All castled out

The day starts very cloudy and showery, we have a day of castles and fortified villages planned. First stop is Marialva with a deserted village ruin within the castle walls, we have to wait for the tourist office to open to be let in, it costs 1 euro 50 each entrance fee and well worth it.

On route to our next stop we pass through the town of Pinhel and for a laugh someone has filled the fountain with soap and the suds are flying round the town.

Next we visit the Serra de Marofa a mountain outside the fortified village of Castelo Rodrigo, for a moment we thought we had arrived in Rio de Janeiro, there are amazing views.

Castelo Rodrigo costs us 1 euro each and again worth every cent.
 Someone lives in this converted water tower.

On then to Castelo Mendo again free but we got hassled by mad women and it started to rain so we left.

Finally the hilltop village of Castelo Bom

where we thought for a moment we had walked through one of those time space interpass things and was back in the Blackdown Hills when we saw this sign. (isn't Malhada Sorda near Milverton ?)

Turns out that the Duke of Wellington had captured this whole border area. We’re back to wildcamping in the middle of no-where again, alls peaceful, so far.

Further south is the town most people will have heard of Almeida, it is a fortified hilltop village with its walls in the shape of a 12 pointed star (best to see it using google earth to fully appreciate its shape) this was free to wander round and has some restored parts.