UP INTO THE MOUNTAINS

Sunsets, swimming & scary morris men

And so we are starting to wend our way back east and find ourselves in the Montesinho Natural Park right up in the top right-hand corner of Portugal. The hills are alive with wolves, bears and wild boar, and there is a chestnut tree at every turn.

We’ve lucked out with a fabulous pitch at Cepo Verde Camping with views over the mountains and a perfect vantage point for the gorgeous sunsets each evening.

There’s not much to do in this heat except swim and try to keep the hound cool but we have driven through numerous rustic villages and remote farmsteads, trying to avoid the dogs and cats that appear to simply lie in the middle of the road all day.

We did have an outing to the region’s capital - Braganca - which has a typical sleepy feel and is full of alleyways, high castle walls and old houses to explore. The highlight was a museum dedicated to the Caretas costumes from the region. These are carnival figures, a cross between a Morris Man and the wicker man, kitted out with straw capes, masks, bells, and lots of ribbons! They symbolize many things, from the Devil and Lord of Misrule, to mischief and fertility.

Here, we also saw an amazing photography exhibition detailing the lives of people in the remote villages. It was only on my way out that I realised that the photos had been taken in the 1980’s - not as I thought many centuries ago.

Memories

• Giant chestnut pan

• Steak blow-out

• Storks