Couple of days out in the heat

[Pedro]

I really felt like riding somewhere, I missed being on the bike, but had no real plan or destination that I felt like visiting. Called my friend that owns a small hotel and booked a room, at least now I had a destination and with my favourite restaurant next to it as a big bonus. It was supposed to be getting warm but I had no plans to do sightseeing so that wasn't bothering me much.

I had some delays, and missed a little bit of the morning, it was almost 10 by the time I made it to the Douro riverside, stopped for a coffee.

 

Rode up the Douro, temperature was perfect in the morning, around 25º, couldn't ask for better. Stopped for a phone call

 

By midday I had gotten to around Regua and temperatures shot upwards of 30º, to then stay between 36 and 38 the rest of the day. The Douro valley absolutely cooks in the summer, and this area here is the hottest, also where the best wine is made so that climate probably works. Took some of my favourite small roads near the river, quite narrow so two cars really have to squeeze to pass each other. 

 

I regretted not bringing a snack from home, as this would have been a perfect lunch stop.

 

I had decided to try to not look at my phone for navigation, to make it a little more challenging. I did end up in a couple of dead ends as some of these roads just lead to a small train stop by the river, but then again they are nice roads so doing them twice isn't a chore:

 

At around 3PM, now overheated a little, so stopped for a snack in an air conditioned cafe. 

 

Just after the cafe starts a road I know well and found by chance a few years ago. It felt nice to put my now cool helmet and jacket, and walked back out to the 38º heat feeling refreshed. I took the tiny road away from the tourist route, I love this tiny road, shame it's not very long as I could ride it all day long.

Continuing farther north, and now away from the river, the landscape changes

 

A stop under some shade to drink what was now quite warm water, blergh! I think I'll try to find some thermal fleece I can use to carry water bottles.

 

Bike safely tucked away for the night, in time for a cool shower and a little relaxation in the air conditioned room, I think I did around 500 or something kms with no navigation except to get out of Bragança (a big town) after fueling up, pretty happy with that. I had high hopes for dinner, but little did I know I would almost risk my life that night...

a 20 minute walk to the restaurant, first through a small village, most people living here are of pretty advanced age even though they still work the land, now taking the cool evening to relax outside.

 

I named it Pig McQueen, runaway pig making everyone chase him around the village, look in the distance in the street:

 

Lovely meal, along with pretty chilled red wine because fuck the rules!

 

After dinner, conversation was struck and a few of us stayed out enjoying the cool night and having a drink. Some played cards, and I was very surprised to learn that spanish cards are different, wtf?

 

People might have gotten silly, and we even had magic performed:  

 

At a little past 1 I headed back, now taking a short route along a road, I noticed a car with high beams on coming from behind me, I looked back and only had a moment to jump out of the edge of the road onto the bushes. This was on the outside of a wide enough corner, but the driver was either drunk or asleep and the car had one wheel already out of tarmac and where I was walking. They didn't stop.

Diving to the bushes scratched the shit out of my arm and hand, ripped my tshirt but I was happy to get to bed safe and sound, even though I just plucked a few more tiny thorns from my had just now, a day later. Blackberry bushes!

My plan was to wake up early and get out while still cool outside. Staying up late the previous day and a very sore arm and neck caused that plan to completely fail as I sat down for breakfast at well past 9 

I had a big day ahead, again trying to not look at navigation and just follow street signs, now in a part of Portugal I don't really find easy to navigate. First couple of hours were very easy as I know those roads quite well, quite fast and flowing, in contrast to the previous day.

 

Stopped for some water in a very cool village near the Serra da Estrela, very old and built amongst huge boulders. Drinking warm water was appreciated, though.

 

Another stop, now to check some emails. This town was very nice, looked great and tidy inside the castle walls too. I'll surely come back with more pleasant weather, as the heat was on full force now.

 

From there to the top of Serra da Estrela was a breeze, in less than an hour and we're at the tallest place in mainland Portugal, temperature there was very enjoyable at 22º, provided some brief relief.

The road climbing from Gouveia up is just great, so I didn't stop and took it in a nice rhythm. At the top and on the other side:

 

No more pictures, from there on there was another 4 or 5 hours to get home. Stopped for fuel at a nice gas station with very friendly staff, and sat down enjoying their AC and a bottle of very cold water for a while. I almost didn't want to leave. I hope it'll cool a little over the next days, so that I can at least enjoy a short ride or two from my place. Today was another 600km, that's the sort of distance @Earache does before breakfast and it took me most of the day 

[boboneleg]

Superb @Pedro  , some stunning scenery and really cool roads and villages .  It looks people in this part of Portugal still know how to live life , none of that rushing about for no reason 

You can keep those temps though, it's going to get up to 29c here today and I'm sweating already .

[Pedro]

16 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Superb @Pedro  , some stunning scenery and really cool roads and villages .  It looks people in this part of Portugal still know how to live life , none of that rushing about for no reason 

You can keep those temps though, it's going to get up to 29c here today and I'm sweating already .

Hard lifes, though. They're over 80 and working fields in all weathers in farming that provides little more that subsistence, young people have moved away to towns and major cities, or abroad, so it's a little depressing and lonely in there. Sure they wouldn't want to live somewhere busy, but it's tough going.

Hope it changes and life comes back to those places, otherwise when this generation dies off those villages will be completely deserted.

Not a fan of the heat either, but you just have to pretend to not care about it and bluff it out.

[YamaHead]

Nice tour of the countryside there @Pedro....some of those roads look quite inviting.

[JustaPor]

12 hours ago, Pedro said:

At around 3PM, now overheated a little, so stopped for a snack in an air conditioned cafe. 

Non alcoholic beer? Did they ran out of juice boxes ?
You're not getting drunk with one beer!

[Pedro]

39 minutes ago, JustaPor said:

Non alcoholic beer? Did they ran out of juice boxes ?
You're not getting drunk with one beer!

When it's really hot a non alcoholic beer is a great drink for lunchtime, it's refreshing and hidrates and very light as well. Also it's not smart to have alcohol when getting dehydrated and it's the first thing you have all day.

And they did have juice boxes ... I just chose not to have my regular Bongo!

[Earache]

Scenery and roads look unbeatable ! Would be a perfect ride if it was a bit cooler, but still fantastic!

[JustaPor]

4 hours ago, Pedro said:

When it's really hot a non alcoholic beer is a great drink for lunchtime, it's refreshing and hidrates and very light as well. Also it's not smart to have alcohol when getting dehydrated and it's the first thing you have all day.

And they did have juice boxes ... I just chose not to have my regular Bongo!

I was just messing with you 

I remember seeing old guys having 2 shots of "Bagaço" and a beer as breakfast before heading to work 

[Pedro]

54 minutes ago, JustaPor said:

I was just messing with you 

I remember seeing old guys having 2 shots of "Bagaço" and a beer as breakfast before heading to work 

That happens daily. The official breakfast drink in the north is a couple of beers with a tiny Martini or Favaios mixed in, they do that because if you're just having normal straight beer for breakfast you're considered a drunk 

 

[Sofia]

21 hours ago, Pedro said:

I really felt like riding somewhere, I missed being on the bike, but had no real plan or destination that I felt like visiting. Called my friend that owns a small hotel and booked a room, at least now I had a destination and with my favourite restaurant next to it as a big bonus. It was supposed to be getting warm but I had no plans to do sightseeing so that wasn't bothering me much.

I had some delays, and missed a little bit of the morning, it was almost 10 by the time I made it to the Douro riverside, stopped for a coffee.

 

Rode up the Douro, temperature was perfect in the morning, around 25º, couldn't ask for better. Stopped for a phone call

 

By midday I had gotten to around Regua and temperatures shot upwards of 30º, to then stay between 36 and 38 the rest of the day. The Douro valley absolutely cooks in the summer, and this area here is the hottest, also where the best wine is made so that climate probably works. Took some of my favourite small roads near the river, quite narrow so two cars really have to squeeze to pass each other. 

 

I regretted not bringing a snack from home, as this would have been a perfect lunch stop.

 

I had decided to try to not look at my phone for navigation, to make it a little more challenging. I did end up in a couple of dead ends as some of these roads just lead to a small train stop by the river, but then again they are nice roads so doing them twice isn't a chore:

 

At around 3PM, now overheated a little, so stopped for a snack in an air conditioned cafe. 

 

Just after the cafe starts a road I know well and found by chance a few years ago. It felt nice to put my now cool helmet and jacket, and walked back out to the 38º heat feeling refreshed. I took the tiny road away from the tourist route, I love this tiny road, shame it's not very long as I could ride it all day long.

Continuing farther north, and now away from the river, the landscape changes

 

A stop under some shade to drink what was now quite warm water, blergh! I think I'll try to find some thermal fleece I can use to carry water bottles.

 

Bike safely tucked away for the night, in time for a cool shower and a little relaxation in the air conditioned room, I think I did around 500 or something kms with no navigation except to get out of Bragança (a big town) after fueling up, pretty happy with that. I had high hopes for dinner, but little did I know I would almost risk my life that night...

a 20 minute walk to the restaurant, first through a small village, most people living here are of pretty advanced age even though they still work the land, now taking the cool evening to relax outside.

 

I named it Pig McQueen, runaway pig making everyone chase him around the village, look in the distance in the street:

 

Lovely meal, along with pretty chilled red wine because fuck the rules!

 

After dinner, conversation was struck and a few of us stayed out enjoying the cool night and having a drink. Some played cards, and I was very surprised to learn that spanish cards are different, wtf?

 

People might have gotten silly, and we even had magic performed:  

 

At a little past 1 I headed back, now taking a short route along a road, I noticed a car with high beams on coming from behind me, I looked back and only had a moment to jump out of the edge of the road onto the bushes. This was on the outside of a wide enough corner, but the driver was either drunk or asleep and the car had one wheel already out of tarmac and where I was walking. They didn't stop.

Diving to the bushes scratched the shit out of my arm and hand, ripped my tshirt but I was happy to get to bed safe and sound, even though I just plucked a few more tiny thorns from my had just now, a day later. Blackberry bushes!

My plan was to wake up early and get out while still cool outside. Staying up late the previous day and a very sore arm and neck caused that plan to completely fail as I sat down for breakfast at well past 9 

I had a big day ahead, again trying to not look at navigation and just follow street signs, now in a part of Portugal I don't really find easy to navigate. First couple of hours were very easy as I know those roads quite well, quite fast and flowing, in contrast to the previous day.

 

Stopped for some water in a very cool village near the Serra da Estrela, very old and built amongst huge boulders. Drinking warm water was appreciated, though.

 

Another stop, now to check some emails. This town was very nice, looked great and tidy inside the castle walls too. I'll surely come back with more pleasant weather, as the heat was on full force now.

 

From there to the top of Serra da Estrela was a breeze, in less than an hour and we're at the tallest place in mainland Portugal, temperature there was very enjoyable at 22º, provided some brief relief.

The road climbing from Gouveia up is just great, so I didn't stop and took it in a nice rhythm. At the top and on the other side:

 

No more pictures, from there on there was another 4 or 5 hours to get home. Stopped for fuel at a nice gas station with very friendly staff, and sat down enjoying their AC and a bottle of very cold water for a while. I almost didn't want to leave. I hope it'll cool a little over the next days, so that I can at least enjoy a short ride or two from my place. Today was another 600km, that's the sort of distance @Earache does before breakfast and it took me most of the day 

Lovely!

 

Its getting hotter, not cooler... 

 

Maybe the RT has aircon?!

[Sofia]

9 hours ago, YamaHead said:

Nice tour of the countryside there @Pedro....some of those roads look quite inviting.

Www.turtlemototours.com

 

Just saying...!