August 21, 2015Gordon: I had a flat tire early in the trip, and more recently a slow leak had developed, presumably from the patch. When I picked up a thorn of frightening length in the same tire I therefore replaced the tube. I have been carrying an extra folding tire( thanks Don), and I also took the opportunity to swap it for the quite worn ...
August 19, 2015Gordon: The village of Monsanto, where we are staying tonight, was voted "the most Portuguese village" in 1938. However, as Ruth commented "How can it be the most Portuguese village when it is unlike any other place we have been in the country?" Monsanto truly is extraordinary. It is situated on an isolated hill high above the the surrounding plains. From the castle ...
August 18, 2015Ruth: We are now in hill town country as we head south along the border between Portugal and Spain. On our ride between Vila Nova de Foz Coa and Almeida we saw four Castelo or fortified towns. When planning our routes we try to link up as many of the towns mentioned in the Lonely Planet as possible, but sometimes the distances are ...
August 16, 2015Gord: We are staying two nights in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, which would have been of no interest to us or the many other tourists here prior to 1991. At that time a dam was proposed for the Côa river just above its confluence with the Douro. During the environmental impact assessment process an extensive collection of rock engravings were discovered. The ...
August 15, 2015Today was one of the most spectacular rides yet. We coasted down into the Douro river valley for 21 km through terraced vineyards, almond and olive orchards. This is the upper Alto Douro, above the demarcated growing area for port wine and off the tourist radar. In our descent to the Douro we saw only three vehicles: a car, a farm truck, and ...
Freixo de Espada à CintaGordon: We had a lovely ride through hilly country today. Part of the day was spent on almost untraveled secondary roads. They have more challenging grades, but gave us glimpses of rural life in the area. Reaching the crest of the final hill, we were treated to the sight of the town of Freixo da Espada à Cinta, nestled in a ...
August 13, 2015Gordon: It's 3 am and we are sitting in the lobby of a hotel that I can no longer recommend. Ruth was complaining about bug bites all day yesterday, but we managed to convince ourselves they were caused by fleas, spiders, space aliens, anything but bedbugs. Sadly, we learned their true source when we examined our beds an hour ago. Filthy little devils, ...
August 12, 2015Gordon: For much of our journey in northern Portugal we have been tracing the border with Spain. In the Parque Natural do Douro this line is hard to miss: it is the spectacular canyon of the upper Douro river. We are staying two nights in the aptly named town of Miranda do Douro, which sits on the rim of the canyon at its ...
Our wonderful hosts at Varandas da CapelaAugust 10, 2015Gordon:"There are a number of people in the village in the summer when the emigrants return for a visit, but the winter population of that village is only four" explained our host. "And how many people would have lived there 50 years ago?" I asked. "About 100." This in a nutshell is the story of rural northeastern ...
August 7, 2015Chaves to RebordeloRuth:The best part of everyday is sitting down to lunch at around 1:00, when we have either reached our daily destination or are close to it. I love the riding too, but eating is bliss. Prato do dia or diaria in Portugal is a must. Mid to late morning, either Gord or I mentions to the other how long it is until ...