Monday September 15, 2014

We took a wrong turn out of Murca and although the error didn’t add any extra kilometres to our ride it did add hills.  At the 5km mark we were off the bikes and pushing it up a 12% grade.  If this was the start of the day, what was the rest of it going to be like?  We were on and off the bikes for the first 20 kilometres, it was so disheartening for me.  I had been managing the hills really well up until today and then I couldn’t seem to manage even the easiest of grades.

As we climbed one grade we noticed this rocky outcropping – looks like snoopy.

At the 20 km mark we rejoined the road we were supposed to be on and it seemed to be easier for me and I didn’t need to get of the bike again.  The scenery was lovely.

We were chased twice by dogs.  The second time they came out of nowhere and I screamed at them like a demented banshee.  They didn’t seem to like that and with Ralf coming alongside one of them with his “hornet” bell going of they decided not to carry on with the chase.

We had lunch about 10 kms outside of Vila Real, cheese sandwiches are the easiest things to order for us.  Our bikes drew a lot of interest from other customers but no one approached us, a nod of the head and a bon dia and that was about it.

We arrived in Vila Real at just after 1:00, it seemed that everyone was heading out of the city, to the point that all of the round-a-bouts were jammed.  We found the albergue very easily, but it didn’t open until 2:45.  We decided to go to the tourist office which was signed but well hidden. I asked a policeman where it was.  We had passed it and had to go back to the square – as I said it was well hidden.  It opened at 2:00, we sat in the café next to it and had a second lunch – ham and cheese sandwiches this time, we are getting adventurous.

The guy in the Tourist Office was really helpful.  We are only able to stay in the albergue as pilgrims for one night, the tourist office gave me a list of hotels and tomorrow we have to either go to the municipal campsite or stay in a cheap hotel.  The forecast is for rain again and it is raining right now, we will see what the weather is doing tomorrow before deciding to go to the campsite.

Ralf went to do some shopping for dinner and came back empty handed, he is getting a little frustrated with not being able to find a good supermarket.  It would appear that in Spain and Portugal the locals shop in the small stores – as we have no Portuguese it is difficult for us to ask for the simplest of things.  It is easier if we go to a supermarket and pick things that we recognize.  I went out with him a second time and we choose tri-coloured pasta, olives and a garlic tomato pasta sauce – Standard Dinner Menu # 1.

Early night tonight in our pilgrims bedroom.  A very simple room with an ensuite bathroom that we don’t have to share with anyone. It is on the third floor of the seminary, at E10 for the two of us we cannot complain.