We Didn't Expect THIS! Ep14 | VAN LIFE IN PORTUGAL | Van Life Diaries

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Hello! We’re Chesca & Ben, and we live full time in our self built 2012 sprinter van, Sophia. We spent 6 long months converting our tiny home on wheels, turning her from a workhorse into a place we call home. For the past few months, we've been chasing the winter sun, travelling around Spain and Portugal. Join us on our adventures as we explore the globe in our van 🌍 🚐
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[@FreedomStrider]

I love these old places where you can actually wonder and have a look inside instead of them just barricading it off!

[@OverlandingSophia]

I know, it makes it so much more fun to visit. Shame the Chapel of Bones is fenced off, but, it's understandable why! 😊Thanks for watching guys 💞

[@orchidhouse297]

So pleased you went inland. The best of Spain is in the countryside. I loved every second of travelling through inland Spain. A lot of the small restaurants are wonderful, but they never get found by the 'snobs' in the cities. Another fascinating video.

[@markplenty2631]

Definitely some decent views, and Castillo Di vide was a great place... the walks and abandoned church ⛪️ were interesting..

[@stvmrdch1]

I love it when people discover these out of the way spots. Calm in a crazy world! Lovely vlog guys.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Cheers Tony, it's always fun discovering unusual things in the most unlikely of places! 😊

[@learnportugal]

Portugal is actually the world's leading cork exporter! Nice video :)

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you! Yes, we heard that! After driving through Portugal for a few weeks, we can see why 🌳🌳🌳🌳

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week. This week we’ve finally made the move away from the coast, heading inland to explore the lonely Alentejo region. Think vast plains, never ending cork groves and white washed medieval towns. This is Portugal as we’ve never seen it before. xx Chesca & Ben

[@dalepointer9312]

The white washed village/ Bleached structures of delight/ Corridors of cobbled stones/ Shimmering in the sunlight/ Skulls and bleached bones/ Building blocks of forgotten life/ Strong earthly testaments/ Of hardship and daily strife/ Yet the gentle lap of water/ The soothing splash of spray/ The wind dancing on the lake/ Ends an intoxicating day/

[@OverlandingSophia]

Dale we love your weekly poems!! Think this one is our favourite. LOVE the chapel of bones verse. This sums up our week perfectly. Thank you 💞

[@UrbanVanlife]

Wow they are some beautiful buildings and now I’m hungry after seeing that food . Safe journey guys

[@OverlandingSophia]

Urban Explorer haha thank you!

[@faithmarshal7609]

Y’all definitely inspired us! We have started our van build. Thanks for showing the process!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Faith & Marshal That’s awesome to hear. Best of luck with your build! 🚐

[@moto_roaming2119]

Loved Monsaraz, I could easily imagine Chesca reading for children, so calm and informative. Hope you both have a great week, stay safe , looking forward to your next video next week 😎

[@OverlandingSophia]

I'm a little unsure about my 'narrating' voice so thank you so much for your lovely words! Monsaraz is beautiful, definitely one of our favourite places. Thanks for the support, as always, hope you have a lovely week 🤗

[@joerg_saxony]

Hi there! Really wonderful and cosy places! Perfect for hiking and exploring. Only the chapels of bones are a bit strange... but interesting in a way. It gives us a feeling for our own limited time. Thumbs up for you... good video again! 🙂👍

[@OverlandingSophia]

Isn't it just?! Some really beautiful scenery to explore, and some nice historical sites too. The Chapel of Bones is indeed, strange, but that's what makes it so good. 100% worth a visit. Thanks for watching Jörg! 🤗

[@bettycarmella1127]

I love the Cobble streets and cork trees! Blessings on your travels🙏 looking forward to next week❤🕊

[@OverlandingSophia]

They're gorgeous aren't they! Thank you so much Betty 🤗💞

[@geoffjohnston1531]

Not sure how true this is but someone once told me that all the worlds Cork comes from Portugal.

[@OverlandingSophia]

I think it's just over 50% of the worlds supply, but it's still crazy. We've driven through hundreds of miles of cork groves already.

[@TheVanderfulLife]

You seem to have done some DIY on the van while on the road?! The backs missing from the kitchen!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ahh here's the eagle-eyed one! 😉While I was busy editing last week's vlog, Ben took a saw to the kitchen hatch and opened it up! We'll talk about what we did next week. Good spot! 😊

[@johnsexton3841]

I messaged you on IG about an area to have a quick look at and drop by for some wine and local cheese. That said, a little info. Cork trees will usually have a number spray painted on the bare trunk which serves as a reminder which year its cork was harvested. 7 = 2017 etc.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah John, you had me at wine and cheese! 😍I'll check our messages and get back to you. Also that's so interesting about the bark. Ben noticed the spray painted numbers but we couldn't figure it out. Makes a lot of sense now you mention it 😅 Thank you for watching and I'll get back to you on Insta. 😊

[@nunito007]

Nice to see you’re enjoying my country, and the beautiful Alentejo area. The capital, Lisbon, is nice to explore, but don’t you forget that the first capital was up in the North (Porto, my city, and several times the city of the year in Europe to visit :) ) and North has unique people and places. If need one tour around here , just let me know. Nuno

[@OverlandingSophia]

We've loved the Alentejo region, it feels very wild and beautiful! Can't wait to explore more of the north though, we've only heard amazing things about north Portugal! Porto is top of our list! And thank you for the kind offer! Drop us a message on Instagram 😊

[@johnsexton3841]

Uh, you seem top have forgotten Coimbra..."The city became Portugal’s first capital in 1117 until 1255."

[@glenne.7585]

So nice to see Monsaraz again (even though I was there just 11 days ago), what a cool little place that was! And those views from up top 👌 Very well captured on video. Have fun in Lisbon these next few days!

[@OverlandingSophia]

We've probably drove past each other at one point 😂It's a beautiful place, couldn't quite get over how pretty it was. Thank you, looking forward to some city vibes after these few weeks in the countryside. Hope you're enjoying your travels wherever you are! 😊

[@tituslane4929]

Always fun and upbeat viewing. Have you seen many stray cats and dogs in Portugal? I've heard there's so many lost little souls looking for a home there..... I'm driving through france now.... always on the lookout! Keep up with the great vids!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah thank you! Actually, no we haven't. The dogs we saw on our walk had collars and definitely belonged to someone, although the poor things were in need of a wash! We haven't seen many strays at all, not sure if it's just luck or the regions we've been travelling through. Happy travels through France! 🌎😊

[@chrisneedham5803]

Really enjoyed it as always. The thumbnail was nice it reminds me of something but I can't think what. 🍷🍺👍

[@OverlandingSophia]

Cheers Chris, thank you as always for the support 💞 Haha Ben says in future he's going to stand up because he think it makes him look like there's something wrong with his legs 😂😂

[@Jonegy]

Your wine would probably have been 13.0 - 13.5% and the cherry liqueur (ginja) if it was "homebrew of the house" could be anything upto or over whisky strength. I have 3 bottles slowly maturing for when the family wend their way over during the year. No wonder you had that little wobble on -lol - boa viagem for rest of the trip

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah well that explains it! I definitely felt a little wobbly after lunch 😳The wine and Ginja were both delicious though, we've bought a bottle of the Gingja to take back with us. Thank you for watching! 😊

[@MariekeL]

I just found your channel this week, and I'm really enjoying your videos and binge watching them all! ❤ Idk why, but the bit at 1:41 really made me laugh out loud haha! Hilarious 😂

[@OverlandingSophia]

Amazing, so glad to hear you're enjoying the videos Marieke! Omg 😂 I forgot about that crazy water tap!

[@markwatson2946]

loved them all . this was the best , always look forward to your travels . have a great week

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you Mark! Honestly you have no idea how much this means to us 😊So glad you enjoyed the video, have a lovely week too 🤗

[@clarkspiemuncher24]

Were heading your way next week and first stop is sabugal and now maybe second stop is monsaraz as it looks nice there before heading to albufeira and i pray the sun is out and its warm as im sick of the bloody cold lol

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah awesome! Definitely put Monsaraz on your list, it's a beautiful place. Definitely warmer down here than back in the UK. Safe travels! 😊

[@spiritzenna]

Nice to see you both are enjoying your tour around those beautiful places, safe travels from me and my fur boys :)

[@OverlandingSophia]

We're having such a good time! Thank you, and give the fur boys a hug/scratch behind the ear from us! 😊🐶

[@bxl_lad9952]

About the sign you thought meant it was ok to park, normally red circled signs mean something you should not do (blue circle signs are something you can do...). So that sign was warning you couldn't park campervans there... Might prove useful not getting ticketed or moved on ;-)

[@OverlandingSophia]

Bxl_Lad Well, that’s what we thought! But we googled it and it looked like no parking had a red line through it, not just a red circle. But I think you may be right! Better to be safe than sorry, we’ll stick to blue circles 🤷‍♀️😀

[@upfreaks]

@@OverlandingSophia BOTH, red circle and red circle with red line means NO..!! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_European_road_signs

[@f.policarpo664]

Great video. You should also visit Sortelha, a medievel village.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you for the recommendation! 😊

[@mikefandango3343]

So jealous of you guys! But also so happy you’re living the dream. Keep em coming ❤️

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah cheers Mike! Thank you for watching 🤗Plenty more to come!

[@ASCarvings]

Lovely place looks amazing guys. Keep them coming

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thanks so much for watching, plenty more to come! 🤗

[@VanBooter]

The only difference is the Portuguese stones are free to access and roam, to access the ripoff British ones costs £20 and even then you are only allowed to view the stones from a distance

[@OverlandingSophia]

It was so nice the fact we could just roll up and wander around! And you need to get up Dartmoor - soo many stones circles, avenues, burial mounds etc, all free! Think Arbor Low and Avebury are free too 😊

[@paulsmart7564]

Great video, thanks. Ben, does your roof rack whistle? I have the same one on my MWB Crafter, the whistling drives me mad. Happy travels, guys.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Yes! We think it does!! For AGES we've thought it's our vent, but now that you mention it, we think it's definitely the roof rack! 😂Thanks for bringing that up, we would have taken the fan apart otherwise!

[@tattyratty123]

Usually a whistle on a roof rack is caused by air passing over any open tubes, can be cured by putting gaffer tape over the holes or Corks inserted into holes( not sure where you can find cork in Portugal😉😊😀😁😂). Have a good trip ,I am enjoying following your exploits.

[@OverlandingSophia]

James Fraser Ah that’s really good to know, thanks for that! I guess it makes sense too. Haha yeah, not seen any of that stuff around here 🧐😂 And thank you, great to hear you enjoy the vids, lots more exploits to come 😄

[@davidhurley2425]

Enjoyed your video beautiful views.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you! They were some stunning views!

[@RohanTheBT]

Really enjoying following you around Spain & Portugal. Do you use colour correction or LUTs on your footage?

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah thank you! Thank you for taking the time to comment too, it's always much appreciated 😊Plenty more videos to come! And yes, we do use LUTS on the footage 😊

[@DavidHaney1]

❤ GR8 VID ~ LOVED IT ❤ thats a lot of bones, sort of creepy ❤

[@kenredgate3690]

Great vlog guys , think that sign meant no parking for campervans , take care .

[@OverlandingSophia]

🙈I know, someone else mentioned it and we Googled it... good job we didn't park there in the end! 😅

[@kenredgate3690]

Didn't like to come across as a know all, used to be hgv driver trainer in a former life, still remember the signs.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ken Redgate Not at all! Better we know than park in the wrong place. Hope you’re having a lovely week, thanks for the comment ☺️

[@ruihonorio]

Hey guys, Im a Portuguese that love your videos :) Please, don't skip the westcost of Alentejo (After river Tejo), Costa Vicentina. It's a beautiful place to visit. My top favourite places are Praia de odeceixe, Vila Nova de Mil Fontes (new village from a thousand sources, literally translated) and Porto Covo. If you plan to visit it, I hope you enjoy :) Love you guys!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hey! Ah thank you so much! 💞Well, we did visit the Alentejo coast in last weeks video, although we didn't quite make it as far north as the places you mention (We did Praia do Malhao and the cliffs near Monte Clerigo). We only have a few weeks left in Portugal and are already near Lisbon! 😭Do you have any recommendations for north Portugal?? We LOVE your country Rui 🌞

[@ruihonorio]

​@@OverlandingSophia Hey Guys, sorry for the late reply. I'm glad you are loving Portugal and , after this trip, I hope you come back soon for a 2round :) In Lisbon, a great place to park is in "Parking Museum Electricidade" (by the way its a great Museum). Near there, you have great places to visit, MAAT Museum, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, National Coach Museum, Belém Tower, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, etc. West from Lisbon, you have a must place to visit, Sintra. This region have a wondrous atmosphere and full of history, and makes you consider wanting to live there :) In Sintra, you should visit Quinta da Regaleira, Pena Palace, Monserrate Palace (there is much more places to be visited). Next I would go to Peniche. Peniche is a small fishing village, that is known for surfing. Its one of the world's greatest places to surf due to its geography. You should try surfing over there :) With a short detour you can have a quick look at Obidos Castle and try "Gija" (it's famous for the sweet liquor from that region). Obidos is a beautiful medieval walled town also full of history. Further north, you can visit other small, but beautiful, fishing village calls Nazaré. My favorite place to eat it's "Restaurante Casa Pires - A Sardinha" (you really should try eating over there. Arroz de tamboril [monkfish rice], Sardines, Caldeirada de Peixe [Fish stew], etc). You can camp in Praia do Norte (north beach) north of Nazaré. Praia do Norte it's known for the big surfable waves that can get over meters in specific conditions. All the next beaches are suit for van camp. (if you get to this region you will notice that has a big area of pine trees that was planted in 1248-1279 in order to generate sufficient wood to built the boats for the portuguese explorers. If at this point you are not tired of castles, you can visit my bird town Leiria. Over there I think you can park almost everywhere. Leiria has a great feng shui (and also a beautiful castle :p) In the road for Coimbra (next city you can visit) you can visit Conímbriga (in Condeixa-a-Nova), one of the largest Roman settlements excavated in Portugal. Near Conínbriga you can also check "PO.RO.S - Portugal Roman Museum in Sicó" it's a great museum. In this area you can camp anywhere. The next town is Coimbra, City of Knowledge (old saying), where I studied. Its a place full of history and traditions. From where really comes the Harry Potter costumes :) In Coimbra you can park near the river "Area Camper Coimbra" sleep there if you want and walk to the city, universities, etc. As you imagine, there are many more places that you should visit in this region, but I understand that you did not have time for everything. Still here are a few places that you can check: (Aldeia de xisto piodão, Redinha [for climbing and trekking], "serra da lousa" in general) A must place to go, is "Drave" further north. Drave is a magical uninhabited village good to be with yourself (I love this place). Other Must visit place (my favorite) is "Sortelha" a lovely medieval village which, in my opinion, deserves every kilometer of detour. Finally, you can visit Porto, as you well know it's the second Portuguese major city, full of wonderful places to visit. Although, Portugal is a really safe country, Porto is a little less safe i.e. you can walk freely at any hour in almost any place, just carefully select a great parking place to protect you awesome van ;) Hope this helps, have a wonderful stay and keep sending yours great videos :) If you have any problem or need any help just mail me ruihonorio gmail com Best wishes :)

[@jes1111yta]

Quick lesson on pronouncing Portuguese words... very easy... emphasis is on the penultimate syllable unless otherwise indicated by an accented vowel. So "Évora" would be pronounced Ev-or-ra if it didn't have the accent... with that accent the emphasis is on the first syllable... so: Eh-vora (with a short "o"). Easy peasy :-)

[@OverlandingSophia]

THANK YOU. We apologise in advance for the terrible pronunciation of place names here!

[@rogerjob2780]

Don’t forget to go to Figara do Foz and Sao Martinho do Porto 😎🍷🚍🇵🇹

[@OverlandingSophia]

Noted! Thank you! We love getting recommendations on where to visit 😍

[@HandyC]

Are those hikes not available on the net in digital / GPS format? Got to be easier than some foreign paper squiggly line :D

[@OverlandingSophia]

Haha they probably are, but I have no idea where you would look. The trails were so easy to follow though!

[@dellunn7026]

just started to watch, always had vw's but sprinters world wide seem the way to go right for a proper conversion? lol just subscribed so just starting to watch as come up on my "you might like also type thing haha"

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah amazing, hope you enjoy the videos! VWs are also great, but Sprinters do have the extra room if you're tall or just fancy a bit of extra space 😊

[@rayray2613]

Onward bound guys !

[@OverlandingSophia]

😊😊

[@GuyRutter]

I was wondering about the hatch enlargement also. Loved the video as always.

[@OverlandingSophia]

All will be revealed next week, we knew it wouldn't slip past you guys! Thank you Guy, so happy to hear you enjoyed it 🤗

[@UrbanVanlife]

Omg sooooo sorrry I’m late late late . Now off to watch

[@briancohen1967]

Is there an app or satnav for air parking in France and Portugal thanks

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hey, I'm not sure about an aire specific app, but we use Park4Night to find places to park 😊

[@bennett290]

Living my dream 😍

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah hope you get to live it too! Thanks for watching 😊

[@sadidiker]

🖒🖒🙌🙌😙