Waking up this morning I looked at my weather app and there is a bad storm due to arrive in the area this afternoon. After Sagres I was planning to go to Lisbon and then Porto, but today and tomorrow is going to be non-stop torrential rain across southern Portugal – so – do I sit in my leaky tent or do I make a run for it…?
Decision made I broke camp, packed the bike and got on the road early this morning. I was due to stay at Sagres for two more days but I can’t see the sense of sitting in a tent in the rain, and as the bad weather was mostly in the south I headed north to Porto – and stay ahead of the poor weather.
It was around 355 miles and for the first 90 miles I hugged the west coast and rode through some beautiful countryside with some excellent sweeping biking roads. Eventually I joined the A2 motorway to take me to Lisbon and then the A1 motorway to Porto. When I got off the motorway, the toll was 35eu… Mind you, I can’t complain because the motorway was empty for most of the way and even towards Porto the traffic was very light. If I had stuck to the A roads it would have taken me much longer to get here.
When you arrive in Porto is quite a shock as you ride along the river to the city centre as there are three large bridges plus a cable-car spanning the river. A wonderful sight. And lining the hillsides on either side of the river are so many buildings lining the steep hillsides. The Portuguese are very good at building on the side of sheer rock faces.
I’ve decided to stay at a hostel for three nights. Why a hostel…? Well, it’s cheap – £15 a night – plus you get a breakfast in the morning. There’s also a kitchen if you want to make your own food, plus there’s a supermarket opposite the hostel. A bargain…
Tomorrow the weather is going to be changeable so all I’m going to do is stay warm and stay dry and maybe do as little as possible. I could have camped but my tent is nearly finished and besides a leaky roof it’s also got a leaky groundsheet – so it’s a no-brainer decision..!
When I checked in and given the key to the four-man dorm, there was already one other occupant in the room. When I barged-in with all my riding gear and carrying my tote bag, tank bag and helmet – I think the poor 17 year old lad nearly fainted… The best bit will come tonight once I start cranking out the Z’s (snoring) as he hasn’t got any ear defenders. Poor lad…
Well, that’s me: I’m here for three nights so although tomorrow maybe a lazy day, the following days will be lots of sightseeing. I’m so looking forward to this as Porto seems to have lots of character, and it’s also a city I’ve always wanted to visit.
