It was going to be another scorcher and Peter was due to fly out for work the following day, so we decided to get away and let our hosts have some time alone together.
One of the places to visit in Portugal which has been high on our list for some time was Monsanto. This was from reading an article while we were thinking of a move here some time ago. It was because Monsanto had been voted ‘the most Portuguese village’ by the Portuguese back in 1938 and for the fact that there was a Templar castle. there too. It’s much more interesting than that though and has seen many phases of change throughout its history and the Romans built a town at the base of the mountain, so there was going to be lots to see and find out.
It is a fair drive from our base near Porto de Mos, so we set off early using the sat-nav and deciding to choose a toll-free route to get there. This was great fun as it took us through some very beautiful countryside skirting north of Tomar and Sertã and onwards to Castelo Branco.
As we had set of fairly early we decided to stop for a spot of breakfast in Castelo Branco. We managed to find a parking place easily and found some busy cafe’s in the main plaza and enjoyed a coffee and torrada each. By the time we got back to the car we both needed the loo, and it was getting hot so we decided to stop for an ice cream at McDonald’s and use their facilities at the same time. Annette was on her healthy eating regime, and decided against a McFlurry, A wise decision as it took an age to get the single tub of ice cream. I don’t think I have waited for that long to be served in a McDonald’s before.
The ice cream was nice though, especially as the temperature was rising and it was nice to be back in the car with the AC on again, and heading onwards to Monsanto. The countryside has a real wilderness feel about it as you approach the easternmost part of Portugal. But eventually the mountain of Monsanto came into view and we drove onwards and into the small village at its base, looking up towards the Boulder strewn mountain and upper village covered in terracotta rooftops.
The guidebook said it’s best not to drive further and there was plenty of parking in the main square, so we gathered our bags and were about to set off further up the road. There was a local who was selling wooden rattles and gourds who suddenly started gesturing to stop and turn around, pointing to the small road behind us. He mentioned the word ‘caminho’ several times só was telling us to go up that path and not the road. He gestured up the road and tapped his chest huffing and puffing indicating it’s harder on the lungs that way. He was of course absolutely correct and as we made our way up the gently rising path we could make out the road, below and how it was much steeper.
It is quite a pleasant walk and looks a lot steeper than it actually is, but the views quickly become spectacular and we found ourselves stopping frequently to look around. It was getting hot though and our single bottle of water was in jeopardy of getting depleted before we reached the village. There was welcomed shade in the trees along the path though and it was definitely a pleasant stroll and not arduous at all.
When you reach the village nestled underneath the castle, you find there are lots of fonts of spring water, so the bottle got refilled on several occasions. The village is a real marvel of construction being built around and into the granite boulders that actually make up the slopes of the hills it’s built on. It is a real rabbit warren of alleyways and paths that lead around and up to the houses. A map would have been helpful here as it’s really worth exploring these alleys, some of which lead to various types of accommodation. There are quite a few which are obviously aimed towards the tourists and some Airbnb houses too. I’m not sure how you would get large suitcases up though, so I would be more inclined to bring a rucksack and park in the lower village as it would be challenging to get a car up, not that there weren’t any up there, but it’s certainly ’tight’.
The views get better and better the higher to get in the village, and there are viewing areas all over the village, a nice spot is by the clock tower and public WCs are near there too. On the way up to the castle we just followed the main route, the shortest and quickest way up was the order of the day as the temperature was easily higher than 29°C by this point. But we finally reached to top and had a good look around the castle walls, and interior and took in the simply amazing views. Netty also found a seat at a picnic table in the shade by a chapel, but weirdly it was huge and look like it was built for giants. She looked like a hobbit sat on it.
We eventually headed back down and we’re looking forward to exploring the alleyways and paths, but we were both flagging and we’re in need of refreshments, so we stopped at the first restaurant we passed, still fairly high in the village. The view from the terrace was amazing and the food was plentiful and delicious and it was finished off with an ice cold beer which worked like magic and we felt fully refreshed. We were also surprised that the meals, coffees and beers had come to under 18 euros too! We paid the bill in darkness as power had gone down in the village, but set of in high spirits none the less.
Exploring the rabbit warren of alleys was great fun, and there was probably a lot we missed by the fact we had no idea where we were in particular, but just a general sense of location. But we got back to the car having really enjoyed the visit. It was just a slight detour to check out Idalha de Velha which apparently is where the Romans had settled, and you have probably guessed that I can’t resist looking around Roman ruins.
We found the village easily and spent a good hour or so looking around the area and tourist information boards. Again very quiet with virtually no tourists to be seen. There was another car in an otherwise empty car park, but we never crossed paths.
The downside is when we got back into the car and set off, engine warning light after engine warning light came on. They all seemed to point towards a ECU fault as they were all parts of the driver assistance functions. The oil temperature seemed fine, the battery was good and as I gently pulled away the car seemed to pull of ok and the brakes worked ok. We we in the middle of nowhere, so I just drove on a little cautious at first, it was just that the some of the auto functions were not available and I resolved to contact Audi during the week. However the next two days the engine warning light had disappeared and no warning messages at all in the onboard log. Strange. So just monitoring the car at the moment, and suspect it may have been cause by the heat. If you think you may know it might have been please leave a comment. It is a 2018 Audi A5 with drive assist function.
Netty says she is ‘roman’d out’ now, so until next time meu amigos…
Our Portuguese Life 