Hello again! It seems like a long time since our first and only blog update so thought we’d better get back on it!
After four weeks and 1078 miles on the bikes we have arrived in Aljezur on the south west coast of the Algarve in Portugal where we are resting the legs for a week and doing some help exchange working on an eco-tourism farm. Moving from the tent into a luxury holiday apartment was quite a shock but we were able to adjust fairly quickly…..
Onwards from Santiago we found the sea and were hit with stunning coastline. Our first campsite off the Camino Trail turned out a bit dire and panic almost set in over the accessibility and the quailty of wild camping sites to come -Rachel very bravely removed a large human poo with a stick to make room for the tent which was hidden away in a dark and wrank corner just south of Pontevedra. To make matters worse Gerard had food posioning after eating out for only the 2nd time with a fellow cycle tourer “Velso Bob” who we met coming off the Santander ferry and who reapearred in Santiago to offer advice as we were covered in oil doing a bit of bike maintenance on the street (Random!) We needed not have worried however as the coast provided beautiful camping forever after…….
You’ll be pleased to hear that incidents involving the authorities have been kept to a minimum. Only once did we create a stir crossing the A road bridge to Vigo. We had just reached the other side when 4 motorway traffic wardens gathered to stop us quickly followed by 2 members of the police. Instead of fining us (300 euros each- we were told) they all carried our bikes over the barriers and up the hill to set us free on a “normal” road. Yay.
Border crossing into Portugal 27th of February- Go us! Flat smooth roads and warmer climates (Rachels fingers blistered with sunburn- hand positioning on bike coupled with long hours cycling) were a welcome change to the mountain passes and we flew South through Porto (big city logistical nightmare but super cool place). Discovered that Portugese drivers generally like to get as close as possible as fast as possible to cyclists. We enjoyed a day off in Barra, cooked burgers and pancakes on the camp stove, drank cheap Sangrea and stuffed our tipsy heads with Postugese custard tarts (Pastel de Nata).
Things got difficult at times as savage headwinds slowed our progress for a whole week and midgeys hatched thriving in the humid thunderstorms. Tent has withstood all that has been thrown at it, not a drop of water inside (excepting condensation). Keep up the good work tent.
Definite highlight cycling through Cascais national Park and then onto Lisbon. We quickly reached Aljezur campsite and on the way met some fellow cycle tourers who spied us covered in oil and failing to fix anything (a familiar theme). Turns out they run a luxury cycle touring company in Portugal (www.biketoursportugal.com) and we joined them for the day.
So anyway here we are digging holes and pulling weeds with Peter and Liz. Plently of free time to be had though and we managed a night out in rural Portugal for St Paddy’s. The locals took us under their wing and in return we repeateadly sang some choice Irish songs with accompanient from Kerry the Travandolin. Ending up legless in a traditional dance hall until 5am- we made a good impression upon all those we met. Enamored especially was one little old man with a white cap, toothless grin and no English what so ever who attached himself to us for the evening- a constantly happy chappy despite everyone falling ontop of him during a group hug on the dance floor.
There has been no end of kindness and generosity from stangers along our route:
Cooking breakfast on the roadside one lady returned to hand us freshly baked cakes.
A Spanish man took us to his workshop, took apart and regreased Rachels headset after the Camino destroyed our bikes.
The Portuguese Ladies ladies from Penish who walked us home an hour out of their way after getting hopelessley lost one evening.
A road cyclist pushed Rachel up a steep hill in Lisbon.
And of course we have a lovely apartment to live in this week.
The list could go on and on however we feel we have gone on enough. Next stop Gibraltar and across to Morocco for a culture and climate shock!
North West Spanish Coast
Portugal Border Control
Route Planning (but really just drinking)
Brief moment of relaxation in Porto before endless hours of navigation blunders
Best Bread Ever!!!!! Baked with whole eggs inside
Beer and Burgers
How Lovely (posing for the cameras)
Storms a brewing – clifftop campsite
Cyclists Diet: Cream, choclate, bacon and pasta
The Shire (with hobbit)
Ferry crossing from Lisbon
Sesimbra- Nice Climb
Chance meeting- 6 cycle tourists sheltering from rain and eating lunch in supermarket entrance (everyone else used the other door).
Algarve and no more rain
Hard at work for free food and lodging (Ronnie Kelly was never so lucky)
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A Bear and Lion Cycle Story 
