Heading west back through Spain and on into Portugal

Leaving Valverde del Camino we decided our next country to travel through would be Portugal.  As we had to virtually go passed Punta Umbría we called in to see Adam and Melissa.  The weekend that we got there the town was celebrating a shrimp and anchovy festival (Feria Nacional de la Gamba y el Boqueron).  A million plus Shrimps are caught and sold over the weekend and surely has to be a contender for the most surreal name of a festival!

Posters displayed around the town informed that the festival was commemorating the 75^th anniversary of William Martin, the English legacy declared an event of public interest by the Government of Spain.  Not much happens in Punta Umbría and so 75 years on this is still considered a big event to celebrate! 

In 1943 Major William Martin, known as ‘the man who never was’ changed the destiny of World War II, in one of the most successful and deceptional plots to deceive the Germans over the invasion of Sicily.  It was known as Operation Mincemeat and Wiliam Martin (real name Glyndwr Michael) is buried in Nuestra Senora de la Soledad Cemetery in Huelva - Mel and I visited the cemetery when we were here last year.

The grave of  Glyndwr Michael (AKA William Martin)

More about how Operation Mincemeat and William Martin (who was in fact a dead tramp from Wales) fooled Hitler, can be found on the BBC website:  www.bbc.com/news

The festival is held in marquees and on the streets, selling shrimps and anchovies along with music from live bands. There is a real party atmosphere and people are bused in from miles around to take part in the festival.

Clams, shrimps and giant mushrooms on the right

We had only planned to stop a few days but Adam had compiled a list of jobs he wanted us to help him do on the top of his terrace - erecting an awning, a stone barbeque, putting up lighting and pretty much decorating it all, so a few days turned into over a week!  We did manage to get in some sunbathing though and have a couple of barbecues, which was a bonus!

The upstairs terrace

Adam barbecuing some tasty Iberian pork and octopus on his new barbecue - yummy! 

We even found time to make a cork pallet table for their terrace - it's just missing the glass top which is being made to measure.  Just in case you're wondering, we didn't drink all the bottles of wine to get the corks, only some of them!  The rest we got from local bars.

We have spent a little over a week now back in Punta Umbría and the weather has been a real mix.  This time of year it should be in the mid 20’s°C and sunny every day but we have had it as cold as 15°C, mixed with rain and high winds – what is going on with this weather in Europe!  Shouldn't grumble though because I know that back in good 'Old Blighty' it has been wetter and colder. For the last 5 days, I have had a really bad cold and sore throat that I can’t shake off, which I think is due to the extreme up ad down of the weather - hence no blogging has taken place!

On 1^st May the pilgrimage of the Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) from Punta Umbría takes place, a tradition that has been going on for centuries. It starts from the Holy Cross Chapel in the town and ends about 16kms away in the nature reserve of La Noriet, Malpica, all organised by the brotherhood.  Everybody dresses up in Gitano (Romany) or Flamencan and ride either on horses, carriages pulled by horses, mules or tractors and some even walk.   

The cross being pulled by oxen

Hundreds of people take part and there’s a lot of singing and dancing and plenty of drinking.  

Most of them looked drunk before they even got out of Punta Umbría and it was only 11am but they seemed to be having fun!  Roads are blocked off and they are escorted through Punta by police until they get to the edge of the town and then it is dirt tracks all the way. Once in the countryside, they apparently pray to a holy tree then there’s lot of eating, drinking and partying before returning back to the town around 8pm where various religious offerings are made at the chapel.
Sonny got another spring clean, before setting off.  He was filthy, mostly with sand that gets carried with the wind.  This cleaning station with steps, so that you can reach the top of the motorhome is such a great idea and the only one we have found since travelling around - well done Punta Umbría!  One Euro gives you 3 minutes of washing or 3 minutes of rinsing - with various other options in between, such as polishing.  So, for €5 our boy was spick and span again!

Bath time for Sonny, the motorhome!

It has been lovely spending time at Adam's and Melissa's but we set off tomorrow and it will be good to have our little 2-room house on wheels back on the road again!  We have to be back in the UK for a wedding in July and to get some repairs done to Sonny, that he incurred in Croatia last year.  So, we we plan to spend about 4 weeks travelling through Portugal, then into the top of Spain and another 4 weeks through France before getting the ferry back to the UK.  Well, that's the plan but in motorhome life all can change very quickly!

Sally x