Madrid to Murtosa - Portugal

Well, the usual hopeless exit from Madrid until I remembered to switch on 'Motorways and Tolls' in goggle maps, by then I was back to northwest Madrid and leaving the city behind. For much of the way I followed the 'A' roads that ran next to the motorway. Although I had expected to reach Murtosa in a day, too many distractions/stops, generally too slow, the van does 60mph and even then overheating is a problem, despite the new Earz. Surely ears? No Earz that fit on the air intakes and increase the airflow to the engine. Yes air cooled the bus is and the temperature is rising as I go further west causing the engine temperature to rise. I have two ways to monitor this, an oil sump gauge and a dip stick. I'm watching the temperature gauge which rarely rises above 60deg but the dip stick switches on the red ignition light. As long as this doesn't stay on I feel all is well, if the light becomes permanent and the gauge rises above 60, time to stop for a cool down. These are the joys of running 50yo air cooled vehicles.

After a few hours of driving I was considering a stop-over and was passing Ciudad Rodrigo and the Cathedral de Santa Maria. I turned off into the town and came immediately to a van stop-over. Usual thing, no toilets/showers, just water. Still I can cope with this and I soon have the van set up for the night and take a walk into town. Well not really into town, as I discover the next day.

The town is really about the cathedral and the 'old town'. on the hill. A bit lile a walled, moated city with the cathedral at the centre.

Entering through an arch that could have led anywhere, the cathedral and town are magnificent, like walking into another world.

The wealth of the church

After ciudad Rodrigo it's back to the road and Portugal is just 25km away. The border is a sign, nothing else, of course this is europe, Spain or Portugal, how different? I recall the Israel/Jordon border as literally a line in the sand, a road sweeper had been through the desert. Sadly for me I do my best with Spanish but Portuguese?? Gracias/Obrigardo but at least please is the same, por favor.

I spend time on the motorway heading to Aveiro but get bored/hungry whatever, and turn off. I'm now on an 'A' road, single c/w but still a good road and I'm happily chugging along, until a lorry decides I'm really not fast enough for his massive vehicle. He's right on my tail, yards away form my trailer, if I speed up he's there again, so close. It felt like that monster truck movie Duel, and I'm in it! I have to say drivers in Spain and Portugal, including lorry drivers, are great, no agro, courteous, polite, but this was not like that. The roads have a sort of runoff, not a hard shoulder but a bit of extra room formed when the surface is relayed leaving a hard outer edge 60mm or so. With the lorry right on my tail I panic and pull over, he immediately pulls out and passes, horn blaring. Sadly I feel forced off the hard shoulder and the sharp outer edge shreds by front tyre.

So I'm busy getting the wheel off and a van pulls over, 'do I need a hand'? How nice is that! Diago helps me change the wheel and escorts me 10km to the nearest tyre shop, staying to ensue all is well. I expressed my gratitude suggesting his help was beyond reasonable expectations. Diago merely said that being on the road was an adventure, anything could happen, and besides, he liked my bus and wanted to help. People never fail in their generosity.

By the time I get new front tyres my ETA for Murtosa has slipped but |I'm there by 8:00pm and Andrejo lets me in. There is good wind so kiting tomorrow.