8 – 9 January 2022 Saturday – It has rained for two days. Even if I was feeling great I probably would have stayed in Porto. I am not that sick. If it was 2018, pre-COVID, I would be at work. Riding is different. You need your lungs. Riding in the rain sick. I will…
Year: 2022
Day 26 – Beaches forever
7 January 2022 I wake up sick. Again. I never really shook the cold from a few weeks ago. Just a lingering cough. Back to square one. Sore throat. Not feeling the best. The day is stunning. Blue skies. Not a cloud. We set out at 9.00 am. It is a big day. Over 60…
Day 25 – Stunning
6 January 2022 Up early. Last night’s pasta leftovers for breakfast. Open the window. Rain. It is what it is. Load up. Full rain kit. I don’t care that it is raining. I want to leave this place. It smells like stale urine. We use Komoot as our GPS. It has had its moments. But…
Day 24 – Wet
5 January 2022 Up early. Porridge. Packed. Overcast but not raining. I decide to put my raincoat on. The fog looks thick. 9.00 am we head off. 9.01 am it rains. On we go. The entire trip is along the river on a cycleway. It is a beautiful track. We wind our way along. Weather…
Day 23 – Rain
4 January 2022 We have been very lucky with the weather. Woke up to rain. Took a look outside and decided not to ride today. Clearing tomorrow. Hopefully. We ride out regardless. Our phones did not adjust to Portugal time. We are walking around looking for some breakfast and nothing is open. It is 8.00…
Day 22 – Portugal
3 January 2022 A 40-minute drive to Vigo airport. Van delivered. Over the two days, I think we paid 30 Euro in tolls. A fumbling affair. Stalling. Trying to find the window button. Not sure whether to pay or take a ticket. Both. It added about 30 minutes to the trip. Back on the bikes….
Day 21 – Road trip
2 January 2022 Wake up. Kill some time before walking to the train station. Our man is Danny. The van has arrived. No, he cannot help us put the seats down. She is a Peugeot. She is magnificent. Manual. Outstanding. One more complication. We get the seats down. Bikes will fit. I only stall 10…
Day 20 – Cruising
1 January 2022 I am writing this on the 3rd. A few long days. Not sure why I didn’t write this up on the day. I didn’t do anything that day. Walked into cafe Lago for breakfast. Excellent pintxos. We walk for a while. Read for a while. I finished the Gemmell novel. Not bad….
Day 19 – River run
31 December 2021 Great sleep. Porridge for breakfast. Possible Shell has seen enough buffet form. We pick the bikes up. All good. Bilbo Bikes excellent. Head to the train station. Time to get to Portugal. Shell puts her hand up to negotiate the itinerary. Soon after she returns. Bad news. You cannot put bikes on…