The Final Road Trip Part 1: BXL to Comporta

The day after the men came to empty our apartment, I set off to the South with the kids and one amazing babysitter, Emilia.  Our first stop was Vouvray, France, in the Loire Valley.  Along the way we stopped at two of the famous castles: Chambord & Chenonceau.

Then on the second day we made it down through Bordeaux to Biarritz.

Here we took a break for a day and spent time enjoying the beach and waves.

Then off again on July 7 to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  This was the longest day of driving and not too much fun.  We did make a stop to eat and another to see the north coast at the Praia de Los Catedrales.

Then we finally made it to Santiago and the next morning walked around the beautiful cathedral.

After that box was checked, we got back in the car for a short ride to Porto, Portugal.  In Porto we were graciously offered the apartment of our Brussels concierge, Helena's, daughter, Estela, and her boyfriend.  They cleared out and we settled into a cozy place in the Rio Tinto neighborhood.  It's not fancy but clean and big and easy to get into town to see the sites.

Our first destination was the Ribeiro District, along the Duouro River.  My best description of the beautiful area was as a fancy favela.

Doesn't every wine store hand out freshly picked fruit with your purchases?

The second day we went to the seaside to check out the famously photographed lighthouse.

And then because we still had another day before we could head down to the beach house, we walked back across the Duouro and did a little port tasting.

We are ready to leave but Porto has not disappointed.

The road to Comporta is hot, dusty and empty.  We had lunch in Nazare, north of Lisbon, and then proceeded south through Lisbon and across the great Vasco de Gama Bridge.  About an hour south, we took the exit to Alcalcar do Sal and entered the rice lowlands and pine barrens.  

The road ends at Comporta and then a single road runs along the coast north and south.  Our rental house is in a little neighborhood called Brejos da Carreguerra da Cima and is a white and cement modern gem.