Two things I can't find in Portugal..

[Brock]

Meths for the Trangia and a decent 700x28c tyre.
Not the end of the world though, I got a nasty cheap Chinese tyre and we're using ethanol gel fuel to cook with the Trangia pots (not in the burner!).
Anyone else found meths in Portugal?

 

[mickle]

Can't you just drink White Lightening like the other vagrants?

 

[Brock]

Too fizzy, makes me feel bloaty and I don't know how to belch in Portuguese.

 

[Cathryn]

So you made it out of France!!! How's Portugal? Any warmer than here?

 

[Brock]

It's great thanks, perfect blue skies and warm sun. A bit chilly in the tent at night though. Cheaper camp sites than Spain with better faciliities on the whole, and a lot flatter too which is a relief for unathletic boozers like us.

 

[raybo]

According to this website, you can by meths at pharmacies in Portugal.

Ray

 

[Brock]

Interesting Raybo, thanks. I'll look into that. The hardware stores I tried just looked blank or pointed to camping gaz canisters.
I'm cooking on ethanol gel which works fairly well, big heavy bottle though.

 

[ASC1951]

I found that straight alcohol is fairly easy to buy in pharmacies all over the place. It was usually BP grade, so more expensive than meths.

Adding 8% water cuts down sooting, but you probably know that already.

 

[friedel]

We never managed to find white gas in Portugal... is that the same as Meths? Anyway... the point is we looked for cleaner fuels for our stove in Europe and eventually gave up and just started using petrol. Been doing that ever since and the stove really doesn't get so jammed up with it, even on cheap Central Asian fuel.

By the way Brock, in Portugal, if you haven't discovered this already, you'll find free internet in nearly every town! Just ask at the tourist bureau where the local community access point is. And do the Serra da Estrela park, near Guarda if I remember correctly. It's amazing.

 

[Brains]

See if you can find a catering shop - resturant food warmers (and fondu sets) run on meths.