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... Read More

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,... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

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... Read More

August 6, 2015 Gordon:  As we were grinding up the long grade we heard an odd mechanical noise coming from the cable span far overhead.  Looking up, a torpedo hanging below the cable shot by us.  "What was that?"  We had no idea, until another one... Read More