Friday 11th April 2025
In a complete contrast to yesterday’s clear blue skies and 34 degree temperatures, today started overcast and cool, then as we set off further south, it began to rain. As we progressed, we passed through heavier patches and it did not actually stop until we reached our destination for the night, Vila Velha de Ródão.
We are staying on another free park-up, which is great, but unlike last night’s, there is no electricity provided.
The site is very pleasant, though one big drawback is the smell which comes from the local chipboard factory. We would have moved on, but after hours of driving through heavy rain, we were a bit tired.
Vila Velha de Ródão is a small town, built alongside the River Tagus. There has been archaeological evidence found here, of human habitation for the last 30,000 years, with elephants and other animals, many of them extinct.
The town has made some efforts in making the environment more pleasant, providing footpaths alongside the river, with a sculpture which had us puzzled for a while, until we decided that it depicted a lily flower (or at least the right hand column did).
We walked along the river for a while, down a designated footpath to a picnic area at Parque de Merendas do Bico. Along the way we saw numerous fruit trees, many had dropped fruit on the path:
There were also lots of olive trees, which appear to be very old. The trunks on some of them are astonishing:
Sheep can be seen grazing the fields in which fruit and olive trees are planted:
Nearby, there is a bridge over, and a boardwalk next to one of the tributaries, The Rio Tajo, which joins the River Tagus at this point:
As we walked along the boardwalk, we heard many different birds calling. The Merlin app on Alison’s phone, identified Black Caps, a Nightingale, Chaffinches and many more.
The path emerged alongside an old, apparently restored watermill.
That’s all folks. TTFN.
"See-u-Later" 