Category: Portugal 🇵🇹

I told Per I would be up at 07.00, but I did not make an appearance till 08.00. And having gone to bed at 22.00 I am pleased to say I had the best night’s sleep for a year.

So after a delicious breakfast, cheese, Swedish biscuits, great coffee. I put my life together and left at about 10.00ish. Thank you so much for your hospitality Per.

A pretty uneventful day, slow ride to Villa Real ferry across to Spain where I met Ben a French cyclist who had been cycling since October. Lucky guy.

We parted and I went in search for a camp site. Yep that’s pretty much it. Hey it can’t all be exceptional. 😏

For 2 weeks now I have been throwing stuff out, gradually the closer to the end I get the more vehement and upset I got.

But we had a completion date (17/12/2018) and I was driving to have the house empty by that date. So to complicate matters I decided to leave UK for India on my bike on 10th Dec……

Anyway, it became apparent this date and destination was stressing me way too much, so I changed it. So now the plan is 12 Dec fly to Portugal, ride to Spain, stay in Spain for a month, leave 14th Jan then fly to India 18th Jan for 28 days, then Sri Lanka for 28 days then Oman 15 days then well see what life brings.

I booked the taxi the afternoon before, specifically mentioning the bike box, for 01.30 for a 02.00 bus. Packed the bike dumped the last of the stuff in the skip and waited. 01.25 the taxi turned up, the situation went a little like this ‘Can you put the back seats down for the bike box’ ‘No’ ‘I specifically said I had a bike box’ ‘it won’t fit in’ ‘ waaaaaaaaaaaaaat’ ‘No’ ‘Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuk, fuck fuck fuck’ 01.30 neighbours now probably are not asleep. I’m running in the house out the house swearing shouting ‘well you might as well fuck off then’ I have to say I wasn’t particularly gracious. I phoned another taxi with a fully automated system. He turned up within 15 mins and restored my faith in humankind he was so good. I got to the bus stop 15 mins early, caught the bus, put my feet up at Gatwick caught the plane and……….

As I ride to Loule from Faro my back derailleur plucked my spokes like a badly tuned guitar, hmmm bent cable hanger. I got to a bike shop

It may not look it but it’s bent enough. We have bodged it a bit, but no bottom gear.

I got to see Kathleen for coffee which was fantastic.

I then cruised down to see Per at the beautiful Quinta Verda (QV B & B on Facebook).

Shower and a bit of rest to catch up what I missed from last night.

Then I received a message from my son Luke, which I can hardly find superlatives enough to describe how proud I am of him. Not only has he been unconditionally accepted on a PhD course for the next (god knows how long he can stretch it out for, surely one day he will get a real job) which we found out last week, but he has just received a distinction grade for his masters degree. You are a bloody star Luke. Well done will have to suffice. 🤩

That’s how to celebrate. 😀