The Truemans' Treks - Walk 15 - Curiouser and Curiouser

Start: The walk starts in the village of Serra, a few kilometres south east of Tomar in central Portugal. There is ample parking in the village around the church.

1. Take the main road out of the village, clearly signposted to Tomar. You will pass a garage on your left and, after one kilometre, take a track leading slightly uphill on the right. Follow the track until it ends (300 metres) until it meets a major track where you turn right.

2. Follow this major track through the small settlement of Silveira until, after 600 metres, you turn left on another very clear track. This track eventually passes through another small settlement of several new houses in Hortinha. Follow the road through the 'estate' until it meets the main road where you turn left and continue until you meet a T-junction.

On the track, look out for the large tiled house on your left (Casa do Sao Jose) which has an old tiled plaque on the wall, stating, 'Pedi a Deus um conselho, para viver com algegria: nao des ovidos aos ignorantes trapalha semeia e crid'. The best that I can come up with by way of interpretation is 'I asked God for advice on living happily: do not listen to the ignorant blunders sows and creates'. Not too good a translation is it?

On the side of the road there is touching memorial cross to one Antonio Godinho, who was killed here in 1978.

At the T-junction you will see a cemetery directly opposite, which is usually closed unfortunately

3. Take the track running diagonally between the road you arrived on and the main road to the right. This track leads through pleasant orchards and farmland until, keeping left where it forks, you reach a main road after just one kilometre. This track is marked Rua da Hortinha - curious as its not really a road and does not lead to Hortinha. Here you turn right for 100 metres, turning right just before a cafe along a road marked Camping Redondo.

4. Follow this road as it twists and turns and passes the excellent Camping Redondo, an ideal stop for refreshment on hot summer's days. Just past the campsite the road swings sharp left to become a track before you turn sharp right.

5. Follow this track for 100 metres then take the first path on your left, over a small stream. Follow this path uphill for 200 metres until you reach a roach with a strange battlements, where you turn left. After a further 200 metres you meet a major road next to some very impressive gates on your right.

The battlements and gates are just the start of the surreal journey to come.

6. Turn right at the gates and follow the road downhill. On your left you will see strange posts, pillars, statues, flags, sails and crosses painted in vivid red, yellow, blue and green. When the road bends sharp right after 500 metres, take the track to your left, which looks like the entrance to a child's' theme park, but is a public road. When you reach a cross roads turn right uphill along a track marked, 'entrada so a pe' - entry only by foot.

As you follow the path through this odd place, you may wish to wander off the main track and explore. You will find strange 'bandstands' and picnic spots set amongst the hundreds of brightly-coloured poles, posts and statues of ducks, cocks and lions. It always reminds me of a cross between Disneyland (without the rides) and some strange Wonderland where I half expect to see a Cheshire cat, a dodo or a gryphon around each corner.

The owner of this weird and wonderful place is apparently an eccentric (really?) Brazilian millionaire, who lives in the area. To add to the bizarre nature of this place, whilst the owner continues to erect his strange exhibits, the whole estate is for sale - and has been for many years, not surprisingly.

7. Follow the path uphill where it becomes a tarmac road, as past a small chapel. Even this building has not escaped and is adorned with bright sails and surrounded by coloured posts and pots. Passing the chapel, you reach a track where you leave the estate and turn right to head back towards Serra.

Even now, there is one more surprise as you pass a large stone gateway on your right. Once magnificent this has been allowed to become a ruin. Shame.

8. Follow the track for one kilometre through Silveira and back to the road to Serra. There is an alternative route here where you can take the track on the right just after Silveira which climbs quite steeply before reaching a road where you turn right. Turn right again after 200 metres along a track which leads back to Serra.