September 22, 2016

Sun and clouds from the start today.  Despite the disappointment of yesterday we’re keen to start and have high hopes for a good day.  Before we’ve had time to stretch our legs we’re straight up a really steep climb, so steep we only make half way up and have to push the bikes to the top.

The view over the edge of the cliff we’re cycling along is scary, with nothing between us and the sea far below.  The sea is hammering on the rocks below creating a haze of spray in the air.  I’m already a bit nervous that we might not be on the right path, but actually we are and we pop out in exactly the right spot in Figueira do Foz.  After a quick restocking of our supplies we’re on our way along a rough farm track along a river bank heading inland.  We need to travel upstream to pick up a bridge before making our way across and back to the coast.

However, this is when our problems for today start – small backroads with no road signs, no road numbers, obviously no cycle route signs (we haven’t seen any of those for days), nothing.  We even reach villages with no name plates.  It is as though Portugal is expecting an invasion and they are trying to fox the enemy.  They have us foxed anyway.  At each junction we have to make an educated guess, sometimes correct, but sometimes not and we only find out when we arrive at the next landmark.  We make a couple of unnecessary loops adding on the kilometres- very frustrating, especially as it is very hilly terain.

The route redeems itself though when the final 20 or so kilometres are along a perfectly flat, smooth tarmac cycle lane at the side of a well-signposted road.  Phew!  At last, some proper progress.  It’s late when we arrive at Praia de Podrógão, so we don’t get to see much of it before sunset, but what we do see seems pretty nice.