Today should have been the nicest one of the trip so far, but it was marred by the fact that Vincent’s tendinitis had got worse, and he wasn’t able to cycle today. The atmosphere at breakfast was pretty morose, because not only did we feel sorry for him, but we all wanted to start and finish this trip together! It’s largely thanks to him that the rest of us have got this far in good shape, so it’s tough – but that’s life!As we prepared to leave the hotel, Marc in his usual excitement managed to trip while packing the car and ended up head-butting the brick wall. Dr. Patrick was at hand to press his forehead really hard to avoid the formation of an egg, but it should be a pretty colour in a day or two!
It was cold in the morning, but as the day progressed the layers came off – and we ended up in the high twenties on some of the climbs in the sun. The roads were amazingly devoid of traffic, and the short trip of 120kms went quickly. The countryside was beautiful, with rolling hills and valleys – and we also saw several storks’ nests, along with a donkey-drawn cart when we passed through a village.
We reached Portugal today, but there was no border – just a sign at the side of road. It was sad that Vincent had to spend the day in the car, but we’re hoping that he’ll at least be able to ride into Porto with us. We arrived in Bregançia by a road which resembled a motorway with no traffic. Tomorrow might be a different story though, because Portuguese roads don’t have a great reputation.Vincent and Marc avoided the 4-star high-rise hotel on the outskirts of town , and opted for a 3-star instead. However, it would seem that the stars are self-assigned, because it’s really nothing special. No WiFi, no restaurant, and not much going for it at all.
We drank five or six beers on a neighboring terrace, and we’ll head into town for food later on. We haven’t yet adjusted to the notion of eating after ten, because we’re starving by seven! There was even a bit of concern last night as we drove into town to find a complete lack of restaurants. The bars were full of merry Barcelona supporters and smokers, but there didn’t seem to be anything going in terms of places to eat. Fortunately we discovered a place which turned out to be quite nice – good food, excellent house wine, and Anthony even tried what we think was a bull’s tail!
Only two days to go, but I have a feeling that tomorrow will be tough. Although we’ve only got short stages left, Portugal seems to be nothing but hills! We’ll see...
Today's pictures are here.
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