Along roads you don't plan - Part 2

This is part 2 of a travel story from one of our customers. They were on the road for two months with the Outbase ID. Buzz through Portugal.

On to Aljezur: misty hills and new encounters

The road to Aljezur snaked through hills shrouded in fog. Signs popped up along the way leading us to small, forgotten villages. In Mermelete, we had lunch in our bus, surrounded by the smell of eucalyptus. During a walk through a cork oak forest, each of us found a perfect walking stick - a symbol of the many miles ahead of us.

In Aljezur, we met Gil Alter, a man on a three-wheeled motorcycle with a story. A creative AI director with MS who, despite his limitations, traveled the world and inspired thousands of followers. He gave us a restaurant tip that led to a fantastic tagine.

In the evening, we returned to the bus as frogs croaked in chorus in the darkness.

The smell of lavender and an approaching storm

With the sun finally in the sky, we headed to the coast near Odeceixe. We delved into the wild flora and discovered a rare orchid. Portugal continued to surprise us.

Saturday marked two weeks on the road. We celebrated with a quiet afternoon in Rogil, where we found a restaurant where every dish was built around sweet potatoes. Hester decided that this plant should have a place in our vegetable garden in Hunsel.

As evening fell, we picked wild lavender. A bunch went into a vase, the rest hung to dry in the van. The scent filled our little house on wheels as we listened to the rain on the roof.

But the rain was only the beginning. That night a storm swept over the region. The wind was howling through the trees, and in the distance we heard branches cracking. When we woke up, we saw the damage: at least five trees had blown down in a hundred-meter radius. But our campervan was still standing, unscathed. We had kept the lift roof low - a decision that might have saved us great misery.

Portugal continued to challenge and amaze us. Six more weeks to go, with Lisbon as our next destination. Whatever came our way, one thing we knew for sure: we wouldn't want to miss a moment of this journey. Sometimes a journey begins with a desire to explore new paths - especially at the beginning of retirement. Sometimes it's just time to move on.