Portugal - Castro Verde - Villa Read de Santo Antonio.

 Eucalyptus trees lining the open roads were such a thrill, their lovely fresh smell took us back home as we drove along.  Why are there so many Gum Trees in Portugal we wonder.
From Wiki:- In continental Portugal, the Azores and Galicia numerous oak forests have been replaced with eucalyptus, which are farmed for pulpwood, with severe effects on wildlife.

A roadside water fountain and picnic area. 

 Rain, rain, rain with the streets of Alcacer do Sal flooded by the River Sado.

 Crossing the very full River Sado.

 Near Castro Verde poor 'Tabitha' sprung a leak in her rusty fuel tank, we limped into the nearest village which was Castro Verde where with much amazement and amusement a couple of mechanics repaired her.  (London Taxi's weren't a regular sight in this little Village.)  We paid 50 escudo and a carton of British Cigarettes (David was a smoker back then) and were on our way.

We continued south heading towards the Mediterranean and to Vila Real de Santo Antonio to a Car Ferry across the Guadiana River to Ayamonte in Spain, it was the only way to cross the border back then.

Only four cars fit on the Ferry and across the boat instead along. I notice the car beside us is from the Netherlands then the one beside it is from Britain. A bridge a little to the north of the below picture was built in 1991 so is now the only way to cross the river, this car ferry having long gone.

Portugal - Lisbon

 Lisbon was a surprise with it's beautiful Harbour almost as beautiful as Sydney's.   I see by our photos that we had a lot of rain while we were in Portugal.

Below is the same view from Google... and...

... Below -  this photo is one taken (on Google Maps), facing the other way from ours.  That Pier in our photo has been turned into a Restaurant by the look of it.

Lisbon at night...

1969 -  Praca Dom Pedro IV with tram and without tram below.

 2011 Below -  Praca Dom Pedro IV with trams long gone.

Below - this photo was taken from inside the restaurant where we were enjoying our evening meal, those Lobsters hanging in the window were live so were moving about which fascinated passers by who stopped to look.  Entertaining for us watching the look on faces but not nice for those poor Lobsters.

Food was fantastic in Spain but even cheaper and just as delicious in Portugal.  One day we wandered into a large Market place, beautiful fruit, vegetables, fresh meat and fish everywhere and large Portuguese Mumma's dressed from head to toe in black... selling their goods.

I was dressed in leather boots and a leather mini skirt which caused those lovely Mumma's to roar with laughter and even made some of them want to poke me... to see if I was real I guess...  we left pretty quickly.  LOL  funny now but very scary back in 1969!

Neither of us knew much of Portugal before we arrived and we just loved it, especially the beaches and Lisbon, the fact that we were rich* here might have helped not like in France where we were poor.

*We budgeted most of our trips (1968-1970) from Arthur Frommer's '$5US a day Guide to Europe' except we were doing it for the two of us on $5 a day... in some countries we were rich and in others we were poor but we could always fall back on those canned and dried foods in 'Tabitha' if we couldn't afford to eat the local foods.

Portugal - Fuentes de Onoro - Nazare.

Entering Portugal from Spain through Fuentes de Onoro, new modern Customs on left but not so new looking today from Google Maps.

Larger view of the Spanish - Portugal border crossing.

Train crossing somewhere near Coimbra, Portugal.

Beautiful old fishing village of Nazare, bit of a rough surf and lots of fishing boats pulled up out of the waters reach.
Nazare is now a large Tourist Holiday resort with no fishing boats in sight.  I can't take my little yellow man from Google Maps anywhere in Portugal except on the borders and in Lisbon (still to come).