April 2, 2012
Trancoso
north up the N 233 and N 340, through Guarda & Freixedas
Probably best described as stoic, the owner of the Sol Rio isn't much of a conversationalist and what with the language barrier between us, it's simply the word coffee that passes his lips. I have one with a packaged croissant and that's breakfast over with.
Just gone 9:00, I'm ready to hit the road.
By 10 o'clock a petrol station café catches me eye.
The sun has come out and I sit outside and enjoy a second cup along with a small custard cake (similar to ones sold in KFC) that I've been told originate in Lisbon, but which are now sold around Portugal. It looks a bit burnt.
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There are dark clouds around, over to the east, although they slowly blow away as the morning progresses.
The second coffee helps perk me up - I had a bad sleep due to a dog below my window barking from 3:00 onward - and the level section of road leading to Guarda sees me whizzing along at 40 km/hr. That goes right down to single digits as the climb into the city approaches and once off the busy ring road, it's a walk up the steep cobbled streets to the main square.
Guarda is the country's highest city, nestling on a hill over 1,000 metres above sea level. However, its reputation as a cold, windswept place seems at odds with the still air and balmy temperature. That soon changes.
After coming out of the tourism office, threatening clouds lurk overhead and after a bite to eat, sure enough, it starts to hail - the white balls pinging off the cobbles. I wait it out back in the tourism office, using their Wi-fi to Skype Debbie.
With my day's goal of Trancoso being 30-odd more kilometres away, I opt to get going at 3:00. The sky has partly cleared, but rain is in the air and at the village of Pera do Moco, I duck into a bus shelter as spots start to fall and eat an orange.
Getting out of Guarda proves to be more problematic, with no signs for the N 221 and at one point I end up on the main highway, then have to trek back towards the city, which all wastes about 40 minutes.
Somehow I get mixed up after reaching the village of Freixedas. It should have been easy to make a left, according to my map, but Trancoso wasn't signposted and a delivery man unloading his truck directs me down a country road, indicating to make a left at the end.
It turns out to be in the village of Ervas Tenra, about 10 km out of the way, to the north instead of west, and rather than the expected 30 or so kilometres to ride, it's almost 50 when Trancoo's white houses come into view.
The sun, looking like a winter one peering through dismal clouds, is low and the temperature has dropped accordingly when I finally ride up into Trancoso, where, at the far end of the hilltop's main drag is a sign for a hotel. Nice.
Today's ride: 96 km (60 miles)
Total: 1,299 km (807 miles)
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