May 9, 2023: Valença do Douro to Peso da Régua

May 9, 2023

'The most beautiful road in the world'

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Hotel Imperio, € 38.43 with breakfast

Incredibly, when I awoke I felt hungry. How is this even possible?

It was too early for breakfast so I started to pack my things and popped what I could onto my bike.I only kept the few things I would need before heading out. Most of 'the group' were at breakfast together so it was a nice time again along with the tasty breakfast. As always in a case like this, I am sad to say my good-byes to people I might never see again.

Once I was ready the Australian and Van Island couples wished me well as they were leaving around the very same time. I asked Miguel's mom if I could photograph her (yes) then packed up and started to rolling with her wishing me a good trip and to return some day.

Former co-owner of the casa and now mother of the current owner, this is the woman who fussed over me when I first arrived offering me port, water, snacks, fruit - to make me comfortable. I see where her sons get their incredible sense of hospitality. -- Valença do Douro, Portugal

Sad to leave, I looked back a few times for some final views of the village. -- Valença do Douro, Portugal

But when I turned to look the in front of me, I was greeted with great panoramas of the Douro meandering away in the distance through the terraces. -- Valença do Douro, Portugal

As I rolled down the steep hill from town I took a few final pics then a car rolled to a stop beside me and there were the Australians wishing me well again. It took much less time to get to the bottom of the hill than it had taken me to climb it. When I got down, instead of turning toward my destination right away I turned right and headed back to Pinhão. Today's riding was going to be short, mostly flat, and it was still early, so I though it a great idea to prolong this beautiful section, and really, my last true day of cycling on this tour.

Once across the iron bridge, this time I turned right and passed underneath the bridge and went along the walk/road way beside the river. It was when I got to the furthest point and saw people lined up for one of the wine-running boats that I saw the Parisian couple from the casa so stopped for half a moment to wish them a good day. They were going on one of the hour-long boat rides before leaving the Douro.

I had an easy day to my destination today, so I decided to backtrack a bit so I could experience the little town as well as the scenic route along the river to get there, back and to my destination. -- Pinhão, Portugal

Satisfied with my little detour, I climbed back up to the road, crossed the iron bridge and pedalled alongside the Douro. Miguel had warned me about the route being busy and some drivers being crazy. He certainly was right about its being busy - a few times I pulled to the side when two large vehicles were going to meet right beside me. Not wanting to be popped into the river, it was easy for me to just pull to the side and wait. I was in no rush, anyway.

I stopped often for photos, for sips of electrolyte drink and just to look around. At one point a car passed me in the same direction with a toot of the horn and two hands extended out the windows to wave. I'm not sure who it was but know it was one of the couples from the casa.

A few organizations have called this section of the Douro one of the most beautiful in the world. -- Between Pinhão and Peso da Régua, Portugal

All around were terraces held up by very old stone walls. The Sandeman sign advertises their quinta which is here. -- Between Pinhão and Peso da Régua, Portugal

There is a new bridge to replace this nice old stone one, but that did not stop me from going over to it to cross. Its deck was made of slate tiles that looked natural or hand-cut. -- Between Pinhão and Peso da Régua, Portugal

As I progressed the traffic got heavier and there was more evidence of people in the houses and businesses along the road. I was coming from a couple of weeks of near solitude to increasingly more people. In fact, I was told by a few people how Porto is just jammed with throngs of people. Oh no. Good for their economy, but not so great for my comfort.

Many of the quintas have these really fancy entrance gates just plunked along the N222 highway trying to entice you up to buy some wine, stay in their casa or eat at their restaurant. -- Between Pinhão and Peso da Régua, Portugal

Just before arriving to Régua, I came to the dam and lock. People were gathered around to watch, so being in Rome...

There was one of the river cruising ships in the lock taking almost every spare inch of space. Even the overhead space was so tight that people on the top deck had to sit as they went through, and the top deck canopy was on hinged pistons so it could be lowered to go through the lock. I'm not sure of lock terminology, but the height of the lock was many tens of feet if not more. As everyone watched the upper gate lowered, and then the ship very slowly inched forward out of the lock without banging into the sides, then away upriver it went. It was amazing dexterity.

Another inch in any direction and the boat would not fit into the lock. Incredible pilots on these ships. -- Peso da Régua, Portugal

The people sitting could reach up and touch that cross beam as the boat passed underneath. -- Peso da Régua, Portugal

A very well-known symbol of Sandeman port. Though not a great brand, their advertising is great. -- Peso da Régua, Portugal

Just as I reached the three bridges over Douro in Régua, it started to mist just enough for the road to get wet before stopping, and then the sun was back out to dry everything. That was it for today's rain. This allowed me to get some nice sunny pics of the bridges, one of which is the N2 highway crossing. This is the central north-south highway that was built to bring tourism into more parts of the country. Parts, if not all, is twinned by a motorway, but apparently the N2 is a fairly quiet and beautiful route through the entire country. Many motorcyclists some to do this route and many bicyclists come to do the route. It is about 800 km long so would take a while, but it is certainly on my to-do list.

I stood on the iron railway bridge looking at thesse two bridges - the motorway and the N2 highway. These roads run from the top of Portugal in Chaves to the bottom of the country in Faro. It is their Route 66. Yes, a future tour for me. -- Peso da Régua, Portugal

I crossed the iron bridge (intended for the railway but never used as such) and made my way straight to the train station with the idea of buying my ticket for tomorrow's train to Porto. However, the stationmaster said I would first have to check with the conductor tomorrow to see if my bike would be allowed. Hmmm - worried now, I came across the street to check in to my hotel then contacted my friend who works on the Douro trains (train driver). He said that sometimes the station people are a bit tricky to deal with but to go ahead and book my ticket for the train since it has twelve spots for bikes. I went over and got the one-way to Porto for 9.85€ and felt much better. Now that will be out of the way when I roll up to the train in the morning.

Having eaten so much the past few days, I was not too hungry so went walking around the old section of town (amazing old buildings, though some of them needing a lot of work) to pick up a few snacks at a grocery store then munch them on a bench down by the river as I watched the boats chug past and the people milling about. Not lots of people, but steady. I am finding this city has a rugged beauty to it, and as the sun is now getting lower in the sky, the colours of the buildings are quite vivid. Many, many are tiles and they really like the sunshine.

I don't really have anything on the schedule tonight. I have no real cycling tomorrow, my train is not until 837 am but the sun is shining. I think a wander shortly is in order.

Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 476 km (296 miles)

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