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Happy New Year!!! A couple of days in London. To ‘the end of the world’ - and back.We’ve hit the road with the travelling box, leaving Lisbon but taking the sun with us. Indie folk tunes played as we head south, ready to swap our shoes for sandals and get off the beaten track. Our first stop, and the first view of Atlantic waves, is Porto Covo. We jump out quickly, just to savour the first breaths of ocean air and feel the sun on our skin, before carrying on to Almograve, where we’re going to spend our first night. We get a spot to stay for the night, between sandy dunes and wild succulents that covered the cliff edge, but far back enough from the unforgiving drop down to choppy waters. The back doors are open and the camping gas is on with our first oceanside dinner simmering away. The best restaurant truly is where you park it. As the ocean shimmers in the setting sun, we quickly wash the pots while there’s still some daylight before snuggling up in hoodies just to savour the delicious transition from the golden hour to the star-studded night’s sky.
After climbing down the steep wooden steps to Praia dos Alteirinhos we find a sunny spot to splay out on the sand. It’s much firmer and much, much colder than we were expecting. Just as we’re starting to drift off for a sultry midday nap, a sudden wave rushes up and covers our ankles but, luckily, stopping just before our waists only to be pulled back again from where it came. We’re wide awake within a second, jumping up and grabbing our belongings and, most valuable of them all, the camera bag! It’s all too easy to be fooled by the midday sun and doze off for a while, forgetting about the ocean and her tides…  Next stop further down the coast is Praia do Amado, where we end up spending three glorious, scorching days camping up on the cliffs overlooking the wide sandy beach and roaring waves. The huge swell and awesome waves make it a surfer’s paradise, the clifftop full of vans from travellers and surfers from all over Europe. We walk up on the headland, where the sun is strong is pretty strong and, in fact, I get burnt in not very much time at all. Here it feels really Mediterranean and you can feel the proximity to northern Africa.The rocks are deep orange, the tracks are dusty and full of rubble and the cliffs are covered in tropical succulents.  Even if the road getting down to Praia da Murração is enough to make me close my eyes and hold my breath (as a passenger!) it’s not enough to put off other travellers, as there was quite a collection of travellers at the bottom. There’s even a queue of cars and vans waiting and hoping to find room to park. Luckily we’ve got the advantage that our van is small and agile, and can pretty much fit into any small space that became available. It’s not long until we manage to get an ocean view spot right on the sand, just in time to make a pot of bean chilli for dinner. This is one of those small things that make the biggest difference during these for me. Eating van chef meals straight from the pot watching the sunset over gentle waves, not wearing a watch but instead just guessing what time it is by the position of the sun in the sky, having cold water shows by the side of the van but getting sandy again immediately afterwards. This trip is getting me back in touch with nature and honestly, it feels like a retreat. For me, two days at Praia da Murração with absolutely no phone signal, stripped back to basics and taking some quality time out of the “real” world, is a sanctuary. Taking it slow and taking a break from the constant multitasking in our day-to-day lives feels long overdue. Being curious, listening to our bodies and being in tune with the natural world around us is such a welcome change in pace. The familiar places we’ve revisited and new ones we’re discovering are real paradises, and reaching them all in our home on wheels just made the simplicity of it all so much sweeter.
Praia do Canal, is completely deserted. Other than the Austrian van parked at the top of the hill, that probably wouldn’t make it down the steep, rubble road and hairpin bends, we are the only ones here. Rather than the sandy beaches that we’ve come to expect during our trip along the Vicentine Coast, it’s a pebble beach with huge grey stones from the grassy dunes all the way out to the shore. Amidst the rocks lush, green plants are sprouting out. The sea mist and low grey clouds made it easy to forget that it was August. Night descends and the mist still doesn’t rise. Never mind, we have our campfire to keep up cosy. Only after the fire finally goes out did the clouds start to clear to show the sky full of stars. We lie there awake all night, our heads hanging over the edge of the bed and out of the van just to lie there starstruck, gazing up at the night’s sky, our minds drifting away with the sound of each gentle wave breaking on the pebbles, a journey of a different kind. Although there are many contenders, I think tonight might just be my highlight of the trip  All in all, we spend 12 days on the road, exploring 9 different beaches and covering 1500km. We reach Sagres, which sits at the most south-westerly point of Portugal on the cliffs of the Atlantic ocean and the very edge of Europe. Back in the 15th century, Europeans even thought it to be the end of the world. We may not have left the country but for me, it feels like we’ve gone much further than we have. It’s been my welcome to Portugal, just a few days after packing up and moving from another country and the beginning of a new adventure for us. What better way to mark a new chapter together, than with adventure and exploration itself? The Vicentine Coast is going straight to the top of my list of European destinations! The deserted beaches and memories made there will hold a special place in my heart and the saudades of clifftop sunset dinners outside our little home on wheels stay with me until our next trip.  Image Gallery High in the mountains for a weekend in Gerês (Portugal and Spain). Is always nice to get the time to be back in nature and sleep in the van while listen the sound of the rain falling on the rooftop.  A photographic book that documents a journey made from Portugal to Poland at the start of a 6 month experience and then the return home. During the last year of his studies, photographer Diogo Baptista embarked on an adventure crossing Europe in his own van travelling across 14 countries. You can buy it on-line at blurb for 40€ + shipping Features & Details Arts & Photography Books Size 6×9 in, 15×23 cm 168 Pages Hardcover, ImageWrap: 9780464351948 Publish Date Sep 19, 2019 Language English Waking up with horses at your backdoor 🐎 while visiting Spain for the 10 year celebration of Rapa Das Bestas wild horse festival (Shearing of the Beast) at Sabucedo, Galicia. 📷🐎 Nice to be travelling again... 🚐 Spain 🇪🇸
 This is PORTO💙!!! After being in a lot of places this is still an AMAZING CITY. For me the best in Portugal 🇵🇹 The experience of an eurotrip was great and can only think of going again... All of this was to study in Poland for 6months and that I decided to take my mini camper with me. Will keep the good memories of friends and places forever. Also know that there is still a lot to see and can only hope that I will have the opportunity one day again. Thank you all for following and I will see you in the next adventure! Eurotrip 2018/2019 Made it 😎🚐♥️🌍 🚐💪😎 🇵🇹 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇨🇭🇲🇨 🇦🇹 🇨🇿 🇩🇪 🇵🇱 🇸🇮 🇭🇺 🇸🇮 3000 km since Poland... 19000km since I left Portugal!!! 6 months away from my country is always good to be back. It's was a great experience but it's not over. Still missing my home town Porto the best of them all 💙  Another country left behind 🇪🇸 the summer of 2017 I did a big road trip through the center and south of Spain so now I didn't waste time here. On my way to Portugal 🇵🇹 Home sweet home!  Meanwhile in France 🇫🇷 Step away from the coast on my way to Avignon. Pass through the rural fields, came across the Tour of Provence and saw a small yellow vest protest. Couldn't get more typical than this 😊 🇫🇷 🚴 🐑 After crossing the French Riviera and visit also Avignon went to a quiet night under the stars ✨ at the Lake Saint-Cassie in Montauroux. Nest day set route to Plage du Grazel and would be my last spot in France. Drove over the sand and slept near the sea. This place is amazing people actually sleep over the sand, I didn't risk that much because my mini van can't handle it... maybe one day I will upgrade it ❤️ Van Life Just a simple drive around Monaco 🇲🇨 and of course the F1 Grand Prix Circuit 🏁 A difficult place for van life, no place to park... But I still wanted to go there and remind me from what I saw in childhood with my parents.  Genova... Such a big city! Funny that the narrow streets remind me my home town (Porto) by the river. Sunny day and a good walk by the center of the city. Already left Italy and I'm already missing it... It's so good to ear the sea again and watch an amazing sunset! Not that I didn't like the snow in Poland but this looks like paradise.                 While in Austria 🇦🇹 went again through the border with Hungary 🇭🇺. This was the road that was blocked to Budapest on my way to Poland last time when I had brake problems. This time was all good and I saw the frozen lake again and some amazing views. . Perfect route 69 😁📸🌍⛰️❄️🚐  Getting away from the cold and soon will be near the sea to watch the sunsets ☀ Another country left behind, Slovenia 🇸🇮. The Bled lake was incredible but also all the landscape until there. See you next time 🚐⛰️🌍📸 Firts time in Hungary. Not enough time to discover new places but the ones I been was a good example... Still a long way to Portugal, wish I could return in the summer to @ozora_festivaland spend more time in Balaton Lake 🇭🇺  Visiting Auschwitz! Never easy to see and think about the history that happened here. But while in Poland it is a place to go, at least to reminded how not to behave or not to follow ideologies that are dangerous. Next to Dunajec River  Road trip to Berlin. A enormous city that I have been a long time ago and what it remain in my memories was a palette of grey... The need of going back there was to see if it was still like that, and No, the city has change. Lot of color, gigantic buildings made of glass and street crowded with people. Many comercial places but also the underground for the ones who like it. The remains of the Berlin wall are everywhere and the east side gallery is amazing... Funny that I still have two pieces from it that we brought in 1989 during the childhood family eurotrip 🇩🇪 . Definitely a place that I want to go back again! Waking up in a quiet spot surrounded by silver birch trees, leaves still crispy from the cold night despite the morning dew. Bleary eyes open and try to adjust to the unexpected golden carpet of autumn leaves laid out before us. Bound for the Baltic coast, we hit the road and the first stop on our journey together was Marlbork; the largest castle in the world by land mass. After a wander around the 13th century Teutonic fortress we hit the road again only to witness the most spectacular of sunsets. Despite the cold, it was a warm and cosy night’s sleep tucked up in the van. Early to bed so early to rise, by 07:30 we were ambling along the beach as the sun rose to its 45° position in the pastel sky. We were surprised to see a few brave characters working out on the sand in nothing but trunks, Then, watching a man going for a brisk dip in the Baltic Sea was enough to give us goosebumps! A quick visit to The Bunker, Westerplatte (where the German invasion of September 1939 began the Battle of Westerplatte and consequently the Second World War) was damp, eerie and grey. However every single memorial, just as every last grave in the cemeteries, was adorn with candles lit in memory of those passed. Gdańsk welcomed us with its charming architecture just as the skies were beginning to clear. By the time we’d climbed to the top of Bazylika Mariacka our legs had turned to jelly and our pulses were racing. We were met with a 360 panoramic view, our eyes taking some time to adjust from the gloomy tower to the bright, white clouds above our heads. After the exertion of the church tower climb we stopped for a bite to eat along Utica Piwna (“Beer Street”), enjoying the fresh northern breeze as we sat outside and tasted some typical ‘pierogi’, washed down with a half pint of Tyskie. Back in the van for just 20 minutes to reach Sopot and then Gdynia, completing our tour of the Baltic Tri-city. A glorious blue sky welcome us to Sopot where we managed a picnic on the beach and pleasant stroll on one of the biggest piers of Europe. Gdynia was a charming surprise, gentle hike before dusk through a thick, golden forest led us to a sandy beach where gentle waters dissolved into pastel shades on the horizon. Losing track of the time we pulled each other along, meandering through the trees on our way back to the van. The road to Warsaw was long and thick with fog, but choosing to enjoy the journey and not solely focus on the destination made for a memorable ride. By morning the fog still hadn’t lifted. Monochrome and industrial, Warsaw was a spectrum of grey. We saw the Old Town Market Place; deserted first thing on a Sunday morning and later fill up with tourists. By lunchtime our bellies were rumbling finding refuge from the damp cold, we sat down in a cosy and traditional restaurant to enjoy some Polish dishes: more ‘pierogi jarskie’ and ‘grzane wina’. Before we knew it, it was already time to head to Modlin airport and part company. 3 days 800km and hundreds of new memories lining our pockets. PHOTO: Diogo Baptista
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