Sunday 24 September

 I think this is the first place we’ve been sorry to leave although it is time to move on. We pack up from our lovely pitch and hit the road soon after 9.30am. The toll roads are empty and we have mastered the payment method by now! We get a bit lost approaching our destination of Coimbra but eventually find a parking slot near the closed market and begin our exploration. A beautiful old city perched on the hillside above the Rio Mondego this was once Portugal’s medieval capital and its university (a UNESCO World heritage site) is one of the oldest in Europe. There are steps, cobbled streets, mosaic pavements, cathedrals, shops and cafes and we explore and admire in the rising heat. We have tapas for lunch: padron peppers, tempura vegetables and lamb cutlets with honey and almonds. Then another short drive back to the coast to the mouth of the Mondego river at Figueira da Foz. This is a rather sprawling and built up bit with high rise buildings and a famous casino. Luckily our campsite is a little out of town down the coast. It’s rather wild and exposed but our pitch has a bit of shade and we soon make it feel like home. The beach is only 500m away and we read for a bit and even venture briefly into the sea. Back to base for bread and cheese and we light a few candles for our anniversary. 35 years!