Facing Morocco

Our time in Europe is nearing an end. Our pace has slowed. In the last week, we have rarely made it out before noon. And we have watched as many movies as we have the entire trip. Perhaps it has something to do with the way autumn has been nipping at our heels this past week with her bluster. For a moment late Monday night as we approached Madrid, the car thermometer dropped into the single digits. But the days are still warm and the cities still beautiful.

Perhaps it is because we are returning our car today. With it, I can't help but feel like we are giving up some freedom and access to the countryside. Going forward, however, our daily expenses when we open our eyes in the morning will be back to zero (or as close as they have been since college at least). But most of all, leaving the car means downsizing. After a few months of traveling, somehow figuring out what to pack for a year of traveling has become more difficult. Do we bring the tent? It was our best friend in Europe, particularly around the Mediterannean. Will be of any use to us without a car? And if we get rid of the tent, do we get rid of our sleeping bags too? I can imagine lots of situations in the next year where those will come in handy. Or maybe we hold onto them for the next week as we travel through Southern Spain, see how the backpacks feel, then hip them home if we want. Of course, the known post office in Madrid is always more appealing than the hypothetical one elsewhere.

Portugal was a bit disappointing. We overslept and missed our surfing lesson. Our couchsurfing host was interesting. He is a beekeeper. But he just finished an exhausting harvest which he did completely on his own. So, righly so, he slept for most of the weekend while we wandered around in search of something to do in Viano do Castelo. It was windy and cool there. The highlight was our drive through wine country during the harvest. We must have passed two dozen tractors, trailers loaded with barrels of fresh grapes. And the dinners. We tasted the wine over our dinners in Portugal. They were sweet and delicious. A plate of fresh whole grilled fish, the best of the trip, cost less than $10.

We spent an afternoon in Porto before driving to Madrid. It deserved more time. The city is a beautiful and mysterious jumble of old and new climbing a series of hills around the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean. We toured Sandeman's port cellars, primarily interested in the tastings. We were surprised to find the 40-minute tour fascinating. For example, did you know that port is actually wine mixed with brandy two days into the fermentation? We tasted a delicious white port, ate a hamburger for the first time since the states (call us classy) and meandered back to the car and back to Spain.