrived. The resulting "Battle of the Lines of Elvas" was a decisive Portuguese victory that forced the Spanish to retreat and proved that the bastioned defences were nearly impregnable.

We left Elvas and headed north again.  Our drive was through farmland and cork trees with animals grazing in the fields, before finding mountains.

I had set the Mrs Google to take us to Portelegre where I hoped  there was somewhere we could top up our lpg. The first place wasn’t even a petrol station, it was a Campus Dormitory!  The second one was self service and we couldn’t work out how to pay for any gas!  The next one wouldn’t serve motorhomes!  We will have to try again tomorrow.

Our stop for the night was a private aire just north of Castelo Branco.  I had messaged earlier to make sure there was a space. We got a very warm welcome from Eric (a Frenchman) who showed us to our pitch.  There are just seven pitches all with electricity which was very useful.

I asked Eric if it had rained a lot as we found wet roads but no rain. He went to a little hollow and picked up a handful of large hail stones. He said an hour before everywhere was white!  We did get some rain later.


Wednesday 8^th April

I'm afraid that there aren't many of today's photos and they aren't good!

The weather forecast for the day was not good, so we changed our plans and decided to head to Salamanca.  Sightseeing in the rain didn’t appeal to us at all.  We were all ready to leave but the engine wouldn’t start. I double and triple checked the immobiliser, but Kiwi wasn’t having any of it.  The battery must be flat. With no jump leads on board (they are now on the list for when we are home!) I walked up to see our host, Eric, who rang the local mechanic. 5 minutes later the said man arrived. The battery was not flat, so what was it?  I rang the immobiliser company who were extremely helpful and sorted the problem out. Apparently, it was something to do with a bad internet signal - we don’t really understand but the lady remotely sorted the problem out and we were off.

We needed to continue the search for lpg, and also get diesel and Portuguese supermarket goodies, as we were leaving Portugal 😢

We finally got some lpg having had to turn around because of a road closure in the middle of town.  The diesel there was €2.20 so we moved on to an Intermarche where it was only €1.89 (£1.64) - the cheapest we had paid since March 15th. I also got my wine (Vino Verde), cheese and sauce packs.  Thank you Fundao for having everything we needed 🤗

It was a long drive to Salamanca, 135 miles. It was motorway all the way which was good though it did keep raining.  Last year I commented, when we crossed the Portuguese/Spanish border, how the Spanish road surface wasn't as good as Portugal's - it was the same today.  We also lost an hour as we crossed the border.

We arrived at our aire but the barrier wouldn't go up, we pulled forward then back so that the camera could see the registration plate, but nothing happened.  Eventually I rang the emergency phone number, and a man suddenly appeared.  He asked to see my booking confirmation, that's when I realised I had made another cockup!  There are two aires in Salamanca and I had booked the wrong one!  I had gone between each one earlier making sure it was the correct one - only it wasn't!  I was so cross with myself.

We headed off to find the right aire and the barrier lifted as soon as we drove up.


Thursday 9^th April

I am so cross that I booked the wrong site. The other one was in a much nicer location, by a river and also wasn’t near a motorway with traffic noise ☹️

We set off on foot to get the bus into Salamanca. We found, what we thought was the bus stop but no bus came so we walked to the main road and then saw the bus going past the stop, it was about 15 minutes late.   We walked back to the stop and waited for the next one - they only run once an hour!

Once in Salamanca we walked to the Plaza Mayor, another wow moment for me!   The square is widely considered one of the most beautiful and grandest squares in Spain. Built between 1729 and 1755 in the 18th century Baroque style. It was originally intended to be used as a bullring, a function it served until the mid 19th century. The square is famous for its "Golden Stone" (Piedra de Villamayor), which gives the buildings a warm, glowing hue, especially at sunset.  The square is an irregular quadrilateral, meaning no two sides are exactly the same length, which adds to its unique architectural character. (Richard asked me if we had a tape measure in the rucksack!). The Royal Pavilion on the eastern side, was the first part to be built and features a bust of King Philip V, who granted permission for the square's construction.  The Ayuntamiento (City Hall) is on the northern side, this building was designed by Andrés García de Quiñones and stands out with its ornate facade and five granite arches.  We had lunch at one of the many restaurants surrounding the square, we chose it as it was in the sun as did most people.  It was busy but everything was very efficient and the food was good.

We then went to find the public library which is famous for its facade which is decorated with over 300 shells, the symbol of the military Order of Santiago, and the coats of arms of the Maldonado and Pimentel families.  It was built between 1493 and 1517, and after centuries of use as a private palace and later a prison, it underwent extensive restoration in the late 20th century to open as a state-owned public library in 1993. 

I went into the cathedral while Richard and Rio waited outside at a local bar!  This was another wow moment for me and I hope you like my photos.  The cathedral is unique because it technically has two cathedrals that are joined together: the Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja) and the New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva). Instead of tearing down the older building to make room for the new one, they were built side-by-side, sharing a wall. The old cathedral was built between 1140–1236 with the new one being built between 1513–1733.  By the late 15th century, the Old Cathedral was considered too small and "out of fashion" for a city as important as Salamanca. The original plan was to demolish the Old Cathedral once the new one was finished, but since construction took over 200 years, the "Old" one remained in use and was eventually preserved as a historical treasure.  The choir stalls are a masterpiece of the Churrigueresque style (an ornate, late-Spanish Baroque). Primarily designed by Joaquín de Churriguera in 1727, and carved between 1730 and 1740 from walnut wood - these were another wow moment. There are two tiers of seating (high and low). The backs of the stalls are intricately carved with reliefs of saints, apostles, and local religious figures.  The "misericords" (the small wooden shelves on the underside of folding seats) often feature whimsical or grotesque carvings intended to support monks during long standing services. 

We missed out the Puente Romano de Salamanca, a Roman bridge.  We got fairly close but the road was just too steep for our knees!  The bridge was originally constructed in the 1st century AD, likely during the reigns of Emperors Augustus or Vespasian.

The Convent of San Esteban is a Dominican monastery which is open daily though I didn’t realise it, until now as I write the blog.  As it is an active monastery I thought it would be closed.  At least I took photos of the outside.

We found our way back to the bus stop, which was an improvement on the morning and didn’t have to wait long for our bus.  However, we missed the stop we were supposed to get off at!  I didn’t worry as the bus went to the end of the line, turned round and went back the same way.  We managed to get off at the right stop on the return journey and walked the 5 minutes back to the aire.

All three of us were shattered, Rio more so and he slept all evening.

Salamanca had been on my bucket list since I was around 17.  My father had a curtain making company and the design name of my bedroom curtains was Salamanca!  The curtains were basically orange and I had a wall painted orange too.  Strangely enough my son-in-law’s favourite colour is orange and I’m sure he will never believe that it was mine once! 

If you haven't been to Salamanca, then do put it on your bucket list - you won't be disappointed!

Europe 2026 - The Lovely Alentejo Region

Saturday 4^th April 

There were quite a few arrivals during the afternoon, and they spread out between the olive trees, so no one was that close.

The farm offers a washing machine, so I went to ask where it was. I was told to bring the washing over. It was taken away from me and that it would be brought back to me later. I went for a wander in the afternoon and there was my washing all neatly hung on a line drying!  Later on it was all returned nicely folded!  I could not believe it 😲  Update - we have now checked out, and I wasn’t charged for the washing 🤗

Rio was really dirty, so I decided he needed a bath. I asked the owners if there was somewhere we could bath him and they offered a trug.  They set it all up by the water tap and called it the dog spa!  I guess the air temperature was about 24 degrees, so he was fine in a cold bath. The water was almost black when we had finished, but we had our black and white dog back!

Rio wasn’t the only one to have a wash.  The three young ostriches had a shower which they just loved, it was so funny watching them playing in the water.

We did some housework and then chilled for the rest of the day.  I was just thinking about making a chilli when we were invited for another barbecue - I didn’t have to think twice before saying yes please!

We met up with the English couple at the barbecue, and it was really nice to have a proper conversation in English!  They were Robert’s age and we got on really well with them.  Their dream is to own a Narrowboat!  We ate outside on a long table. It was stuff dreams are made of.

So, not much to report about today.  We felt as if we were on holiday.  The heat, the bar, the outside lights and the lovely sunsets. Back to reality tomorrow!

Sunday 5^th April

28 degrees centigrade today!

I got up with a heavy heart, I really didn’t want to leave our little haven, but we needed to start our journey north.  We had now been away for 31 days and have 16 days to get to St Malo. A simple task but we don’t want to rush.

We packed up and went to say goodbye. It was sad but we will be back.  I had to smile as on the counter was a jar of ear plugs!  The cockerel was quite vocal during the night, and the peacocks started at dawn!  We knew they were there so accepted them though I saw a review of the farm by someone who gave them 2 out 5 stars because of the bird noise!

As I was checking out, I asked Marc about his olive farming. His farm is totally organic, and he has 4 different ages of tree.  A friend of his in the local village has an organic mill, so Marc’s olives go there.  His olive oil is really good.

Our first stop was the Alqueva Dam (Barragem do Alqueva) which is a major hydroelectric dam on the Guadiana River, it is 315 feet high and stretches for 500 yards.   Construction work began for the first time in 1976, but was halted just two years later, in 1978, due to budget constraints and renewed technical/environmental evaluations.  Finally in 1995 excavations and construction resumed.  On February 8th 2002, the floodgates were finally closed, and the reservoir began to fill. In 2010 the reservoir reached its full capacity, creating the largest artificial lake in Western Europe with a shoreline covering 621 miles.

I was amazed at the amount of white flowers growing wild in the fields and on the verges.  I thought they were a large daisy but in fact they are Cistus.  They seem to grow prolifically and looked quite stunning. 

We stopped for lunch and realised we were under some cork trees, and you could see quite clearly how the cork had been stripped off.   The cork oak (Quercus suber) is one of the most fascinating trees on the planet. Unlike most trees, where removing the bark would kill it, the cork oak has evolved to be harvested repeatedly, making it a cornerstone of sustainable industry.  When the bark is taken off, the tree begins a massive metabolic process to regrow a new layer, absorbing a significant amount of carbon dioxide.  The tree has to be 25 years old before the bark can be taken off and then only every 9 years after that.  Some trees are 200 years old.  Harvesting cork is a delicate, manual process that requires expert "extractors" using traditional axes. No trees are cut down in the process.  It’s amazing what they make from cork, other than corks, NASA uses it as thermal heat shields on the nose of some rockets, gaskets in car engines, surfboards are just a few things.  When we were in Évora, one street we walked down had loads if shops selling cork items.  I bought a bum bag and was very taken with a hat (I didn’t buy one!)

We drove into Estremoz, and actually drove through the town walls, it was a bit daunting.  We found the car park, which is actually the Rossio Marques de Pombai which is one of the largest and most impressive open spaces in Portugal.  However, it was 28 degrees and the castle was up a fairly steep slope.  We made the decision to miss Estremoz out and visit it another time. 

We drove on to a small town called Borba where there is an aire.  We took the last space and got out the chairs and our awning.  You shouldn’t do that on an aire but everyone else was - when in Rome and all that!

"Si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sicut ibi"


Monday 6^th April

Today was not a Bank Holiday in Portugal.

When we woke up this morning there were 4 more motorhomes squeezed in behind us and 5 queued up at the gate.  This aire is obviously popular.

We set off for Elvas which was only a few miles away.

Recently we had been noticing statues of firemen on roundabouts, so I asked Jem about them.  This is what he said. “These aren't just random decorations; they are a deeply rooted cultural tradition. Unlike many other countries, the vast majority of firefighters in Portugal are volunteers. They are seen as the "Soldiers of Peace" (Soldados da Paz). Because these men and women serve their local communities for free—often risking their lives during the intense summer wildfire seasons—towns view them as local heroes. Placing a statue in a high-traffic area like a roundabout is the community's way of saying "thank you.  Roundabouts (or rotundas) are the prime real estate of European urban planning. Local municipalities use them to showcase what makes the town special.”

As we approached the car park, we came across the amazing Amoreira Aqueduct which is the city's most iconic symbol. It is an extraordinary feat of 16th and 17th-century engineering. Construction began in 1537 and took over 120 years to complete. It was built to ensure water supply during sieges, it stretches for 5 miles and features up to four levels of towering arches.  At its highest point near the city entrance, it reaches over 100 feet.

Once parked up we walked into the town and up to the Praca da República which is the historic heart of Elvas. It was rather a disappointment after some of the squares we have seen. 

At the edge is the square is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.  Sadly, it was closed on a Monday. The inside of the church was heavily remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries, featuring stunning gilded woodwork (talha dourada) and impressive Alentejo tile panels.  It houses a magnificent 18th-century pipe organ that is considered one of the finest in the region.

We walked up to Elvas Castle, a medieval fortification that sits at the highest point of the city, offering some of the best views of the surrounding Alentejo landscape and the Spanish border.  Originally built on Roman foundations and significantly expanded during the Islamic period and the Portuguese Reconquista, the castle serves as the crown of the city's complex defensive system. 

We walked back down through the town stopping off at a cafe for lunch. Two baguettes and two beers cost us £8.40.

We managed to find our way out of the town through narrow cobbled streets and a gate or two.

We then drove up to the Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça which, sadly, was closed as it was Monday.   Located on the Hill of Grace, this 18th-century pentagonal fort was designed to be virtually impregnable and is considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in the world. 

We had planned to then visit the other fort in the town. The Forte de Santa Luzia was the first of the major outlying forts to be built in the mid 17th century, to defend the southern approach to the city. It is smaller and more compact than Graça but equally impressive in its geometric precision.  We knew that it was going to be closed but we also knew that we could stay overnight in the car park. There was one other motorhome there and we were soon joined by a campervan.  There was a lovely view over the town and the Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça.

At night the town was lit up and looked lovely.

This photo was a mistake!  I moved the camera before it was ready and this was the result.  I love it!