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yeah but only cos I was always told that if nobody else sees it, it doesn't count. I shan't mention the other two times...

and for some strange reason I rahter fancy this................ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143937487232?epid=3032755330&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item218357c180:g:JqUAAOSw7GpgGrzS&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACgBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickk7d4nremBkvNKtcC0ZwqXDB%2FaEUWT0WDyBvfsznJ6uaUiHA1x78XVodUP9WKKGr66XhmoRVy3v1fQtGvSNOcGnK%2Bu9pfVaaRrT27gsY7YDNBrzYpvPlnvNYWVngUhpmFOc6SE4S76gMGD94eQlqUmFJ2my6c9dfoaThxCnhJERmiPUaphFYpea1cvSNWjsiCR%2BXKGsJ2gejNT8kj7KqKyQTklI5MFdk1sv84NUA4jhVQS0RnJkuKCpRidU5GYVynCfK7XuZNraKi2rTmoJeufJwx1MusIZ7lfbztFjUUK9CDPrmT82lh2JUli%2BPMA3G0q7Ro9QoVW8lP56O%2Bd7burmrDN8f02k%2BCdS9Pn0EcDDQM4qI%2F4RH4YBZkDsz3uT158i0xETxDSLcITG4UK9xDcJpOma%2FQ6rTLe3GFkFU1Fr5JXIHQoyeogjt2saIH0ZLI9O0XNnZzfDHu2DQu1R%2B0NT5G7O7lCDK7DaGFlcQRV4YMrwRvEypzb34S3vdVhxDio18HnzSeQcUsv08eZC9uToiYJa9MCHy%2Bvje7Z7EFfs2JT5gVEqsBcqBwRMmKT2rlAQHK49TDkUJmfN9Ft2xxDbEuACtWTphY4t1LjzLf5OIR%2F5WPVVaCFme0kbf6Mj0%2B94Ez99UotOd31759n6b0SaxwDJF3pH8BFV6kU%2BICm4jexGxOYJncZeTO%2F3aw5ei%2BlLR6Bk%2FdmlXViKpy%2FM%2FzRCED7HLW%2F4WZOEXn53EN0oSGXP%2F90YwGyMdb2mrIq%2BdSEB6YfJcRM91yENl%2Bruq3zLU1RGbrIPq27uRPfQqGcHCM%3D|cksum%3A143937487232ffca66caa69c4cb3aafa4128f9e5d76f|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524

Day 3 started a little cold and foggy, but dryish. Just next to the hotel a shop selling souvenirs had lots of toy sheep of many sizes for sale and seeing I had lost my fluffy friend in the Douro, it was the perfect opportunity to get a new travel companion. Firmly attached to the luggage she got and off we went to ride one of the most spectacular roads in Portugal. I have fond memories of it, the N231, because many moons ago the Portuguese Triumph Owners Club to which I belonged used to gather around here once a year and I joined them a couple of times. It is my favourite type of road, not too small, not too big, good markings and many, many corners varying from relatively tight to swiping, fat bends easy to push a little more. Having a look at a doggy while waiting for take away sandwiches. In these remote and isolated hamlets, with aging population, its many times hard to get a vet to come. Serendipity helped in this case!! While I was looking at google maps and wondering where to go, Pedro went a few kms away to put fuel on my motorcycle, he came back half an hour later grinning from ear to ear, and you could hear the Speed Triple arrive half a minute before appearing, there must be something to riding a bike weighting less than a full cow´s weight! This road connects Serra da Estrela to Serra do Açor, a mountain smaller in size and height, but with as strong character and peppered with little historical villages where houses are entirely made of schist ( a kind of slate ), crisscrossed by little rivers creating enchanting spots with large overhanging trees and a quaint feeling all round. Epic!! A little bit of Britain in the Portuguese moutains! We were on our way to one of these little villages. Possibly the most famous, perched on the side of the mountain called Piodão and reminiscent of a crib because of the harmonious way in which its houses are arranged in the form of an amphitheatre. At night, when the village´s lights are turned on, this picture is particularly magnificent. It is known as the Nativity of Portugal because it looks like, from a distance, as if someone was carefully placing the little houses as one does with a Nativity. The distinctive feature of this mountain village with its narrow winding streets is schist, a stone found in great abundance in the region and used to build the houses and pavements, forming a large patch of uniform colour, interrupted by the vivid blue of the windows or doors of some houses. This note of dissonant colour owes its origin to a practical consideration, for it is said that the only shop in the village had nothing but blue paint to sell, and in view of the village´s isolation it was not easy for people to travel anywhere else. It has in fact been this isolation and the difficulties in travelling elsewhere that have helped to preserve many of the characteristics of this ancient village intact. None of us had ever visited Piodão and Pedro was unaware of its existence, so it was a lovely journey of discovery for both of us. It is a special place indeed and we were fortunate to see it without the mass tourism that normally is found here. It was time for lunch, so we had our daily pic-nic at the monument dedicated to my favorite poet, the doctor that we had encountered in the Douro, remember? It was extraordinarily special to seat there, read his words and enjoy the absolute peace of that spot. And eat a great cheese sandwich!! Onwards to the South!! Very moody weather stayed with us while we descended via nice roads, more adequate for Pedro´s proficient riding than my current state of affairs!! Specially distracting with all the beautiful scenery, it was hard to concentrate on the tarmac when the view, the smells, the feeling of adventure were all so enticing!! A quick stop at a big dam´s view point, mesmerized us how it was mirroring the sky with its heavy dark clouds. It was reminiscing of Scotland once again! From there we followed Pedro´s route, planned specifically to avoid main roads and we entered the forest roads that had good tarmac and it was fun to surprise the loggers loading lorries, definitely not expecting motorbikes to appear round the corner! It was time for coffee and we stopped at the most quirky of places that was a grocery store, cafe/snack-bar and a hardware store! It was like the old Far West all you can sell place!! We were most amused. On this window one can find from left to right: mirror, hair bush, nail clippers, horn, digital calculator, engine spark plugs, watches, electric tape, razor, stick-on hangers, cork screws and leather belt. We were about to cross the Portuguese psychological border that divides North and South of the Country, going over the Tagus River. The place where this crossing is done is a geological marvel and is called “Doors of the Tagus”. On a previous trip by myself I found a tower and chapel at the top of one of the sides of the mini canyon that squeezes the river before it enlarges to become the biggest river in POrtugal. Pedro was keen to see it, albeit worried with my physical tiredness, but I insisted and we climbed again, yet another smooth and ribbon like road. He was most happy to get there and the mighty GS rode over all the steps to the derelict tower! One of these days I will write something about this tower and chapel, its very interesting History, but I know I am very boring!! It was at this magical border we said goodbye to the stony landscape, the brutal rock faces, the harsh weather and difficult conditions that makes for tough people, harden by the environment. Now the land would go flat, undulating like a savanna, covered in cork tree oaks and large views ahead. Big, big skies awaited us and apart from the last 20 minutes of riding to the hotel, no more rain!! We stayed in one of Pedro´s favourite places, an old convent converted to be a hotel, full of charm and comfort. Like him, I think I fell in love with the place! Diner was at a typical local restaurant with a surprise for Pedro, that ate "brains" but it was actually just bread and kidney cooked in a way that looked like brain and came inside a whole bread pretending to be the skull. He was very disappointed with all the pretense and really wanted an Anibal Lecter moment I just had soup. i say soup, but its much more then the combination of its parts! There was garlic, salted cod, egg and bread, but this list is worked with a sprinkle of mgic to become simply delish!! Before bed a little extra!

Weather was a bit odd on sunday, 10/10ths cloud cover with a warm wind from the south and an odd light so the pics might look a bit strange. Having spent all day saturday in the car traveling from here to Louhans, to Perouges, to Lyon and back here again my back was aching so I decided on a short ride, close to home allowing me to pull the plug and retreat if I got any pain or if the bizarre weather turned to sht. I rode south along the river to Bailly and visited the cooperative wine cellar there there are about 4 hectares underground (50 ish metres underground) where they make Cremant de Bourgogne, a local fizzy wine. This has remained open as it is, naturally, considered by the French as a "neccessary commerce". I started here because there are 3 of these underground systems along the east bank of the river between Auxerre and Cravant. Originally stone mines at the turn of the last century, this is the only one that is still safe to visit. Used today as a cooperative wine producer and seller, it was used as a munitions depot by the Germans during the occupation, the other two cave systems further along the valley were used as an aircraft repair facility by the Luftwaffe and were the target of a number of allied bombing raids. The acces is not easy and the airfield is the other side of the river, so they set up a cableway from the cave entrance, across the river and down to the valley floor. The remains of the site are still visible IF you know where to look, and I have seen at the local mayors office, photographs of a focke wulf fighter being hauled up the cableway from the runway to the underground workshop in the cliff face. the entrance/ Exit South along the river again, through Vincellottes and Vincelles onto the winding back road along the eastern bank between the cliff and the river you come across this first last time I came up here you could go in the pill box, and obviously many of the local "youfs" had done so over the years. The entrance is now sealed with a steel door and it has been transformed into a bat breeding site The other side of the pill box looks out over a 15 or 20 metre drop across the valley . A hundred metres further along is the first of the underground workshop entrances. the sign on the door says that there are "Pieges a feu" ( explosive traps) and alarms to discourage intruders. on the opposite side of the road are the vestiges of the winding tower for the cableway again looking out over the river below, but you cant see that due to the vegetation. another 100 or so metres along is the 2nd, smaller, entrance photo taken AFTER tigger had decided to have a wee nap I even had the presence of mind to think of you lot and take a pic befor picking it up! In the time it took me to pick it up 2 cars had stopped to see if I was ok or needed help, which was reassuring. On south again, past another pill box and then, as the cliff peters out somewhat, the remains of the soldiers and techniciens barracks from there I dropped down to the village of Cravant, crossed the river and headed back north along the main road to Vincelles, cut east across the railway and back towards the same place but the other side of the river and on the valley floor. The airfield is now a model aircraft club airfield from this position, if I turn northwards a little you can see the workshop entrances in the cliff face over the river ( just left of centre in the pic below) there are no traces left of the cableway gear down here, though I have heard that some are still visible down by the river. further along a dirt track from the airfield, about level with the far end of the runway is another, I presume, barracks or possibly workshop? they obviously had to dismantle wings and suchlike before moving a plane up the cables to the cliff workshop, and re assemble them again before flight. I rode straight in and took a pic looking back east straight across the valley to the cliff entrances. zoomed... I took a short vid of this place but have no idea how to post it so I'll have to work on that.

The Sun was out the next day, day 4, and we were going to enter a region that is very familiar to me. Although I am a gypsy, due to my Father's career, always moving around, Alentejo is where I have deeper roots. I worked in this area for a few years before emigrating to the UK, so I am, one could say, home and I love everything about it! A recreation of when my brother used to trow me in this very river!! Although this area it is relatively flat and a hill of 300 meters is considered to be a mountain, there is a big variation between towns and villages, that have their onw, very distinctive character. In one of them there is a church on top of said 300 meters of dizzy heights (!) with nice views all around and because Pedro didn´t know it, of course we had to go up there!! Coming down was all off road and another achievement for me ( really not an off road fan ) and my bike with the Pirelli shoes!! I was very proud of both of us! Next stop was Estremoz, one of the “white cities” of Alenttejo, world famous for the marble extracted here and now also famous for some of the best wine produced in POrtugal. House of many kings and queens of Portugal, especially King Dinis and Holy Queen Isabel, Estremoz has a substantial heritage. Both in terms of culture and archaeology, which we can see in the many monuments spread across the city. Pedro went to the castle to collect Castle points, seeing that this day involved a lot of Castle visits!! And what a beautiful castle it is, the impressive Tower of the Three Crowns stands out. It is considered one of the most beautiful donjons in Portugal, made of marble, it is 28 metres high (92 ft). But this was not just a beautiful Castle, since its creation in the 12th Century it served as a base for troops fighting the neighbours to keep our independence. It's a recurring theme, right?! Bloody neighbours!!! Absolute sacrilege!! I put my bike inside the church entrance... I am very keen on history, as you might have gathered, and wanted to see some of the Megalitic monumets still around in this region so we went to see a dolman. Pedro was unaware of what a dolman was and totaly missed all my jokes about dolmens! To get to it turned out to be 2 kms of serious off road,( Pedro disagrees) so I went pillion to see it. Its unkept, left to its own devises, and not cared for. In some ways its a good thing its "free" to be itself and one doesnt have to pay a ticket to see it! We were on our way to the Alqueva, the biggest artificial lake in Europe created by a new dam in the river Guadiana, designed to tackle the chronic drought problems in a region that could see 3 years without any rain fall. It has had an enormous impact on the environment, flooding vast areas of land and causing the displacement of 2 entire villages, but in fairness now there is water to irrigate thousands of hectares of farmland and no shortage of water supply in the homes. The lake that now exists is full of leisure activity, surrounded by beautiful hotels and great restaurants, serviced by incredibly good roads that link towns and villages that have been historically left behind in the past. A very special thing to do in the Alqueva is star gazing. There is virtually no light pollution, it is incredibly peaceful and with mild temperatures the majority of the time, spending a few hours laying on our backs looking at the sky is for sure a cool thing to do! After some deliberation, it was decided to spend the night in another medieval castle, perched on top of one of the rare elevations in this flat land, famous for being small and cute, but also fierce in its long history. Yes, you guessed it, used to help keep the spanish at bay and long before that, in the Wars of Reconquest from the Moors while under the management of the Knights of the Temple. In the name of the King, of course!! Our accomodation for the night was the cute little stone house with the gorgeous terrace that was asking for a sunset drinking session! We proceeded to find the Castle Wine Shop, an exhausting stroll of 100 meters, and returned with a bottle of wine and some local cheese to enjoy one of the most memorable evenings of the trip. After that we did another exhausting stroll of 50 meters to the restaurant where great food was had, finished off with one of my favourite desserts, a very light affair of lots of eggs and sugar, encharcada!! We left the Castle with great determination, aiming for ALgarve, but first we needed breakfast by the lake! 30 minutes later there we were eating a toast at the new Marina, in no big rush to move on, which was indicating our bodies and spirits were asking for a rest day after so much riding, so much beauty, so much emotion. But before we left, we signed the guest book and Pedro expressed his artistic side!! And so it was that when we stopped to visit a potential place to stay with the moto tours, the feeling of wanting to linger got stronger and stronger, we looked at each other thinking the same thought and Pedro asked for a room. Luckily, seeing it was a Friday and its a popular place, they had one. We had never been there, but in a funny way we knew already we would love this place. We both have enjoyed many bottles of wine produced there and it is a place that feels like home to me, the farm, the farmhouse, the land, the views, all are similar to places where I have spent a large part of my life. I was hit from the start with waves of nostalgia and they kept coming until the following day. After settling in, we enjoyed a light lunch while chatting to the owner, an architect that has a passion for historical buildings and has restored the house and outbuildings with ancient materials and techniques, respecting the traditional buildings to the core. All the small details are proof of how much care has been invested in this place. The pool had already “talked” to Pedro and he could not resist a dip in the water. Afterwards, it transpired he was carefully engineering a way to throw me in the pool, fully clothed and all!!! Somehow I managed to outsmart him and spoiled his plans. Before diner we had a stroll around the vineyards. Dinner was so, so good and the whole experience there was a great appetizer for when the moto tours are up and running!! Breakfast came with the special orange cake that my maternal grandmother used to make and that hit of nostalgia brought tears with it. Impossible not to, when after 25 years the flavour of a Grandmother's love comes back to remind you how special she was. As luck would have it, the lady that makes the cake was there and the recipe I would not be able to get any other way, is now in my cookbook and I will make it many times! The first go was already a success!! Life and its endless box of surprises. New day, Algarve on the horizon we set off refreshed and looking forward to the roads we did together in 2020 through the southern most picks of Portugal. It was going to be another long day on the saddle, but the temperature was very pleasant and from now on we would be in Pedro´s favourite territory, where he encounters inner peace while pushing the GS and the knobbles to the absolute limit! Here we find pieces of motorcycling heaven, roads that stretch in front of us weaving themselves up hills full of wildflowers, mini pine trees and lushness typical of Spring. This year it has rained a lot and this normally dry area is particularly beautiful at the moment. https://youtu.be/szpRQhyR5Ok Mid afternoon we join the N2, the longest road in Portugal at 738 kms, from Chaves to Faro, that is experiencing at the moment a huge interest and everyone and their grandma wants to ride, cycle, drive this road!! Its the Portuguese Lands End-John O´Groats equivalent and for the most part is an interesting road, with some very boring bits, but as luck would have it, the best part are the 55 kms from where we joined it till Faro, where we were going to stay the next 2 days. Pedro went ahead enjoying his bike at a pace I could not keep up with and I enjoyed myself immensely at a pace I could handle with a very painful left arm due to the accident on the first day and far too much counter-steering on the tight corners and hairpins. In fairness this painful situation forced me to ride the bike in a different way and has helped me a lot to gel with it better, by shifting my bum more and using the upper body instead of counter-steering. Pedro says I look like Marc Marquez leaning on the bike ( only very slow!) and if that's the case, how can I be anything else but happy!!! We arrived in a very sunny Faro and did the usual, shower, eat and drink an aperitif and go out for dinner! What a life!! The last day was dedicated to finishing the route for the moto tours. We continued via the little ribbon roads all the way to the main road that links the 2 mountains and that I particularly love. I was able to push a little, negotiating the very poor road surface and trying to avoid the crack on the tarmac that last year launched me in the air while leaning at 120 kms/H… Managed to do that and It was very nice!! We had our mandatory pic-nic under 3 beautiful trees on the way to the top of the highest point in Algarve, Foia, at 980 meters. At the top we found a couple on a GS1250 with a little doggy in a backpack and was super sweet to see! Apparently the doggy loves to go on the bike and it's a happy family! From the top the view is quite spectacular, on the foreground the Algarve race track and further on the land ends and the Ocean shines in blue notes. Beyond is Morocco, but we cannot see it normally. The end of the trip was planned for Sagres, Cape of Saint Vincent, the most south-westerly point in Europe. Sagres means sacred and for 3 millennia this was the end of the World as Man knew it. The Cape for all the mediterean people was the frontier for the mare incognitum, the unknown sea, beyond which monsters would come out of the Sea to swallow the boats and enchanting mermaids would take the sailors soul to the bottom of the Ocean. There are many reasons why this is a truly special place… from the sacred spiritual significance of seating where the Earth ends, to the 50 meter straight cliff overhanging the sea, the fact it was the school of Henry the Navigator and where all the Portuguese Discoveries were planned and was decided how Vasco da Gama would go to India or simply how amazing it is to seat and feel the wind and the smell of the Atlantic breaking on the rocks below. It is a must for anyone that likes maritime history to come here, so much of it has been written here throughout the centuries its mind blowing. There are 3 points to visit, the Fortress where the Navigator's school was based, the lighthouse and Ponta da Atlaia, where we went and it was a very fitting place to end a motorbike trip full of adventure through one of the smallest countries in Europe but with so much variety, history and culture easily available for anyone to experience. This is, believe it or not, a summarized version of the week!!! True fact! So many more stories to tell… Who knows, if you are keen and me or Pedro find the time, we can tell you more!! THE END!!

Thanks!! Exercising a favourite sport from childhood, running on top of very high castle walls to the terror of my Grandmother and all the ladies and great amusement of my Dad that always wanted a daughter that did everything but what was expected from a little girl!! As you can see, here there are no signs stating the obvious ( or the not obvious either...) and if you want to fall off a castle wall, you can without any health and safety interference.

The Alentejo is an amazing area to ride through, instantly the weather is warmer or just nicer, the views expand your horizons, and the food is amazing! The smells are also make me think of adventure, sort of Africa in the air. The roads you'll find in the Algarve, tucked in the hills, are the best you'll find if you're into scenery and small and narrow twisty roads. It's a hidden secret so don't go blabbing about it, or next thing everyone will be trying to get out of the N2 touristy route and paradise will be spoiled.

First mod made to the Van Van. I fitted a bash plate today, it's not very substantial but it should protect the oil screen housing.

Loving these, but being stupid I am reading part 3 first and now working my way through parts 2 and 1. I've saved that picture of Pedro and the large standing stone, it's got rude caption potential.

You don't want to wire straight to the battery or the small amount of draw from the charger mount will deaden your battery when it's not in use. What bike is it going on , if the it's the Beemer and it's got canbus wiring I'm out

Yep the second boorman n mcgregors ink was dry

@boboneleg @Sir Fallsalot......you're needed in Aisle 5.

We did have a couple of episodes of actual verbal tourettes but fortunately none on motorcycling

Some of the roads in this section surprised me, more fun than I thought, sadly the weather was a bit crap. I did like the little blast on the Speed Triple, though, feels tiny compared to the normal sized bike I ride.

I dropped it static Pete...

That's finished reading the second part. Now to read part one, hope you make it to the beginning. I think you should write the history of the tower and chapel.

My competence with anything electrical extends as far as changing household light fittings, sockets n switches etc not happy going any further with motorcycle electrics than the battery Sounds like I’m gonna have to find another mechanic doesn’t it, bollox. He’s the best one round here too the other two do not have a good rep

Well, I haven't got it yet but it is bought and paid for. Should be delivered next week. I'm looking forward to see how I get on with this, will the 125cc power (or lack of it) bore me to death or will I get used to it, we will see.

maybe we should start a club together!!

Love this bike!

I can't believe I got out to ride twice in April this year. It's usually too cold and crappy out to ride this early. The roads were void of snow and ice but were covered in grit and other crap...

Not really, he is gorgeous already, just needs good lighting to become amazing!

but to be expected at those prices

I get that, it takes some serious talent to paint a matching eyeball. Cors you don’t get to see if they did match cos the previous owners gonna be 6 foot under!

The North, The Center and The South, in the quest for the perfect tour!! No rush to arrive, in the company of Poets, majestic scenery and nostalgia, Together with soul warming food and wine Adventuring into unknown places through ribbons laid down on mountains Over rivers, lakes and dry land End to end country visit, from Seaside to Countryside, Up to dizzying heights of the North and down to the undulating landscape of the South Variety a plenty, real lives being lived, not your typical tourists!! Emotionally I was not in the right place to do this trip, but sometimes not giving in to disillusion turns out the best results! . Lots of anxiety for 3 weeks prior to departure left me frazzled and also the fact I had not ridden the bike for over 3 month didn't help my lack of confidence in myself and my abilities. Plus I hadn´t planned anything like I normally do,which left me in a territory of unknowns and a certain uneasiness. My own lack of planning due to all the said anxiety did make matters worse. But I am not one to give up and have always lived by the moto Audaces Fortuna Juvat. The point was to do a reconnaissance for the moto tours and this would turn out to be one of the most challenging journeys of my life, pushing me over fears, pain and mental blocks, dragging me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to face and beat ( albeit slowly!) the insecurities and worries in my head. I have to thank Pedro for, first taking me to these places/roads where I would have not gone alone, hence pushing me to go further out of what I knew I could do and allowing me to experience/see the most incredible scenery. Second, I have to thank him for his patience and care at the expense of his own amusement and enjoyment plus all the explanations and attempts to teach me to ride better. And without further ado, let's report!! The North We started in Espinho, Pedro´s home town and a place I really quite like. Its a Seaside town just South of Oporto and with gorgeous leafy neighborhoods ideal to take Costa the dog for a stroll before departure. The first day was going to be a long one, with over 7 hours riding and a few breaks for “pic-nicing” and coffee, plus admiring the views. And what views there are around the Douro Valley, called the Gold Valley due to the production of some of the best wines known to men and also how the Autumn Sun makes it seem like molten gold when it hits the vineyards at the end of another season in September and October. This was the first formally demarcated wine region in the World and is now a World Heritage Site, with history that spans over 2000 years and with very friendly and hardworking people, anyone that visits will want to come back many times. The Douro itself is over 900 kms long, starting in Spain and crossing into Portugal through the Douro International Natural Park, that would be the final destination of this 1st day. For you Celtics out there, the name actually comes from Dubro, given by the Celts that inhabited the Northern part of the Peninsula before the Romans. Pedro took us on smaller and smaller roads till we were on single track lanes with passing places, high up on the slopes carved by many centuries of hard working hands to plant more and more vines for more and more wine production, using every single inch conquered from the harsh terrain. The combination of this soil, the dry climate and the exposure of the slopes, makes this terroir impossible to replicate anywhere in the World and the Port Wine is unique to exactly here!! This valley is truly romantic! Narrow winding roads twisting up and down the steep hills always with spectacular views is definitely a point on a bucket list for every nature-loving traveler. We visited one of the most beautiful and romantic of them all, São Leonardo da Galafura! From the top of its 640 meters, the landscape that can be seen here triggers a mixture of reactions: the tranquility of a river that meanders serenely through the valley and the emotion of a superb landscape that we do not seem to know how to fully enjoy. One of Miguel Torga’s favorite places, the poet described the Douro seen from São Leonardo da Galafura as “A geological poem. Absolute beauty ”. Miguel Torga is one of my favourite Portuguese writers and we will encounter him further down our journey in other very remote villages he visited while doing his job as the countryside doctor for the people in those isolated hamlets. A special person he was! Moving on we descended to Pinhão, an important river port in the Douro where wine barrels were loaded on Rabelo Boats destined for Oporto and commerce to the rest of the World. From there we got on the N222, the famous Douro Road you find in all tourist brochures. Because this is no oversold tourist tour., we chose to do the other side of the River for more romantic views and more authenticity and less traffic, plus we rode past all the best Wine Vineyards which was also part of the plan! Now we got on it and climbed up the Douro Vinhateiro, moving away from the River but still climbing between slopes and a changing landscape that would eventually take us to the Douro Natural Park and the The Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley with its Prehistoric Rock-Art Site, is an open-air Paleolithic archaeological site near the border with Spain. In the early 1990s rock engravings were discovered in Vila Nova de Foz Côa during the construction of a dam in the Côa River valley. They include thousands of engraved rock drawings of horses, bovines and other animals, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years B.C. The sites were reviewed by archaeologists and other specialists of UNESCO and other agencies. We didnt see any engravings because we were now past 18.30 and still had to ride a very tiny road Pedro had found and was seriously determined to show me! I will admite right here, right now, when I saw where we were going I was not amused and was a lot keener on going via the main road to get to the hotel faster. So a civilized ding-dong ensued, fueled by my anxiety and tiredness, plus I started the day with an accident, so by then I was *really* digging deep trying to muster all my resources and telling myself, “Who dares wins” ! Pedro was right, it turned out to be my FAVOURiTE road of the trip. Like so many times in life, its small size and unkept state was hiding the most beautiful, peaceful, soul stirring place. Pure Nature all around, without any evidence of the presence of Men other than the small road itself, the feeling of adventure and freedom was right there to be taken with us. I totally fell in love with that place. As for Pedro, in my helmet I thought how content I was he pushed us to go further into a road that looked like the service road of a dam, with overgrown vegetation all around and seemingly abandoned, soon to be reclaimed by Nature and my heart loved him a little bit more! Arrival was past 19.00, making it a 9 hours biking day, and was followed by a bath in a bathtub fit for the Hulk ( boy I needed that relaxing bath! ) and a great diner! 2 kms away is a viewpoint the bares my family name, Durão. Its full name, Penedo Durão.It's a phenomenal place that shows you two countries, divided by a beautiful flowing river Douro, at the bottom of a 500m high canyon. For 112 kilometres the Douro forms the border between Portugal and Spain. This is an isolated area, dominated by two national parks: the International Douro Natural Park (on the Portuguese side) and the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (on the Zamoran margin). Surrounding the rivers are the schist mountains, covered in all kinds of green. Here and there you’ll find small and amazing roads, making their way to the other side. You’ll notice it’s an isolated area, dominated by nature. It’s the home of various animals, of which you might see the griffon vulture and the golden eagle if you’re lucky. It is a delight to me, making my head considerably bigger, that such a magnificent spot has my name on it!!! A part of me likes to pretend I am a 13th Century Queen commanding the land and kicking the Spanish ass from my high position!!! Anyway, we moved on descending via another tiny road that hugged the mountain while descending at over 10% incline, making it into a mini, mini Stelvio!! And there we joined the N221 and 8 kms of fast flowing corners with great tarmac followed to my great pleasure. Pedro very patiently followed me and gave some tips I tried to follow but failed miserably! On this way we continued, past Barca d´Álva direction South-East with yet more amazing corners and tarmac until we left the N221 and cut into the deep countryside, always close to the border, but staying on the right side of it! Eventually we reached a gorgeous little place, that for some reason made its way into my silly romantic being and asked me to linger, seating under a tree overlooking the medieval bridge and making me dream of Templar Knights out on their Conquests with Lusitano horses for transport instead of motorbikes!! Being on the border with our oldest enemy many scenes of chavelary played out in this and other villages, now reduced to almost nothing in significance and size, but still carrying their history with pride. Saying that, our next stop is neither small or insignificant! The Fortaleza de Almeida is the fortress that stands on the site of a medieval castle that saw many wars between neighbors and that was finally declared Portuguese in 1407. The current fortress was completed in 1641, it is a 12 pointed-star shaped built in a Vaubanesque style, a famous military style developed in the 17th Century by a Frenchman commonly referred to as Vauban , a military engineer generally considered the greatest engineer of his time, and one of the most important in Western military history. It was our second visit to this place. My first visit was declared a “total rubbish” by Pedro that then proceeded to show me round the castle walls and the fortress interior. In fairness I was a lot more educated by the end of this 2nd visit! We had a lovely pic-nic in the garden of Almeida and then a coffee in a sunny terrace to top it off! In Almeida, 2 executive decisions happened: fill up the 2 bikes together to my utter amusement because mine could go 287 kms and the white mamut announced an autonomy of 638 kms!! The other thing that happened was also amusing, Pedro putting on his gigantic waterproof trousers! The skies opened up after the lunch break, heavy and continuous rain fall took me back to some of my trips around northern Europe cannot say I prefer it to nice sunny weather, but somehow it gives me a warm feeling inside! The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2 held on very well even when we got up to 120 kmh on little bit of open road. We meandered down the interior of this region and after a couple of hours the larges mountain in Continental Portugal loomed closer and we started climbing, passing one of my ancestors seat, Sabugal, with its Castle overlooking the menacing neighbors and then the loveliest of villages, Sortelha, with yet another Castle and cute cottages perched on the hills. At this point I was desperate to eat a sandwich with the traditional cheese of this area, made from ewe's milk, curdled with thistle and intensely rich and creamy. It was not to be found anywhere, many places chose to not open and take advantage of the compensation from the Government for staying closed and eventually a kind cafe owner made us a sandwich with the cheese he had bought for himself to take home. Not the real deal, but almost!! With this new fuel ( lets not try to count the calories on found in a cheese with a fat content above 40%...) and feeling ready for the challenge of hitting the top at 1993 m, under the rain and maximum temperature of 5C. By now we had been riding for 7 hours and were about to face switchbacks with cold temperatures and water. Still, we are tough cookies and the bikes were happy. As we reached the top, there was still snow on the side of the road and it was a highlight of the whole trip. Pedro's happy face running for a snow bath! Unfortunately the cloud came over the top and got stuck, the mountain pulling the mist further and further up as if covering it self with a fluffy blanket for the night. For us, the descent was done inside this thick blanket of cloud and there was nothing else to do but to put the hazards on and very steadily go down, down, down until our night stop, Seia. The landscape in Serra da Estrela is almost otherworldly, always imprinting on the visitor a sense of majesty, the realization of our real size and importance. Compared with the rock formations, the Glacier, the vegetation that have been there for millennia, we Humans are like a mere speck in the continuum of time and space. I have been here a few times, Pedro many more because this was his regular weekend trip a few years back, so both of us know it, understand its moods and for sure forgave the harsh conditions presented to us pretty quick. In a couple of hours we were at the hotel, very wet outside but totally dry inside. Hurray for good gear! Such an improvement on days gone by! Dinner was a traditional affair of this region, some of you would struggle! Either with the famous black pudding produced here, the very smoky chouriço, the bird sausage made to look like a chouriço by Jews pretending to be Christians and trying to avoid the inquisition ( one day I will explain….), the ewe's milk cheese with its intense smell or maybe, just maybe, the octopus rice!!! The wine was delicious, from a farm we had passed in the morning and production of a friend of Pedro´s brother, amazing!!! Complementary schnapps to wash down the coffee, to which Pedro made good use of!! Next, The Center of Portugal!!

Gorgeous ride!! Always loved riding in France, beautiful places to see. In a way, its cool to see its not only my triumph that likes to have a nap!!

That looks really good Bob!

Good stuff. Love the underground cellars

That's an absolutely great ride report Sofia, cracking scenery and lots of history as well This is stunning.................................

Yes! I spent over an hour making jokes about dolmans and he only got it when he saw the thing!! Marvelous thought you had there!! You are either a Starwars fan or dyslexic like me, but stupid you are not!!

well, hell! now i need to go to Portugal!!! Glad we have an expat from there in the club to lead us! (our local BMW club)

did you ever think you would see HD branded gear like this:

Latest Covid update! Looks a bit too energetic for me!

Not yet!! Soon

Am I in there?

I decided to eschew the tarmac today and adjusted the suspension accordingly. having pretty much run out if ideas within the 10k radius I decided to ride some of the local trails, starting with the GR13 ( staying within 10 km of home) This is actually the first ever trail I rode on the transalp back in 2005 0r 2006 having been inspired by ride reports from, if I remember rightly, Grizz, Gnomad and one or two others on DSUK or maximum bikes. I picked up the GR13 at Champs sur Yonne and took a wrong turn almost immediately, but discovered the way into the village football field back tracked a couple of hundred yards and headed east along the correct trail I'm not very fit and am still learning the tiger off road, so I stopped regularly to think about what I was doing and to catch my breath, also to look at the map ( I use a paper IGN , (O.S. equivalent) for this sort of thing) and actually enjoy the "proper" navigation. as you can see, this is no technical "off road" riding a la Boboneleg or Sirfallsalot, but more or less wellmaintained, dry limestone trails through the vinyards. One of the things I love about riding these trails is that I came across no fences and no gates... at all. Looking out over the river, South East to Vincellottes and directly South through wooded sections above Irancy and back on the open trails across the plateau to drop down the other side back to the river and home. nearly 3 hours in all. Finished at the car wash to get the dust off,

Decided to go to the vale of Glamorgan for a run this afternoon not far from me and just to check out some lanes i haven't ridden in years First lane i wanted to check out was just off a place called Bynsadler nice easy lane starts by crossing the M4 And then followed by a nice easy dirt track Next is in Bonvilston a grass track soft in places, easy enough today but can be quite slippery when wet This one is in the same area there's big money down this way you can tell when your driveway looks like this

Bank holiday weekend, probably heading to Weston super mare for a ruck. Or most likely now the old bastards need a lie down after accidentally getting up before midday

All mine and your age Pete i got to admit it was cool to see there were about 30 of them passing

Stopped to say hello to these fellers This one was giving me the eye Had a little more off this one Stopped to have a look at the church in St Nicholas nice to see a lot of the new graves there are of people who died in their 80's and 90's It looks a bit odd because i had to take a panoramic to fit it all in And this is the war memorial just across the green from the church And down to the ehh Downs where they use this to transmit the shit we have on TV And another nice easy lane Onto Wenvoe to look at the next couple of lanes i wanted to check out all nice and easy with no bloody gates Hard to believe this is just outside the big city Cardiff A bit rocky down here Into Llancarfan another beautiful village i chickened out at this ford it looked bloody deep And this one looked easy but it was like riding on ice concrete covered in slime Stopped for a drink and the local plod to check me out when a scene from quadrophenia past by mods everywhere i snapped these when they pulled in for fuel I would have chased after them and kicked them off but i was going this way Found this place in Boverton whata waste i tried to get in but it was a bit too public for me to jump over the fence Had to cut my ride short after the last lane ther was a big log i had to squeeze past and new my footrest would hit it so took my foot off but didn't expect it to catch my gear leaver After that i could only select first and neutral so started limping home but first was soooo slow pulled over to see if i could sort it. While lying on the floor somebody stopped on a Harley it was someone that recognised me from work and of all the people to stop it had to be him. He bought his Harley about a year ago and when he told me i said to him don't expect me to stop if i see you broken down on the side of the road which he had great pleasure in reminding me what a cunt I bent it enough with the little tools i had to get it selecting all the gears so got home ok

Why is mud, verdant greenery and blossom just so good to look at? The animal side of us must be preprogrammed to like it. Great pics, would have loved to ridden that. Damn cold today though even with the sunshine, definitely a heated grips day.

Stay off the road May 1st then.

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I've had lots worse Monday's for sure.....

You should have been there with me....

The snow is still 20+ feet deep up high, gonna be awhile for that to all melt off....

I didn't stray too far from home, so most of my pics look pretty much the same. I have to go pretty far for a change in scenery...