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All my chores are done...few pics from today...going to the gaz station.

I tried to make the title of the ride report as Portuguese as possible so it doesn't make any sense to anyone and sounds more exotic After a long week I was in need of getting on the bike, after lunch I headed to the hills where I used to ride my Transalp many years ago. First a few kms of motorway to get out of my town and then another 20 or 30 minutes riding up the Douro. Weather today was not sunny per se, but very warm for the season so a lot of motorcycles on the road along the Douro. The N108 is where most of Porto's bikers go to ride 20 or 30km up to a cafe, stand around in a group and then head back, it's a pretty enough road but plagged with traffic, I always forget crowded on weekends, with everyone trying to show off and trying to prove something. That was done with when I turned south and to Arouca, there I climbed the Serra da Freita and finally about 1 or 1,5 hours after leaving home in up in the hills, or as you'd say in the UK, the mountains : Albergaria da Serra, in Serra da Freita, nearby where I used to have bbq's with friends a long time ago: Coelheira, where I once stopped with a poorly Transalp after I smashed it's water pump on a rock, and then proceeded to blast up the hill before it overheated, to then coast down the other side eventually stopping here to then figure out where I was and call for help. A lovely bucolic place, with the children's slide showing there is new life around, I was glad to see that as these villages are getting older and older, and lonelier and lonelier for the older people living there. Up here in the hills water is flowing everywhere, lovely crisp clean water in the picture above. It is called the route of rock and water for a reason. Going from Serra da Freita to Serra de São Macário, you don't need to descend but instead ride on top of each one, on the way I came across a small herd of Arouquesas, the local typical cattle that roams free to feed on the hills. Diverted from the road on a dirt road for a little, but then found it to be too rocky and heading in the wrong direction so headed back as the sun was starting to set and I wanted to see the sunset on the other side of the hill instead of being caught in darkness on a dusty trail. As I was stopping for a scenic pee a young couple in their 20s was riding down on an MT7, they were following their GPS and saw me going down that way so followed, now regretting their decision. After a short chat they headed back up, very slowly, not the ideal bike or tires for that. With that I peed in peace. A couple of kms after, with the rocky part dealt with I stopped for another view of the lovely evening light on the hills. I was now lost. I had decided to not use navigation as indeed I don't really know where the place I wanted to go through is on the map, but after the dirt road detour I go a little disorientated, an historical village sign caught my eye as the name sounded familiar from a tv program, so that's how I ended up visiting the historical Aldeia da Pena. It is located down a steep valley, the only road down and back is a delight and exactly my kind of road. Wide enough for 1,5 cars with a characterful surface and a few switchbacks with "interesting" surfaces for a road. Once there, I went for a walk along the Rua Principal (Main Street). The three open establishments there are two restaurants serving typical dished and one crafts shop selling small souvenirs made from the abundant chist. It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, I just had a walk but will be back: Main Street: Sun was starting to set behind the hills, and temperatures dropping. iPhone struggling with the light facing the setting sun, but down below there's the village as I'm starting to head back home. I had just missed the sunset proper and never got a direct view to it from the top of the hills as it kept hiding behind the hill while I chased, but still the light was very pretty. After a stop for the customary espresso stop, as I pointed the GS for Vale de Cambra, 55km of very twisty road, from there it would be another 45 or so minutes to get home now via more boring roads. Usually this 55km stretch is a fun road to do fastish, a few sections of tight bends with no straight between them, but night descended quickly and conditions dictated some caution, still fun though. A brief stop to raise the headlight beam a little bit, and headed home. Turned out to be a nice afternoon on the bike.

I'm back after a two month layoff, and this was a test run to see if I would get any grief after the Hernia surgery. And I'm pleased to report that there were no problems whatsoever.....I can even get on and off the bike as normal. It's great not to feel like you're getting belted in the balls every time you go over a bump or change body position. Basically, it's the best I've felt on a bike for over a year! But it's not all positive......cos I had to meet up with that Cockney slag @Skippy! Here's a couple of clips.....got to say the vid looks great, and I'm only running in 1080P.....not 4K. The file sizes just get insane at that rate......what I took today went to 19GB and that's at a lower resolution! I should be able to get a BOTM entry out of something here.......not that anybody will vote for it of course! Some grim shit as usual! This place is the epicentre of grim shit! The CB looking great......it was meticulously cleaned before I laid it up. The recreation area in Maria...... Then I saw Skippy's bike! I'm not mentioning the downpipes! And I found Skippy in the cafe! Apparently there were a load of bikers in there.....but as soon as he walked in they all fucking legged it. We saw a TA in the flesh......first one I've seen! A lot bigger than I imagined! Predictably, Skippy (being a Cockney) sized up how he could half inch it! It was at this point I offered to show my groin to anybody who wanted to see it.....so what better place than in the public carpark? Skippy has the pic! After that display of gross indecency.........it was back on the road again! Bike went great......never missed a beat. But it definitely needed a decent run after being laid up for two months. Feels great to be back in the game though. Cos don't forget that it's not just the two months recovery time, I was struggling with the Hernia for nearly a year. Now it's game on!

You still …

He made you touch it didn’t he?

You dirty ginger bastard, just can’t keep your fucking pants on. Skippy must be scarred for life.

I know where your coming from as much as i hate football, when i was growing up it was a mans sport, not being sexist here but whatever men had going on women had to get involved and spoil it for them, Try and do it the other way around and no its for women only. Look at Golf even its name says its for men only. Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

On my to fuel up the atv and I run into this thing...it's white and green with a red dragon in the center..I swear I've seen this thing before...and it's less than a km from my place...I'm thinking it's a German flag.

Says the guy who rides even less than Rich!

thats the same pic you enter every month

What? I'm not like you, I don't stop every 5km to take a picture of my bike

You tell him Rich , you're not rushing to get out on your bike are you ..................

It could be worse , it could be the Welsh flag

why all the women commentating on mens football,,, whining on with there dull boring voices , there is plenty of womans football go commentate on that... just pc bollox some one just scored from a corner , the stupid bint said what a well worked corner and good goal, it came of the fellas shoulder. didn.t have a fucking clue where the ball was going went behind him and found the goal cant men just have something men.

He probably can't help it as soon as he sees Pete's jeans tucked into his shoes. It's the style!

Count me in!

Good to know you're finally ok on the bike, Pete, just in time for spring to arrive in a moment. Going for the sympathy vote I see

That’s true that is

I'm back! And I didn't show my groin to @Skippy......I showed it to everybody at the recreation area!

Crap view though.

Use this in that situation

The bike needs to be further back.

Or Dr Who Saltaran

Wizard Island.... in the middle of 1,965 ft. deep Crater Lake

That sounds weirdly specific. Are you addressing anyone in particular or is that just a random definition of what a lot of people consider rugged individualism to be?

I'm not getting a bloody look in

The Dragon flying in Canada? Brilliant!

TBH I could have ridden after 4 or 5 weeks.....but I wanted to play it safe!

When you next going to battersea dogs home Paul?

Nice one Pete, good to see you out on the bike again I see that @Skippy has a big grin on his fizzog in both of those photos, I can only wonder why ?

You could have zoomed in on the scar for more realism!

yeh ..you dont want it to make you go fucking mental and start talking shit...

Human isn’t your native tongue.

Had a little ride. This one is for the purists

Randoms from my walk

Aye, aye. @Marcel thinks he's Marjorie Proops now

I hope you meant “near” Pedro me neither, except if already on tour.

My reason is working away all week then spending time with the daughter, very nearly got out yesterday afternoon because skye had a friends birthday to go to but I got roped in to going too

Talking of that shouldn't you be getting your last ten cups of tee down you ready to meet Skippy

Have we got a fight...

Sunset over Pennard Castle and Three Cliffs Bay