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Spain and Portugal, 2024Spain and Portugal, 2024
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Spain and Portugal, 2024

April - May 2024
Two days in London; Gijon and Santiago de Compostela in Spain; Porto, Sintra, Lisbon and 10 days of biking in southern Portugal Read more
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  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    11
    Day 15

    Sintra, Portugal, May 1, 2024

    May 1 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    We visited the Palacio de Pena and the Castelo de Mouro. Both are on hills so we had to walk up (because the bus we were on got stuck in traffic) and then walk down a pretty nice path into town. The last kings and queens of Portugal lived part time in the Palacio de Pena which was a convent before royalty converted it into a palace. The Castelo de Mouro dates back to the 12th century when the Moors controlled the areaRead more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 16

    Lisbon, Portugal, May 2, 2024

    May 2 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Checked out of the Villa Aedan in Sintra. Took the train to Lisbon, about 40 minutes. Taxi to our hotel. Joined our friends and the rest of the group. Took a walking tour from the hotel to the waterfront down the Avenida da Libertade, which commemorates many things in Portugal's history including the 1954 Revolution that overthrew the dictatorship. A fancy multi-course dinner complete with an impromptu Fado performance by the waiter with the help of his cell phone.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 17

    Evora, Portugal, May 3, 2024

    May 3 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Our group of 16, left Lisbon on a two hour bus trip to Evora, Portugal, a UNESCO heritage city which has ancient city walls, the remnants of a Roman temple, the bone chapel and a couple of Pousadas. Pousadas are old buildings, often convents which were emptied in 1834 when the Portuguese king outlawed all religious orders. Our Pousada was a beautiful renovation of one of those abandoned convents. A local guide, Sylvia gave us an detailed tour of parts of the city including the 16th century aqueduct, built when the city was the capital of Portugal, city streets and the evolution of styles, the remains of the Roman temple built on the 1st century AD to honor the emperor. Anna and I walked the old city wall after being sent to the wrong Pousada by a well-meaning local. We enjoyed hamburgers and wine at a tiny little eatery as we worked our way through the city to the Pousada. The next morning we toured the famous Bone Chapel, lined with the bones of some 500 monks. The chapel has an inscription over the entrance in Portuguese which says: "These bones are here waiting for your bones."Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 18

    Evora to Pousada Castelo Alcacer do Sal

    May 4 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We headed out of town on our bicycles, ten ebikes, two regular bikes, and one tandem, plus the leaders were on regular bikes. A 43.9 mile ride through rural Portuguese country lanes with cattle with bells and cork trees and a mutitude of different species of wildflowers - including a red flowered wild pea. Saw the first of many stork condominiums (multiple nests in a single tree). Pedaled to the top of the hill overlooking the river Salado to our Pousada for the night, the Pousada Castelo Alcacer do Sal. The next morning we received a tour of the archaeological digs under the Pousada which had recovered evidence of humans more than two thousand years ago along with numerous artifacts from thousands of years of occupation.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 19

    Alcacer to Sines, Portugal, May 5, 2024

    May 5 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We bicycled 47.5 miles, with about an hour of that in light rain, from Alcacer to our hotel in Sines, Portugal, the Hotel Caso do Medico San Rafael. Right after our start, as we crossed a nice pedestrian bridge, I misplaced my phone on someone else's bicycle after taking a photo and thought I'd lost my phone. Many miles of narrow country lanes lined with wildflowers. Bicycle in the rain for about an hour. Stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Had to wait 30-40 minutes because of Mother's Day. Had some nice grilled squid while drying out from the rain, then finished the ride to Sines. Walked the short distance to the remnants of an old fort then up to the top of a rebuilt wall with a statue of Vasco da Gama below. Nearby was an archeological dig of a former Roman era fish sauce factory. Neat views of the city beach below. And, of course, another exceptional dinner.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 20

    Sines to Herdade do Touril

    May 6 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Another very nice breakfast at the hotel, then we pushed our bicycles out of the underground garage and circled through city streets to begin our 42.7 mile ride to Herdade da Touril, an estate, converted to a very nice country lodge complete with swimming poot, a donkey, sheep, and goats, all about one mile away from the coast. Had a tailwind today after headwinds the previous two days. Our first look at the famous cliffs, with periodic beaches that line much of the coast of this part of Portugal, the Algarve. Lots of gravel roads mixed with pavement that took us along shore lines, cliffs, beaches, stork nests, lots of agriculture including a team picking beautiful carrots. Nifty room with cork headboard and wooden farm implements. Another great dinner with fish and wine.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 21

    HT to Aljazur Praia do Canal

    May 7 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    A short 34.9 mile ride up and down lots of hills, including some rough, rocky lanes. We started the day with a one mile rocky lane out and back to the cliff-lined coast near our lodging. Very scenic country then off via a wandering road route including some very long uphill and downhill routes, routes along irrigation canals, sandy roads. Village on the cliffs. A stop at Mara Vilhas for lunch and walk down to the very pretty and very deep beach at the mouth of a river. Long downhill where I raced ahead then had to turn back and go look for our group of six because they had stopped for a minor bicycle malfunction. A last, steep rocky climb to the five star hotel/resort with awesome swimming pool - where I did five lengths. Cool room, though the construction arrangement of rooms in blocks is reminiscent of a prison. Bed even had curtains - which were pulled by staff while we were at dinner. Staff required to accompany us to our rooms and show us important stuff we needed to know. Black pork for dinner on huge log dining table.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 22

    PdC to Sagres, Portugal

    May 8 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Enjoyed another outstanding breakfast (with Rich and Michelle) and a walk on the grounds of this five star lodging. By 9:30 we were on our way into this National Park of Portugal, Stopped at beaches and boardwalks overlooking cliffs being pounded by the ocean waves. Stopped for lunch in Vila da Bispo where some of us skipped lunch in favor of a visit to an Aldi's grocery store. I bought a box of eight ice cream treats. Ate 3 1/2 and shared the rest! Tasty. Anna and I explored the immediate area including a monument to men, including ten Englishman, who died in WWII. Biked on thru the countryside. Had a conversation with a herd of goats. On to the lighthouse at the Cape of St. Vincent, the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Rugged cliffs, capped by a thin layer of highly eroded limestone with lots of wildflowers that gave the appearance of a rock garden. Short stop at the remains of the Fortress of Belex, then on to our lodging for the night, the Pousada da Sagres, another converted convent. Six of us walked into and thru town and I separated from them to walk down to the city beach, a walk back up a path due to Pousada and then out to the headland and back with nice wildflowers along the way. Three course dinner at the hotel restaurant, including an awesome orange cake.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    1
    Day 23

    Sagres to Lagos to Faro, Portugal, May 9

    May 9 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Another fine breakfast then off to bicycle 25 miles to Lagos, along a path that took us back through the Vila da Bispo where we had lunch yesterday. We pedaled up and down winding roads through rural countryside past a meadow of brilliant red poppies. Stopped at a tourist beach village (lots of new condos) where Sally T. had me take a video of her doing a sand angel for a friend back home. On to Lagos for lunch at the Camilo Restaurant overlooking the famous cliffs of Lagos where the ocean has cut narrow channels into the cliffs that boom and thunder as the waves crash into the undersides of cantilevered cliffs. Very fun lunch with appetizer names I can't pronounce and grilled calimari and a mixed salad that was awesome. We loaded on to a bus for the trip to the city of Faro and our Hotel Eva Senses, right on the waterfront and public square with a 5th floor rooftop swimming pool (which we did not find time to use). After arrival we walked through the old city walls into the old town then back out into the commercial district where we stopped at an outdoor cafe for a treat and pitcher of sangria. Delightful weather. Returned to the hotel for the night.Read more

  • TravelerSpain and Portugal, 2024
    Day 24

    Faro to Tavira, Portugal, May 10, 2024

    May 10 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Up for a fabulous breakfast in the Hotel Eva Senses on the fifth floor, then on to a bus to the Salina da Grelha, a family-owned salt production (from sea water) facility owned by the sam family for more than 150 years - and which was a tide powered water mill until the new motors of the industrial revolution made the tide mill uneconomic. Now the family (Veronica from the Czech Republic married the current owner) provides salt mine tours, sells specialty salt (we bought some) and provides an opportunity to swim in Mar du Mort (sea of death), highly saline waters (200 g/kg vs 280 g/kg for the Dead Sea and about 30 g/kg for normal sea water). On our bikes for the 20+ miles ride to Tavira via bike trails through tidal flats and a side trip via small train to the beach Anchor Cemetery where hundreds of anchors were abandoned when the fishing industry (sardines) collapsed due to overfishing. Winding roads past orange orchards and lots of agriculture before doing a circle through the small city of Tavira (due to a miscommunication between the leaders about which hotel we were going to) before we pedaled to the front door of the Hotel Vila Gale a large hotel that seemed to cater to German and British tourists. Time for a quick swim in the pool and a snack before our group gathered for our final dinner at a very popular restaurant (Coisa Linda - thing beautiful) for an outstanding dinner of Portuguese crab cake, cod with prawns (the whole prawn) and mussels, with rice and a flight of four desserts for each person. A nightime under-the-lights walk back to the hotel at 10 p.m. and off to sleepy land.Read more

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