Michelin's Road Outlined in Green Means Scenic Hey?: Residencia near Pombal to camping beneath Big Wurling Windturbine on Serra Lousia.

November 20, 2014

I was not looking forward to waking up the next morning to the prospect of another wet day. I'm awake and hear the church bell chime seven times. Seven o'clock is still a little early to be up here at this time of year as it is half an hour before sunrise. I usually wait to at least eight. That one hour goes far too quickly until the church bell starts to chime for eight o'clock. This is it. Against my desires to remain in bed I pull back the bedclothes and reluctantly drop feet to the floor and stagger to the window. I dread pulling the curtain to see the highway still in a sheen of rainwater and spray of passing vehicles. But there has been a glow through the slightly translucent curtains. I pull the curtains. The road is dry and it's a morning of weak sunshine.

A short way on from the residencia I arrive in the town of Pombal. Here I escape the busy highway and head inland, but before leaving town stop for a second breakfast.

The yellow road on the Michelin map from Pombal has a green outline denoting scenic route. I find it mundane. The road winds round and through hills of pine plantations with lots of quarrying and ugly industrial structures, include stark pylons strung with power lines. But least this road has a vehicle wide shoulder. It almost seems the type of Portuguese road that would have a no-cycling sign, or have I spoken too soon.

Supposedly a scenic route according to Michelin brothers. Nice road surface and ample shoulder though.

Then it turn into this. Yes motorway. No-cycling, but as there was no alternative I ignored the sign. This part happens to be duel carriageway.

On reaching Pontao there's an interchange then a second with that ominous no-cycling sign for the road ahead.

I cycle off on a slip-road onto a dual carriageway thinking what the hell I'm I doing. I'm heading south again. There is no other alternative. About a hundred metres in there's a space in the central reservation crash-barrier and as there's neither traffic coming up behind nor oncoming I turn left and through, u-turning and cycle back and down the slip back onto the single carriageway motorway. The yellow road with green outline in my Michelin map indicating scenic road. Very scenic indeed.

There was no no-cycling sign on re-joining the road so I thought maybe it is just motorway for the short stretch bypassing town, but further on see blue car with diagonal red stroke cross it signs on all exit slips. I continue riding on the shoulder wary that any moment a traffic patrol will come up behind me. There is no other way of getting to where I want to go, there looks to be no other road through as the countryside is extremely rugged rocky pine-clad slopes. An odd car beeps in protestation. The road is straight and climbs steeply over every hill and descends just as steeply. I cross two viaducts over deep ravines, then comes an extra long climb. More cars beep and the shoulder is reduced to a metre and a half wide against concrete barrier as the single carriageway passes up through a deep cutting. I'm sick and tired of this road as I get to the top and see an exit sign for Figuero Dos Vinbos West. This town although a fair way south of the highway is on the road running north on the map intersecting the highway ahead which I intend on taking, but I couldn't continue any longer, so content myself with a big detour south. A long descend through wooded hills.

I picnic on the way and in town find a Pastelaria where I finish off lunch with well earned pastries and coffee.

I pick up N236 leaving town north and cross the motorway. Also with a green outline on the map, traffic is light, undulating through more pine-clad hills to the town of Castanhera Do Pera with a big backdrop of high wooded hills lined with windturbines along their brows. Seems as though there's no way my road can go on as the hills seem to be a barrier. Furthermore the road ends in town. Locals look on as I ride round confused trying too find which way. I descend down and turn left onto a wide road on the edge of town empty of traffic, thinking it will come to a dead end. A kilometre on it narrows and reduces to almost a single track strip of tarmac by the last houses of town, but there's a sign for Louisa, the next place on my map.

Ahead the traffic free narrow road passes through forest and shortly begins climbing the hill seen on the way into town. It is the time of day I should be looking for a place to camp but all is rising ground beneath the trees to the side. Any place level and big enough for the tent would be inundated with water if it should rain and it has been a greyish day where it could rain at any moment. Though once the road has switch-backed up and looking out to the side across treetops, I see small wisps of moving grey cloud floating up the hillside opposite obscuring the wind-turbines on top. A sign the danger of rain has perhaps passed.

Going up more I come to a viewpoint with a concrete platform where I think of placing the tent. A good spot to camp if not for openness to the road.

I continue toward the huge turning blade of a turbine dominating the road ahead, to where the hill levels out and an altitude sign at the side and come to a halt. It's almost dark and I'm just about to start off again, in along the windmill service track when a car comes up from behind.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" the young beardy man at the wheel of a pickup says across his wife sitting in the passenger side when it pulls level. Nice people Portuguese. "Yes I'm find. I'm just looking around me. Thanks all the same"

I put the tent up in the dark between two mature pine trees and have an evening of listing to the mechanic wind of the nearest turbine overhead.

The day's road has improved by leaps and bounds as dusk closes in.

Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 8,260 km (5,129 miles)

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