Portugal 2021 - Day 4 - run to the hills

Porto was sooo September 20th. Twas time for a change so we headed back to the airport to pick up the rental car that would take us onwards to the interior of Portugal. The usual stresses of remembering how to drive on the wrong side of the road notwithstanding, we took a pretty pleasant and very scenic three hour drive to the hilltop town of Manteigas. 

Situated deep in the heart of the Serra da Estrela national park, it is the home of the Torre, Portugal's highest point - which of course was the main mission whilst there.

One thing that I love about road trips is that you never quite know what to expect from the places you see and stay in. Our abode for a few nights, Casa Das Obras was essentially an 18th century Portuguese town house, complete with gothic corridors and impressively appointed reception rooms. 

Our host was a welcoming landlady who after inhaling clutch fumes whilst watching me frantically trying to reverse parellel park on a 15 degree slope, quickly made us feel at home.

The remainder of the evening saw us navigating the vertiginous cobbles of Manteigas in search of a decent meal. 

This did not disappoint, with a very decent little restaurant (restaurante central) just a few minutes, and a good few feet downhill from our accommodation. A perfectly cooked rare fillet mignon, smothered in the region's famous serra de estrela cheese and served with a generously large glug of the red stuff proved a fitting end to the day. 

Food is also scarily cheap here, which for a notorious tight wad like myself does elevate the enjoyment somewhat too!