Today we spontaneously drove almost 240 km further towards the Algarve.
The route was again very varied. As we had bypassed Lisbon, we drove from the coast inland and then back to the coast.
We drove through real cork oak plantations and forests.
Shortly after Lisbon we found an Iveco garage where we want to ask on Monday if they can do an oil change. Maybe we’ll be lucky and finally get new tires. In the meantime, one of the tires that already has a tear has a second one. We would be very happy if someone could finally help us 😉
Unfortunately, there are absolutely no parking spaces near the garage. Except at this campsite 10 km away. We have now booked it until Tuesday, with the possibility of extending it.
For years we’ve been listening to the SWR1 hit parade, which runs almost continuously on the radio for a week every October from 5 a.m. on Monday to Friday evening. Next Monday it’s that time again. We will be there again this year. How good that we have a pitch with shore power. So we can also listen to the SWR1 hit parade 😉
How long we stay here at this campsite depends on the garage. If the garage doesn’t have an appointment for us within two weeks, we’ll probably drive further south. But maybe not until Saturday. We’ll let ourselves be surprised.
We took the bike to this Iveco workshop on Monday to make an appointment for an oil change. The staff were all very nice and the very next morning we were allowed to come in with WENNE.
As we had been having problems with the steering for some time, the mechanics were kind enough to take a look at it.
In the almost 5 hours that WENNE was in the workshop, we also had fun and went shopping.
When we picked WENNE up again, the mechanic told us that the steering hydraulic pump was probably faulty. Unfortunately, they don’t have an appointment for this more extensive repair for another 2-3 weeks. We were told that the steering was just heavy, like a vehicle without power steering. But we couldn’t break anything else if we wanted to continue driving like this. We decided to drive on and possibly make an appointment for a repair elsewhere. The cost of the oil service is unbeatable. In Germany, we would have paid as much for the 20 liters of oil alone as we did here for the complete service.
When we were finally able to set off, Iris slipped her cell phone out of her pocket while getting into the truck and so she made sure that the financial difference between the factory invoice for Portugal and Germany was made up 😉
As the rain will probably be with us for a while yet over the next few days and the water is flowing diligently from the wall cupboard in the kitchen down through the lower kitchen cupboard, Alex took care of it today during a break in the rain and sealed the leak on the roof.
The skylight in the bathroom is now also leaking and needs a new seal.
In the evening, we used the time for a little tour. As more and more splinters were falling off Iris’ cell phone display, we took the opportunity to get a new one.
After dinner, when we had made ourselves comfortable in the WENNE and were busy with the new cell phone and listening to the SWR1 hit parade, there was suddenly a knock at the door.
It was our neighbor from the Netherlands. He speaks very good German and had already asked Alex for help yesterday when they arrived to push his trailer, in which he had a motorcycle and two bicycles, into the parking space. When we opened the door, he explained that he had a problem with his drain. It was blocked and even poking it with a metal rod hadn’t helped. Now he wanted to know if Alex had any tips on what else he could do. Alex didn’t really know a solution either, he should just try flushing with washing-up liquid and hot water.
The next day, the Dutchman thanked him, it had worked really well and the drain was clear. Alex hadn’t expected it to really work. He was all the more pleased.
On our last day here at the campsite, the weather was a bit nicer again and we took advantage of this to go for a ride.
With a stopover at the KTM dealer.
The rest of the day we made ourselves comfortable and listened to the final of the SWR1 Hit Parade.
