1O Lord, you have searched me and known me.2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.3You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.4Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Finally, I got a few hours sleep last night. We fell onto the bed after dinner. I slept until about 3:30 am. Then, there were things to do. I managed to finish the final touches on this weeks Messenger and sent it out - a day late, probably a dollar short, but the information needed to go out. Hopefully similar things will happen in the next couple of weeks. I tried to go back to sleep, and although it didn't seem to be happening, 7:30 rolled around quickly enough. We have to have our luggage at the hotel desk by 8 am every morning. That works nicely enough, once we've managed it a couple of times. Today there were chargers still charging, and the gloves that I forgot to unpack for riding once all was said and done. On the French Camino we dropped our luggage, grabbed breakfast, and were often on the road by 9 am. The downside was we'd be finished our ride for the day, arrive at the hotel around 1 pm praying that our room would be available. We knew today was not going to be a long ride. Google maps, RidewithGPS and Garmin predicted the 38 kilometers would take us about an hour and a half. So we waited until 10. I wrote. Sandy listened to her podcasts and at ten Sandy said, "Keep writing. We don't need to leave right away. Check out isn't until 11."
I stopped writing - I had editing to do that would be done later. We finalized our packing. Downstairs we got our bikes and loaded on our panniers. Mine have a bit of weight to them. The charger, camera, and computer providing ballast - not that I need help in that department - but on the other hand, the panniers are provided by the company we rent the bikes from. We have little to carry that's necessary for the panniers, so why not use them. Sandy has our locks, bike tools, and a couple of other small items. Since I have an e-bike again the weight isn't so much of an issue.
I barely used the power of the e-bike today. Starting out was stressful mostly because of the tourists crowding the historic district where we stayed. We had to pause a couple of times for adjustments in seat height and to figure out directions. Once we found the route on the bike path along the waterfront it was smooth sailing - for about 10 kilometers. We saw a side of Lisbon that we haven't really seen before. North of the historic district and Al-fama comes the Port of Lisbon. Wharves and warehouses. Lots of trucks and traffic, but not threatening when we're on separated bike lanes. It was a beautiful day. 20, 25 as we rode north. Our bikes were new to us and some of their idiosyncrasies were coming out. It took me a few minutes to figure out the controls for the pedal assist. Not that I was using it, I just didn't know how to run it. It's not unlike getting into a "new to me" rental car and having to figure out where the wipers, lights and other controls are around me BEFORE I start driving...constantly have to remind myself to do that...Sandy is having a few issues with a derailleur that may need attention when we get further along the road. It's reluctant to stay in gear and most likely has a bent hanger that will need straightening. We'll find a bike shop where, hopefully, that can be done quickly. I think our first "rest" day is in Coimbra, although I know there's a decent bike shop we might visit in Tomar if we need to - Tomar is where the e-bike I was riding in the spring was repaired.
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| Selfies are not my strongest skill. The gate behind us is the Entrance to the Old City. |
Most of the time I rode behind Sandy. The couple of times I ended up in front were mostly navigational. Sandy would be quickly reminding me that she couldn't keep up to the power I have with the pedal assist - I'd be pulling away from her - so better to stay behind. Actually, I prefer to sweep in any case. I feel safer not only for myself but for anyone in front of me. I'm big enough that if the drivers don't see me, and hit me, the damage will prevent them from killing anyone in front of me. Really, that's not much of a worry in any case. Most of the drivers were giving us a reasonable amount of space.
After about 10 kilometers or so the bike lanes came to an end. In fact, we discovered the end when we made a wrong turn, maneuvered around some construction, and found ourselves on the bank of one river reaching the harbour. The Lisbon harbour is, in fact, a river. It's the mouth of the Tagus river coming into the Atlantic. It's hard to tell where you're here. It's wide and looked more like a bay - even from the planes landing and taking off from the city. There's a major bridge near downtown that's about four kilometers across. Another further north that's about 11 kilometers long. And at Vila Franca de Xira another headed inland to Elvas and Evora splitting from the highway north to Porto. At Alhandra, just south of Vila Franca the mouth of the Tagus widens into the bay that is the Lisbon harbour. It was well before that - about 20 kilometer south that the stretch of bike path we were following came to an end.
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| There's a Bull Fighting Ring and Cemetery there somewhere. |
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| Following the Camino |
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| Shared Use Path near Vila Franca de Xira |
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| We stopped here for lunch |
The next stretch of riding had us following EN-10. Kind of a feeder road for the freeway - the A-1 - it follows along the water. It was narrow and had a small shoulder. There were lots of cars, trucks and other traffic, including pedestrians. In a couple of places it seemed we were riding more quickly than the traffic was moving. It was stressful as trucks passed closely on the couple of small rises that we encountered. For the most part vehicles gave us room, although in a couple of spots I wondered if they might have waited a moment for a wider space on the road. It was industrial - heavy industrial - most of the way to Vila Franca. I wondered about where the walkers would go. Their route moved inland at the point where we ran out of bike path. We rode along for another 10 kilometers or so and then the Garmin was directing us off the road onto the Camino. We encountered a couple of the signs pointing the way; in Portugal there are several Caminos. The route we are following is also a pilgrimage to Fatima. Sandy and I won't go there this trip. Jeff is planning a diversion to visit the sanctuary there.
We finally turned off EN-10 onto what RidewithGPS identified as the Camino route. A bit of a navigating through Alhandra took us to the waterfront. On a square we found a spot for coffee and lunch. It was a beautiful day. A local couple next to us had their dog with them and so we got a bit of attention from the pup. He decided Sandy might be a good person to get to know when she took the sandwiches from her pockets. Coffee was delivered to the table we'd chosen and we sat on the patio for awhile enjoying the view of the river, the sunny, moderately warm day. We were in no rush. It was shortly after noon and we were five kilometers from our final destination for the day.
Our luggage and room were ready when we arrived at the hotel. The final stretch followed a shared use path to Vila Franca de Xira then back onto the EN-10 for a kilometer or two. The traffic was busy. Cars and large trucks headed to the interchange with the freeway north to Porto. Other traffic coming onto the highway as the routes from Elvora and Elvas further east merged with ours. The hotel is at the intersection of EN-10 and the A-1. I've been comparing the day to riding from downtown Vancouver to Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge in British Columbia. Through False Creek, past the industrial areas in Burnaby, and Coquitlam to the major routes East at the Port Mann Bridge and Lougheed Highway/Mary Hill bypass. The area around the hotel has a McDonalds, a grocery store and a couple of car dealerships (one of which is surrounded by barricades and has a large for sale sign above the door.
We walked back into the center of Vila Franca and met Jeff for dinner last evening. The options were limited. Some Sangria and beer at a café, then dinner. The first restaurant we reached was closed. A second restaurant nearby was open, the google reviews were decent, and so we went in. What followed was a lesson in the advantages of technology as the menu was in Portuguese only, the staff spoke very little English, and we even less Portuguese. We managed to order salads, mixed plates of charcouterie, an the easiest of all "Vinho tinto de Casa" Several hours later Jeff began to panic realizing his hostel's curfew had passed. We paid less than half of the price for dinner than the previous evening. It was simpler, lighter and MUCH more enjoyable. The restaurant was crowded with locals as we left - eating dinner, visiting between tables, loud and full of life. It is a side of Portugal that we have not experienced a lot during our visits here. Like a English pub a gathering place for the community.
It was a good day overall. Our travel went without any dramatic moments. It was challenging at times sharing a busy road with the traffic and I look forward to quieter country paths. The preparation of routes proved to be a significant help with Google and RidewithGPS providing the best navigation for cycling from point A to B. Sandy and I enjoy one another's company and despite moments of anxiety as we reach an uncertain point, or I begin to get too far ahead for her comfort we work well together as a team. Our routines for the trip are becoming more established. We know what needs to be done, and when to do it. The hotels, while not luxourious are comfortable. We're a little challenged getting the re-charging that needs to happen done easily - some of our chargers are struggling with the power supplies and hotels are only catching up to the technology that we now have and use routinely. As Jeff suggested last evening, at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can now add Wi-fi to the list of basic needs in a modern world. We are experiencing the beauty of Portugal once again. The people are gracious and hospitable. The waitress at the cafe where we had Sangria and beer struggled humbly with her english to take our order and receive payment. A gentleman at a neighbouring table helped her to understand that we didn't need a receipt for re-imbursement of the VAT when we left the country - ultimately this such a small amount relative to the journey it isn't worth the bureaucracy it would involve applying.
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