Sunday September 14, 2014

What a wonderful breakfast we had this morning. We went down to the restaurant for breakfast at 7:40 and was amazed at the wonderful breakfast to be had.  Fresh fruit salad, juice, coffee, cheese and ham, buns, bread, jams and marmalade, yogurt, cereals and small muffins and croissants.  We definitely were able to satisfy our hunger and it kept us going up most of the hills that was our route today.

I was a little under the weather today, probably because of that massive glass of wine I had last night.  I didn’t really want to ride.  It should have been a rest day, but with nothing to see in the town we have decided to press on to Vila Real (2 cycling days away).

We had checked the maps and decided to take the bottom road to Vila Real towards Porto.  Vila Real is supposed to be a town worthy of note, we will have our rest day there.  It has a municipal campsite and an albergue, we should have a cheap stay to compensate for the last few nights hotel stays.

The ride today started with a little climb out of the town and then up into the hills.  We could see olive groves as far as the eye could see.

Although we are also in the Doura wine growing region, we didn’t see many vineyards today.  The small towns we went through, for some reason only known to the Portugese, had cobbled streets. What a pain on the hands and bum.

We criss-crossed the main highway to Porto all day.  Today is the first time in Portugal we have seen other cyclists.  The first three we saw I was so excited, I was waving madly at them, I am sure they must have thought I was crazy.  They waved back and wished us bon dia.

All the cyclists were roadies on their skinny tires enjoying the hills up and down, although a few of them were struggling on some of the ups.  Everyone waved to us and wished us bon dia, good day.

We really like to see the cork trees.  This one has been harvested twice.  We could see two different areas on the tree that had been cut.  The first one above the trunk and then the new cutting on the main trunk of the tree, still showing the bright red trunk.

We arrived in Murco at about 1:30 tired and ready for something to eat.  We stopped at the first café, and prepared to ask them about the chance of finding a cheap hotel or campsite.  Our language skills failed us.  We managed to get a café con leite (coffee with milk) – actually it was more leite con café and a couple of sandwiches.  Ralf’s skills with charades came in handy once again.  As we were eating Ralf checked on the garmin for accommodation – a small hotel in the centre of town was our choice of resting places.  We found it very quickly and no sooner had we leaned our bikes against the wall outside, the lady proprietor came out invited us in and asked us in French if we wanted something to eat.  We said no, we needed a room.  She was very pleased and was about to take us to the room, when we asked how much – E35 no breakfast.  She picked up my panniers and hauled them upstairs while Ralf and I followed meekly behind her.  I am sure we would not have been able to get away without staying the night.

Portugal seems to be closed on Sundays, a few cafés open but no stores and no grocery stores.

Before dinner we took a little stroll around the town.  It looks like an old town with new growth all around it.  Little cobbled streets going up and away from the old main square.  There is a large winery in town that looks as though it may do wine tours.

We had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, what a fabulous meal.  Today\’s special is chops pork, with beans rice – turned out to be pork chops with chick peas and rice and a tomato and lettuce salad.  We were given an appetizer of local meat and cheese and local olives and awesome farmers bread.  Ralf had local red wine and I had local white wine, which we were told they both came from the family’s vineyards.

After the dinner we were offered dessert – we choose a salad de fruit (fruit salad) which had a light liquor in it.  Then the proprietor came out with the family Port wine from the family’s vineyard – free.  She was very interested in how we found her hotel and restaurant – (Restaurant Vittorino).  We showed her Ralf’s garmin and explained how we find our places to stay.

Throughout all of this she spoke to Ralf, I was chopped liver.  It didn’t matter that Ralf barely understood her French and I did.  She only spoke to me when I spoke to her in response to something she had said to Ralf, but she always spoke to Ralf, must be his blue eyes and rugged good looks.  I must admit he had the same effect on me when I first met him, and still does.

We now have a thunderstorm echoing through Murca and surrounding hills and valleys.  Let’s hope it clears by the morning, although we have been told it is forecast throughout tomorrow.  We could get wet.  Never mind we had a fabulous evening with great hospitality and a really good meal for less than $45.00.