Two Lost and Found: Return to Lamego and on via Vila Real.

November 24, 2014

I make it away early aware in daylight there are at least two houses further up the hill overlooking my campsite and descend back to Lamego, having ridden about six kilometres in the wrong direction yesterday as it got dark. This morning I have a better sense of direction. I need to head directly across town, coming from the south going north. And from the centre I see a sign for Vila Real.

There follows a steep climb up a cobblestone street; at the top of which I see another sign for Vila Real, left. Then a little further at a roundabout there's a sign for a Resende straight on and somewhere else right, but nothing to say which way is N2, the way to Vila Real.

The right drops steeply into a valley and looks the most likely to be two. So I take it and descend, braking a lot as it is something like a gradient of one in eight. Not far below the valley is a cotton wool blanket of fog. I brake to a halt at the first sharp bend a mere few hundred metres down, pause having doubts and look back up and across at the other road straight on from the roundabout that curves along the slope without all this descending. The Resende signposted above I find on the map is quite a bit west of my preferred route. Though without more ado I return back up to the roundabout and follow the road high up, which undulates gently along a terrace on the upper slopes above white clouds to the right.

The road to Resende is N226, the continuation of the road Is on yesterday. Shortly I come to a tee-junction. The sign pointing right is to Peso Da Regua, a place on my map and on N2, so I go right, descending steeply into fog whiteout and a sharp drop in temperature. I halt to put on the rain jacket for warmth and set the rear light blinking in the low visibility. Though before long I drop below the fog and descend to a road with Rio Doure on the left. I know exactly where I am at last.

Rio Doure with national road old bridge and motorway viaduct.

I don't need to enter Peso Da Regua, which is as well, as it is a sizable town on the opposite side of the river; instead, following signs for two and Vila Real, the way goes incredibly steep up once over the bridge. Up and up, every bend reveals yet another long steep straight. And there are quite a few roundabouts with turnings for the motorway before I rise above the urban area and the gradient becomes more rideable. Eventually I stop at a roadside viewpoint and snack on two clementines and bread leftover from Friday. There are a string of farms serviced by a small road along the opposite slope of the valley which is a neat weave pattern of vines everywhere.

I drop into Santa Maria and stop for coffee at the first place I see on the slope down. The pastries aren't great and at five euros, the overall bill isn't cheap. I freewheel on downhill into the town centre and find a better place for a second coffee and a fish filled empanada thing, which is nice enough I have a second. Across the street in front of the town hall workmen are erecting a Christmas crib.

With appetite satisfied I make one more stop at a small independent supermarket on the way out of town for a few things for later. The road goes up then, but only for a short bit. Cresting the hill, there is a longish descent with the inevitable knowledge that I'm going down into a deep hole which will have to be climbed out of. And sure enough when there is nowhere further down the road can go, the way rounds a corner and crosses a bridge and climbs. This turns out to be the longest hill of the day. Though not terribly steep, it takes about an hour climbing and once over the top and starting to go down, I stop to marvel at white spars and rigging of a road viaduct across the valley ahead, beyond which is a peppering of high-rise blocks. The city of Vila Real.

Motorway in the sky. I don't know how high the viaduct is, but imagine a tower block from the valley floor up to the underside of the carriageway by the golden gate bit in the middle.

My road follows the valley rim with the city of Vila Real ahead located roughly 80 km east of Porta.

The central pedestrian street in Vila Real has more inviting pastelerías. I stop again at the bottom. Yes I needed to fortify myself before tackling the long steep central drag. Coffee in Portugal isn't only good, it is cheap at a euro or often less. And the pastries are about another euro each if you go to the right place.

Once the road levels out at the top of the valley leaving the city, at a busy roundabout I find N2 onward to a place call Chaves. Also on the sign is Espanha. Spain.

The road on follows the flat of a valley. And the only other thing of significance is the fog returns approaching dusk, turning a golden autumn afternoon into a cold grey abyss where I'm anxious to get off the road to camp just as I'm in an area of farms and houses. Thankfully I come to a bit of waste ground hidden from the road by a thick hedge just as I thought I'm taking my life in my hands continuing in such low visibility.

Pastelaria in Vila Real where I'd coffee and pastries.

Looking up from picnic table at rest-place.

Today's ride: 89 km (55 miles)
Total: 8,604 km (5,343 miles)

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