November 22, 2014
The Pilgrim: Olive Do Hospital to Trancoso.
Sometime after waking I hear the patter of rain on the tent. Shortly it eases and on looking out there's weak sunshine and a watery sky, perhaps it isn't to be the wet day forecasted.
On riding out and rejoining the road I see off to the left a vile curtain of midnight blue. Pouring it down.
The heavy trucks keep rolling pass on the way into town. The ones on the return labouring slowly under load creating a convoy of following vehicles.
I stop at Lidl. It being Saturday morning there are more shoppers than usual. A couple in front with a full trolley unload the items unto the check-out belt. Their little boy has made sure mamma has put in all his favourite treats. Big dark eyes the likeness of mother. When all the items have been bleeped through and the bill is there to see, father opens a wallet full of cards and has a look on his face saying can I really effort all this.
The tall organ pipe with a flag of billowing vapour blowing down wind of the storm on the horizon is to the left on the way out of town at a large industrial plant. Row upon row of huge metal clad buildings and a loud humming noise. The trucks drive in and rank up to fill underneath a loading-hopper. Beyond this the road narrows and traffic is reduced to infrequent cars.
Not far ahead I'm hit by drizzle and stop to don rain-jacket, but it only wets the road before petering out and it remain fair.
I reach Cerorico just after two. The red national road from here north I planned on taking is motorway. No cycling signs. But I soon find the old national road running more or less parallel. It passes through a small village beyond town where I enter a pastelaria, Inside two old men sit at a table chatting loudly, the woman behind the counter joining in. She has to leave them on noticing me. I order a coffee and point out two pasties which look good, but taking a seat, turn out to be cheap sliced ham and cheese. I order a second cup and open the map to check the best route ahead.
The road on to Trancoso is a long straight line ahead and the sun has come out. Up the road I see someone walking towards me with very wide shoulders. Could it be he's carrying something. Getting nearer I see it is a big backpack. Closer still he is striding along using a stick as an aid.
We come level and he returns my smiling greeting. I decide to stop. He is a young man no older than thirty with shaven head and with almost a week's stubble. We exchange names and stories. Pedro is from the south of Portugal. He started in Switzerland in early May, walking to Santiago and now is returning home. He expressed joy in meeting me, not having met any walker or cyclist for many months.
It is a long climb, up over the motorway which is raised high on concrete stilts in a viaduct across the valley on the left. Eventually reaching Trancoso at dusk I stop at Intermarche on the way into town for a few things. It is almost dark riding through town and on the other side I find the right road at a roundabout which climbs again with a mix of pine and eucalyptus plantation on both sides, I ride in along the first track I come to.
Today's ride: 84 km (52 miles)
Total: 8,432 km (5,236 miles)
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