Ameixial - out in the hills

Sun 25^th

After a quick wash of the van we headed inland towards Ameixial. The weather was very sunny and a warm 20 C, definitely shorts weather for me. Once north of Loule, the road started going up and the villages instantly became much more rural. The N396 and the N2 were motorbike heaven, good surface and lots of twists, uphill and downhill sections. Not bad in the van either!

We arrived at the aire just out of Ameixial to find that everything was free including electric hookup. It seems that the mayor of the local village and the Loule council want to encourage motorhomes to visit the area, it was clearly signed on the approach from 40km away and they have made sure we are well looked after. True to form, there are a few longtermers taking advantage (abusing????)  of this with trailers, cars and all sorts of stuff setup in the premier sunny spots.

free aire

We unloaded the bikes and went for a little exploratory cycle into the village. It was very clean and tidy with a tiny church. Apart from 2 cafes there appeared nothing else for us to put some money back into the community. The main attraction to the area seems to be the lovely rugged and hilly countryside plus the network of walking paths.

view of aire from above

Mon 26^th

Another crisp, sunny day with a definite spring feel to it – in January ?  I decided to go for a road bike ride in the hills. It was indeed very hilly, but the roads and views made it very enjoyable. Being chased by one of the many dogs wandering about was not so enjoyable, but  a few choice Anglo Saxon expletives saw it on its way.

twisty and hilly - nice!

After lunch we went for a walk with the 2 dogs from the site in tow – we didn’t invite them but they tagged on!  The views from above the aire were spectacular of the surrounding hills. We walked past the remains of 2 windmills, one had the grind stones still inside. A very quiet place to stay with a very rural feel.

dog in tow

remains of windmill

traditional cork beehives