Day 08: Salamanca (Spain) – Chaves (Portugal)

By the way, there are quite a few British people at the campsite. This is likely because there are ferries from England to Bilbao and Santander, making for a convenient journey. Just a side note…

And one more thing, before I forget: we first spotted pilgrims back in Burgos, and ever since, we’ve kept crossing paths with the trails leading to Santiago de Compostela—today being no exception.

We’re heading toward Portugal, where we plan to visit some friends—former colleagues of Brigitte’s—on Monday.

Although we were leaning toward skipping Vila Real yesterday and heading straight to Guarda to kill some time, we decide on the spur of the moment today—prompted by a suggestion from Thomas, our “local guide” :-))—to take a detour via Chaves instead.

The drive along the N103 from Braganza to Chaves is delightful and truly enchanting. Once we arrive in town, however, it’s a complete change of pace: a massive festival! Many streets are closed, parking is nowhere to be found, the place is bustling with activity, and there are stalls and booths everywhere.

We manage to squeeze in—more or less legally—in front of a supermarket (though “squeezing” is a relative term when you’re driving a vehicle like Becky!) and dive into the throng to explore the town a bit. It’s charming, though the sheer chaos makes it hard to fully enjoy. Oh well! We pick up a bag of walnuts and a bag of small dried figs, but decide to pass on the chestnuts—we just don’t have any use for them right now.

And since today is a big celebration—coinciding with Halloween—and tomorrow is All Saints’ Day, we quickly grab a loaf of bread, as everything will be closed tomorrow.

The Parque Campismo Quinta do Rebentão is located just south of town; it’s quite shady and wooded, and feels a bit deserted, but it’s perfectly fine for an overnight stay. And since we had lunch at a country inn today (lentil soup, grilled pork belly with fries, rice, and a "token" side salad, plus flan and coffee—all for 22 euros), some bread and cheese will suffice for this evening.

Technically, we’ve gained an extra hour, yet by 6:00 p.m. it’s already dark and getting cold again. Shouldn’t it have stayed light longer, given that we’re traveling westward? ;-))