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Overcast morning when we get up. Ali has a short walk into Coimbra. It's a typical university town on a Sunday morning; rowing crews on the river, joggers in the park and lots of young people all around.
We leave at 11:55 heading towards Oporto. After five nights and not so many miles, our batteries are getting very low so we need a campsite and electric hook up.
First there is a little drizzle but as we head north it turns to rain. The roads and scenery are largely uninteresting and as we climb into the hills we meet the clouds coming down so there isn't much to see anyway. At 13:00 we stop in a wooded lay-by for lunch of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs then continue on our way.
We've already noticed that the local driving standards are not good, but on this rainy Sunday afternoon the worst of the worst are out to play. The rain keeps falling and the roads get rougher and the only thing keeping us amused over the radios is spotting all the hookers in lay-bys trying to keep dry while still showing their 'wares'.
The last few miles to the campsite is along a lengthy beach area. In sunshine it's probably attractive, but today it's just a place for dawdlers and drag racers.
We reach the site around 15:45 The pitches are sodden but the rain is bringing a fresh pine scent off all the surrounding trees.
Hook-up, laundry, wi-fi and the receptionist gives us some useful information for our trip to Oporto tomorrow.
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