Wednesday September 17, 2014

Before going to bed last night we had agreed that if it is raining when we get up we will stay an extra night.  The forecast is for rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the week.  At some stage this week we are going to get wet.

It was drizzling when we got up but the sun kept coming out.  The rain wasn’t heavy so we made the decision to push on towards Porto.  If it is going to rain all week, we might as well cycle in showers and not heavy rain.

We found the N15 easily and started to climb and climb and climb up to an elevation of 1,024 metres up into the hills and into the rain.

We put our yellow jackets on as it was quite humid and we figured we would get wet from the inside out, rather than from the outside in, if we wore our heavier rain jackets.  By the time we had summitted the mountain range it was raining heavily and the temperature had dropped by 6 degrees.  Coming down the other side we were cold and very wet.  At about 20 kms we spotted a hotel, we pulled in and noticed the Michelin Guide stickers on the door – this could be expensive.  The guy behind the reception desk peered at us as we came in and I asked him how much for one night E85.00.  Both of us were really cold so Ralf said yes lets check in.  We began to push our bikes through the door, and the guy said no bikes.  I asked him where we could put them, he indicated outside.  I thanked him for his hospitality and we carried on in the cold wet rain. We put on our heavier rain jackets.  It was absolutely throwing it down and we were getting colder as we were coming down the other side of the Serra du Marao.

We came through two small villages with no café and then stopped in Candemil where there was a small restaurant with a Residencial sign on it.  This indicates that they have rooms.  It also had a For Sale sign on the building, we were keeping our frozen fingers crossed that it would have a room.  We were fortunate, the elderly proprietor came out and showed me the room – it was very basic and could do with a clean, but we were so cold we needed to warm up.  As we were unpacking the bikes and bringing our gear to the room, the sun came out and it began to warm up.  I was tempted to change my mind and carry on, but we had secured the bikes in the garage and some of the bags were in the room.  We both had hot showers and put clean warm clothes on. Then we heard the thunder reverberating around the valley and more rain.  It was a good decision to stop when we did.

We went down to the small restaurant and met the proprietor again, we ordered soup – and it was a lovely thick vegetable soup with good buns and butter.  We really needed something thick and hearty and it definitely fit the bill.  We are going to eat dinner in the restaurant as well.  We have already decided on a typical Portuguese dish – bacalhau, salt cod.  Hope we like it.

We have our wet cycling clothes hanging in the bathroom.  I don’t think they will be dry by the morning as it is cool and damp in this quiet hillside village.

Like so many towns and villages in Portugal and Spain the motorway has cut-off these villages.  No cars come through this way on a regular basis, the hotels, restaurants etc have no business and are closing down.  This was the view from our bedroom window.

They are currently building a second motorway, through the mountain.  The bridges are in place and we passed an area where the tunneling is in progress.

The scenery today was absolutely stunning, if it hadn’t been raining so hard, it would have been an awesome ride.

Our dinner consisted of more thick hearty soup, poached salt cod and potatoes, beans and carrots and half a litre of local wine.  It was a basic home cooked meal but tasted really good.  The portion seemed huge at first glance, but we polished of the whole lot.  Need energy for tomorrow.

The proprietor went through everything that was on the plate in Portuguese and I repeated each item, she then asked for the English translation and she repeated it – Portuguese and English lessons were free. The room, lunch, dinner, wine and breakfast cost E80.00.  A little over budget, but hopefully we can get a cheap room in Porto.  We are going to stay their 3 nights, as we want to experience the city and Ralf can enjoy some Port.

Tuesday September 16, 2014

I am not sure what is “worthy of note” about this city, because for what we can see it has two lovely churches, the large seminary where we stayed and a nice old square and that is about it. It is a university City and has a very large shopping mall. The first big shopping mall we have come across for quite a while. We had a lie-in until 8:00 and had a nice breakfast. We packed our bags and left the albergue at about 10:30.

We decided to stay in a hotel tonight, and choose the one that is on our route for tomorrow.

As we passed the post office an English couple spoke to us – noticing Ralf’s Canadian flag. We chatted to them for a while and then made our way to the hotel, which is about 2kms out of town and down a steep hill.

We had also decided to go to the big shopping mall, for some window shopping. After we had got settled in to the hotel, we caught the bus to the shopping mall. We spent about 3 hours just wandering around, looking at some nice stores. I bought a Portuguese/English phrase book and Ralf bought a new memory card for his camera.

We have decided not to get a new sim card for the phone, because wi-fi is available almost everywhere in Portugal. If by the time we get to Porto (about 2 days away) we decide we need it, we will get it there. The weather has turned against us, it is very humid and rainy, I had a migraine today, first one for a while. Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow, although it is forecast for more rain and thunderstorms, more hills tomorrow, but after a days rest, it will be good.

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.

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.

Saturday September 13, 2014

I had a great nights sleep, didn’t hear any young people partying, neither did Ralf.  Although the Town’s dogs woke us up early with their barking.  I was awake without the alarm at 6:15am.

A lovely start to the day, we had a good breakfast and was on the road by 9:00, a little later than usual, but that is what happens when you have to pack up a tent.

The campsite was at the bottom of a hill so our morning started with a 100 metre pushing of the bikes up a 14% incline.  I am not sure which I prefer finishing the ride on a hill, then you can start the ride going downhill, or finishing the ride going down a hill, but then you have to start the ride going uphill when the legs haven’t had a chance to warm up.

We had a little climb out of the town to reach the N612 another road that parallels a motorway. They are building a new bridge not far from this old bridge, we crossed this and zig-zagged back up the hill the other side.

Then we started dropping out of the hills and dropping and dropping, we ended up at 262 metres. We had dropped over 500 metres from Mogadoura.  As most cyclists know what goes down must go up and it did we climbed back up to 700 metres, then down again and our final elevation was at just under 600 metres.  A very hilly day but with the awesome scenery it was a great ride.

The scenery in Portugal continues to amaze us, it really is beautiful.

There are lots of roadside shrines, usually on a concrete plinth with a religious statue inside.  We have seen a couple of crosses, but not too many today.

We passed this little white church in the middle of nowhere, it is the Santuario de Sao Goncao.

There are a lot of olive groves in this area. I didn\’t know Portugal produced so much olive oil.

We arrived in Macedo de Cavaleiros at about 1:30 and visited the Tourist Information Office.  The closest campsite was 10 km out of town in the opposite direction to which we were travelling in.  I asked about hostels or inexpensive hotels.  A nice hotel just down the street for E40.  We decided to stay in the hotel.  It was lovely, very clean and a nice big bed.  I also asked what there was to see in Macedo de Cavaleiros.  I was told that it was a new town and nothing worthy of note to be seen.  After a ride through the town I tended to agree with her.

Ralf went to get supper at an Intermarch, the supermarkets we had been used to in France.  His shopping expedition was not very successful.  When it came to putting the gastronomic feast together, I discovered a frozen quiche – Ralf thought it would have defrosted by the time we came to eat it!  Four lovely brown buns and a package of chicken or turkey, couldn’t decide which it was even after eating it. The cherry tomatoes were lovely.  He had bought a bottle of wine to go with this feast and yogurts for tomorrows breakfast.  Even though breakfast is included we didn’t think it would include yogurt.

I relaxed and updated the blog and after dinner, I was able to get on to the wi-fi and skype Joy.  Less than a week to her operation.  She is very scared, but sounded really strong.  My niece Lindsey and her family had popped down to see her for the day.  I think that really boosted her spirits.

Ralf popped downstairs to get us a night cap and came back with a massive glass of wine for me.  Imagine a typical red wine glass almost filled to the brim.  Apparently, they had wine in a bag and wasn’t sure how much was left so emptied it into a wine glass for me.  Nice wine, from the region.

Friday September 12, 2014

An interesting start today.  The alarm went of at 7:00, we had a lie-in as breakfast was supposed to be included.  We showered and packed the bikes took everything downstairs and waited for the restaurant to open.  At 8:30 we went back up to our room with the breakfast panniers and made our own breakfast, we were a little annoyed but put it down to poor translation.

At 9:00 we were ready to leave.  I turned my garmin on and checked the time as I usually do to see what time we are leaving.  It said 8:02.  Strange, we asked a guy leaving the hotel what time it was?  8:00 he said, Ralf questioned the time and said we had come in from Spain.  Apparently Portugal is one hour behind Spain, we should have changed our clocks back one hour when we crossed the river – who knew.  The restaurant was still not open, so we started our ride.

Today we had our first experience of Portuguese dogs.  We had been warned about the local dogs chasing cyclists.  The first time in 10 months, I had a bloody little yappy thing chasing me on my bike.  With the load I am carrying I cannot do my impression of Mark Cavendish and outsprint the dam dog, I have to resort to shouting at the thing. Other dogs (that are fortunately behind fences) race down their property line barking their fool heads off.  There were a couple of dogs wandering along a Town’s street that looked at us as we passed and decided we weren’t worth the effort.

As we were cycling up one hill Ralf commented on the cyclist ahead.  No, it wasn’t a cyclist, it was a mule – his eyesight is dreadful.  Sauntering up the road, staying on the hard shoulder, it glanced at us as we passed, then turned around and sauntered back down the road.

The other interesting thing we saw today was cork trees.  We came across these lovely red barked trees, then realized that the bark had been stripped from them.  Ralf picked up a piece of the bark, definitely cork.  It would be interesting to find out how they are harvested.

Our final destination today is Mogadoura and a municipal campsite.  Portugal has municipal campsites yeah we can save money again.  This campsite is quite large and we are the only people here.  The showers were my “favourite” push button and hopefully get hot water, not too successful on that score.  Everything is clean and at E7.60 cannot complain.  Wi-fi is included, but it is slow.

Our first night in the tent in 10 days.  We could get used to sleeping in hotels, but the budget will not allow for that, even though they are cheap in Spain and Portugal.

This house was completely tiled in green tiles.  Very Vera Duckworth – Coronation Street.

We went for a walk and had a beer in the square.

Also stopped at the Farmica (Pharmacy) to buy something for my bites.  I have antihistamine tablets, but nothing to stop the immediate itch.  The pharmacist gave me this wonderful cream that has stopped the itching and hopefully with the tablets I can get a good nights sleep.

The night watchman at the campsite came by and warned us it might be noisy where we have set up our tent, as young people drive their cars by the top road at night and party in the area at the bottom of the campsite.  I think he thought we should move our tent to a quieter area, but we told him we have ear plugs and should be o.k.