On the way to 'Figgy Foz'

Road through Portugal - Tuesday 28thMay

Porto - Sao Jacinta

Refreshed from our night in a real bed, and a long conversation with a gentleman from Thailand, we made an enthusiastic start. The track or boardwalk really was stunning following the beach - ah, but then, with all the high winds the boards were knee deep in sand! Turn round, found a road, then steps! A very squidgy lane allowed us to avoid the steps and then began a massive detour around the salt marshes. A great place for bird watching or providing a feast for the midgies. Lunch was a very rushed affair accompanied by much flesh slapping! Eventually, we had nearly completed the circumnavigation except for the last couple of kilometres to a necessary bridge crossing, against the wind. We do commiserate with the cyclists determinedly fighting with it all day! The wind I mean.

A one and a half wait for the ferry ensued where we met up with a very gutsy American lady, so we passed the time very amiably chatting about bike routes in various parts of the world. Exit from the ferry was less than easy with the route dictating that we take a dual carriageway which, needless to say, prohibited bikes and those people riding them! Undaunted, we found an alternative and 12 kilometres later our tent was pitched, we were clean and heading for somewhere to eat. And did we find the right place. Looked like nothing, but the fish platter that arrived would have challenged the best restaurant for quality and taste. Superb! Made all the more enjoyable as we were sharing the space with a group of guys on a jolly. And very jolly they were too. A grand end to the day.

Sao Jacinta - Figueira da Foz  

Wednesday 29th May

This really was not our day! The first hour or so was fine. We breakfasted in the camp site cafe, waved to our host of the previous evening as we rode passed and found out path pdq. An hour or so later we were much less sanguine. We discovered that when the Portuguese say a road is damaged, it is actually, totally destroyed. In all our thousands of kilometres of riding some pretty dubious paths, this was 22 kms of the worst, by a country mile. Sadly, we were committed before we realised that these massive potholes and loose stones were to continue unabated. Unable to lift eyes from the road and threatening to take a fall at any time, it was exhausting and very slow. Clearly, there were alternatives cos we met a group at the end of this arduous adventure who were on a guided ride and their guide had made it clear that the route we had followed was impassable! The forestry we were in was completely destroyed by fire and so had the surface of the road. According to the GPX route we were exactly on course.

Thinking that was the worst over (well it was,but the next bit was a very close second) we headed off for the last twelve kms to our destination. Now we were confronted with a 14% hill, followed by a road blocked by huge boulders. There was just enough room to squeeze through onto the unmade road on the other side. Impossible to ride with laden bikes, we forged onward and upward (a couple of kms) 'til we came to the second pile of boulders, much like the first. Finally, on a metalled road, we hurtled downhill into Figueira. Forget camping! Found a very reasonably priced hotel and rested our quite weary bodies.

NB. This is NOT a completed Eurovelo route or even close and we suspect, has been lifted from a map and certainly not ridden. It is some years from completion so BEWARE!