Tough Camping and Guardian Angels

Cornwall can be windy and rainy at the best of times.  It is unfortunately one of the down sides.  This winter, as in much of the UK, it was particularly bad.  So we always pin our hopes on our annual March/April camping trip to Portugal to offer us a spot of warmth and respite from the foul UK weather. 

However, every year we seem to forget how windy it is in Portugal and every year we suffer huge downpours and rain generally for a few days running.  Still it will be warm at least right?  Wrong!  We weren’t quite anticipating some of the low temperatures this year though.  A jolly evening at the one night opening of the campsite bar, so that the few people staying here could meet, was followed by a particularly cold night in the tent, 5 degrees C in fact.  Whether it was the later bed time (when we are in the tent we usually turn in at 9pm at least) that intensified the cold or whether it was just a cold night is unsure but it was a reasonably uncomfortable night’s sleep until the sun eventually weakly showed its face. 

Then there was last night.  We’ve never known a thunderstorm to keep going so long; in fact all night and into the morning.  The lightning threw our tent into a glow of white light every minute or so and earth trembling thunder cracked and rumbled away far too near overhead.  It didn’t help that we are camping on top of a hill and spent some time considering what electrically conducting items were above us! 

Still we and the tent survived the heavy downpours and circling storm, if not with a certain degree of sleepiness as a result.  The wet weather is set to continue for a few days, but thankfully not to the same extreme.  However we are pretty tough so were prepared.  That is until a guardian angel came along and took matters into her own hands!

We were sat in the car by the closed campsite reception, utilising the wireless and checking up on the weather.  We were just about thinking of retreating up to our pitch between showers when there was a knock on our window.  It was Andrea, the owner of the campsite whom we have come to know well over the years.  She had been looking for us this morning but we had left earlier to head east for the day.  She said she couldn’t stand it anymore to think of us in the tent and that we must move to one of the apartments free of charge.  We didn’t know what to say, it was such a surprise and a lovely gesture. 

Storm clouds gather above our pitch

.....and the rain soon starts again!

So suddenly we weren’t so 'camping tough' after all as we swiftly retrieved our stuff from our tent to move to the spacious heated gift from Andrea with huge thanks.  We did however resolve to move back to our tent when the weather improves in a few days’ time because we really are outdoor creatures, if not fair weather ones!

In the meantime, we will enjoy our little spell of luxury whilst staring at the trees bending and the rain falling on our pitch in clear view just above our apartment patio area!

Our love and thanks go to Andrea at Quinta dos Carricos for taking pity on these so called tough campers!!

.......and here is hoping that the sunshine will return soon and we can once more enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors and this amazing camp site.  If you are looking for a camp site in Portugal we would challenge you to find a better one!  It is beautifully peaceful at this time of year as long as you are prepared to chance the weather!

http://www.quintadoscarricos.com/