Our time in Portugal was short lived. The lush country calls for more exploration and spending some down time on the beautiful southern coast would be very nice. We would have our brakes act up again on our way to Lisbon and get stuck in Setubal for 2.5 days while we waited for a fix. After stopping to buy some groceries, Mac would come to an immediate halt while driving through the parking lot, I’m talking sudden full on brakes engaging while moving forward. I could not figure out what was happening, nor did I fully understand why that was happening, though Ratha and I would meet Pedro, a mechanic, who had a shop down the road who would solve this issue. What seemed to be the emergency brake being tightened too much and engaging, turned out to be that the driver side drum brakes were also shattered. He had fixed our handbrake problem for free and sent us on our way, but when we returned with some questions as the problem didn’t feel fully solved, we discovered the pleasant surprise. We learned that no one in the city had the brakes we needed, so he new a man whose specialty was custom making them. I was also told that when one pair is destroyed, it’s best to replace both sets. The passenger side brakes already had some noticeable cracks in them since replacing them in late December. Manoah and Connie Solandros, thank you for the donation, that made things much more smooth and we put that towards the 140 Euro repair. Pedro was an awesome guy and we appreciated his honesty and his thoroughness.
After three nights in Setubal, Pedro got us on the road again and we were able to make it to Lisbon. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Cite and it was amazing at it’s heart. The preservation of it’s buildings and it’s many restaurants left us with curiosity that could not be quelled in our short visit. We enjoyed most of the medieval castles from afar which are sprinkled throughout the country, and visited one in Sintra (less than an hour west of Lisbon). Sintra is set in hilly backdrop and has some amazing homes and is covered in flora. We had a night of medieval music and drinks at a little bar 30 minutes walk away. It was a nice time, though when we first arrived, I led us down a long, windy and at times very narrow road with cement and stone walls lining the streets. At one point we came around a corner going uphill and an old couple in a nice car were coming our way. They would not reverse in the road that was too small for both cars to pass one another and my attempt let to the passenger side mirror crunching and shattering along the wall. There must have been a nearby attraction as the stoop to the left of us suddenly filled with heads of gawking and gasping people. It was not until then did the drivers opposite me reverse up the hill and allow us passage. Luckily, against Ratha’s wishes, I saved the mirror that was clipped in Marbella by the semi truck with our little replacement mirror inside. This made the change quick and easy, though we will likely need something better as we prepare to be driving on the opposite side of the road and that little blind spot mirror (now gone) will become evermore important. We had really been on a hurried pace in Portugal and most of the days these past two weeks have involved some driving. We were happy to bump into a nice couple from the UK who reminded us to slow down and we decided to spend the rest of our day sharing wine and dinner by the river just outside the sleepy Spanish village of Sanabria. Phil and Karen were very generous and it was an unexpected encounter that turned into an even greater day. It has sense been checkpoints to San Sebastian, Spain, Bordeaux, France as well as Le Mont St. Michal and Bayuex to see some of the WWII memorial before our upcoming sea voyage.
We are headed to Ireland from Cherbourg to Rossclare on a 17 hour ride. We found the cheapest fare and are sleeping in the cafeteria couches, packed dinner, snacks and even wine. Interestingly, I just found out that my uncle’s DNA indicated that the Leadingham’s are 36% Irish. Not sure if I’ll run into some distant relatives, though I’ll be sure to visit the local watering hole, tap into some Irish roots, and make my best attempt at speaking some Gaelic.
Vantastic Voyage 