Lauren Burnison and her young daughter embark on a winter road trip through Portugal and Spain, facing relentless rain, disrupted plans and the challenges and rewards of solo parenting
The calm before the storm on the southwest coast of Portugal
It’s midnight in downtown Coimbra, central Portugal. I’m lying awake in bed as 200kph gusts batter the facade of our little guesthouse.
Safi, my four-year-old daughter, is out for the count, but I’m struggling to sleep. The gale whistles and howls through narrow cobbled streets like a mythical creature lamenting the death of a loved one. I’ve experienced storms in the region before, but not like this. This feels more sinister.