Vieira do Minho and Baleal

We hire a car for the rest of the time in Portugal and head off on the 25^th of August, to Viera do Minho, in the North. The drive takes several hours and we pass a number of large areas that have suffered in the recent bush fires. It is bizarre that much of the natural environment of Portugal is covered in Eucalyptus. It feels very much like Australia and because Portugal appears to be suffering a drought, the Eucalypts have become a real fire hazard.

Having decided to hire a car instead of taking the bus as originally planned, I recently booked a converted Water Mill in the middle of nowhere, that I had hoped to stay at originally but decided it was too difficult to reach by bus.

The owners of the Mill who live in Porto, an hour away, meet us at a local petrol station and we follow them to the mill. It sits on the side of a river which is damned on multiple levels further up stream and bellow the house, to feed water to nearby mills and the one we are staying in. There are five small waterfalls just outside and below the house and the sound of water is ever present. Water still runs directly underneath the house so it is a little damp downstairs but we are used to the damp at Piha.

There is a perfect swimming pool created by the dam below the house and although it is a little cold for our recently-acquired Mediterranean sensibilities, it is a nice place for a quick swim.

The best thing is that the roar of the water drowns out much of the noise of the boys who are fighting endlessly. It is almost peaceful.

After a happy four days there, where Louie spends most of his days perfecting his skills with a slingshot and knocking down cans. Stella writes eight new songs and deems the Watermill ‘a very creatively inspiring place’.

I even have a bit of river envy, the place is so unique with the river and waterfalls right outside the window.

 

Baleal   Aug 29^th-Sept 3^rd

After four days in Viera do Minho, we drive through Porto and down the coast to Baleal, a tiny little rocky peninsula with surf beaches on either side, near Peniche. After the tranquillity of the Water Mill, we are a bit overwhelmed by the surfing holiday crowd, Peniche being the main centre for surf camp activities.

We have a cute little house that looks out to the surf break on one side, but the view becomes obscured on the second day as the Atlantic Sea-mist descends and suddenly it is like we’re back in New Zealand on a misty winter’s day. The Atlantic sea is very cold and we swim just once during our five days. The rest of the time we drink red wine and try desperately to get the kids to do their school work. We find it very funny that other people still come to the beach and lay in their bikinis in the mist.