All change

Boring photo today. Things have been a little taxing.

We left Vagueira to head for nearby Figueira da Foz, where we came to stay at the campsite where we spent last Christmas. It was a lovely site, in the forest and right by the beach - beautifully kept and quiet. The only downside that we recalled was the awful smell from a nearby processing plant.

The day was sunny and by the time that we reached Figueira, downright hot. We did a quick trip around the supermarket and then covered the final 5 km to Gala, where the campsite is located. On arrival, the receptionist suggested that we go and "check the campings". We said that it was fine, we had been here before, but she insisted that we should "check the campings" before committing, that there had been a storm and that work was being carried out. We assured her that it was only two nights and  a little noise would be fine...

We handed over our cash and drove to the area of the site that was deemed suitable for use. 

We really could not have imagined such a drastic change.


Hurricane Leslie, the strongest storm to hit the Iberian Peninsula since the mid 19thC made landfall at Figueira, with wind speeds of 175 km/h being recorded. The forest is devastated and  a large proportion of the trees on the site are gone. Long term sited caravans have been wrecked, trenches are dug all over to repair water and electricity supplies. Mess and chaos all around.

So, not surprising that our electric hookup wasn't working. It was connected for us after about an hour... only to go off again when a digger cut through the cable. 

Eventually we were able to go off to the beach with the dog. We found that the track down to the sea had gone - this is it, a warning flag and a steep drop. The whole beach landscape has changed, with most of the dunes wiped out and much evidence of last month's inundation - paths that we walked in the forest are now blocked by fallen trees and heaps of flotsam. Our sunset-watching perch is now too precarious to consider sitting upon and packs of feral dogs are roaming.

It is heartbreaking.