My Virtual Travel Buddies

You are playing a very important part for me on this trip

There are times when I’m riding the bike I want you to feel how I feel, how good it is to be sweeping through corners on lovely smooth roads and taking in the stunning scenery. 

I’m not eloquent enough to properly describe this journey, but I enjoy striving to find the words and phrases to adequately convey how it would feel to be travelling with me. This occupies my mind in a good way, and if I didn’t have you to think about and write to, then this truly would be a lonely experience, so thank you!

Sintra update and today’s ride back to Spain

(This was done quite hurriedly as I arrived here late so don’t expect too much)

There’s no way I could do justice to Sintra in just a few hours, it would take a few days to fully explore this unique place, in fact a whole day could be taken up just wandering around Pena Palace and its  extensive gardens.

Due to its location ‘perched within pine covered hills’ their words not mine, the road network is a labyrinth of narrow streets, many one way, and higher up towards the palace it’s all stone setts, hence the proliferation of tuk tuks conveying tourists between the prime sites/sights.

https://www.sintra-portugal.com/index.html

The network of roads confused Google maps to such an extent that it took me about 10 miles to go the two miles to the nearest petrol station, remember ‘petrol station’ it features, or should I say, doesn’t, later.

Once refuelled it was a breeze heading towards Spain via the impressive Ponte Vasco Da Gama Bridge crossing The Tagus. I tried to get a decent photo from the GoPro but to no avail.

As I travelled predominantly south, with a hint of east, along single carriageway roads between thousands of cork trees the temperature continued to rise. Thirty degrees celsius was fine so long as I could bumble along about 60 or 70mph, traffic was very light so this wasn’t a problem.

After lunch the temperature kept creeping up very slowly until it reached 34c. I know that this is a mere nothing compared to what ‘Seville Gav’ went through, but it’s the hottest I’ve ridden in and this for me this was the point that there was no holding back a hint of perspiration, with aftertones of Brut 33. The heat radiating up from the truck engine powering this two wheel projectile made the backs of my calves and thighs feel like they were on a sun bed, not that I’ve ever been on one of course!

As if the temperature wasn’t enough to get hot under the collar about, then the fuel situation certainly was! It was like riding through a desert for at least 50 miles, no signs of civilisation save for the occasional house dotted about, but certainly no towns or villages to get fuel. It was just a vast dry landscape with a few olive tree plantations, and over the next crest the same, and over the next crest…….you get the picture.

I watched as the LCD display on the bike warned me that there was only 40 miles of fuel left, then 30, then 20 and so I said to myself “At 10 I will stop and check Google maps for the nearest petrol station”. Ten…..nine….. and then I found shade under a tree, nearest fuel station 134kms, “What”?! I knew of the town of Alcoutim from our motorhome days and I’d seen signs for it, sure enough there was one there, about 6 miles away. With some gentle coaxing we made it! Reg was thirsty and so was I. Both refreshed we bombed the last 60 miles to Huelva.

250 miles over seven hours in toasty weather, knackered but happy to be here. Just a final 200 tomorrow for our week’s rest and the plan for the three week return.