Along roads you don't plan - Part 4

This is part 4 of a travel story from one of our customers. They were on the road for two months with the Outbase ID. Buzz through Portugal.

Freedom in Comporta

We leave Sesimbra behind and head for Comporta, a region of rice fields and salt production. Storks nest on electricity pylons; the older generations spend the winter here, while the younger ones take the leap to the Sahel. At a small supermarket, we fill the bus with local cheeses and pickled fish. "Provisions for the bus," Hester says with satisfaction.

After a night of wild camping on the beach, we take the ferry to Setúbal-a shortcut that saves us many miles. The road winds through the mountains and offers views of Lisbon and Sintra. In Sesimbra, we enjoy fresh fish at plastic tables-sometimes the simplest meals are the best.

Lisbon and the final test

With a broken charging pass and still dependent on Giancarlo's cable, we drive to Lisbon. A parking spot with charging pole near the port becomes our base. The city evokes memories from thirteen years ago: a Stetson store for a nice cap, a Fado concert.

Loading poles and a Brazilian lifeline

First a round of charging stations: the new Shell charging pass doesn't work either. "We have to make do with local providers," says Hester, visibly disappointed. Fortunately, Marcos, a fellow pathologist, offers help. He arranges a Portuguese Miio charging pass through a friend in Porto. With any luck, we can pick it up there after the weekend. But the uncertainty remains: will we soon be able to go further inland?

Sintra: a fairy tale with a dark side

With that in mind, we drive to Sintra-the city of palaces and castles, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, once the summer residence of Portuguese kings. But honestly? We don't really get enchanted by it. Maybe because of the crowds, maybe because of the morning's new disappointment. We visit the National Palace; the rest of the park is closed due to storm damage.

Mafra: an imperial farewell

We leave Sintra behind and drive to Mafra. There we enter an imposing Baroque palace-monastery, where the last king of Portugal spent his last night in the country. The next day, the republic was proclaimed. We wander through an impressive library, where bats protect the books from insects.

In the evening we park the Buzz next to the palace-a spot offered by the municipality. "How well this bus sleeps," we mutter the next morning.

From coast to olive groves

Our route takes us past Peniche, a peninsula with rugged cliffs and a surf vibe, and then to Óbidos, a medieval fortified town. We stroll through narrow streets and end up in a bookstore in an old church. Óbidos also turns out to be a chocolate town: we admire works of art made of chocolate and briefly think about our work-two meter-high microscopes that look just like chocolate.

Nazaré is the next stop, famous for its monstrous 20-meter waves. Today the sea is calm, but the village still exudes the atmosphere of the great surfing competitions.

Then we leave the coast behind and drive to an olive grove. Our campervan stands among the trees, and in the evening a large basket with a three-course meal is brought to us. A tour of the farm awaits tomorrow.