March 30, 2019 - Portimão to Monchique
Through the destruction of last year's forest fires
- Estrela de Monchique, €25 incl breakfast
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Cycling means exercise. Exercise burns calories. Calories are replenished by eating. Residencial Alibi has a great breakfast full of options to replenish. I replenished.
There was a young fellow who was serving and he was pleasant to chat with as I gobbled down bread, cheese, meat, yogourt and fruit. And then I had another sandwich! The young guy helped me by carrying my bags down the long stairs while I carried the bike. He used to be a cyclist and suggested a few things to watch for along the route, and wished me well.
The GPS was showing me a different route than I had downloaded from the cycle touring site. The thing is, it was showing a route 12 km shorter. With the climb, I thought this a smart option. Yes, it was busy as I headed out of the city, but there was generally a very good shoulder on the side of the road. This along with the respect of drivers for cyclists, and I was fine.
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The route started out as meandering flatish terrain that descended for the odd riverbed (rarely water in any of them). There were a few old properties, some inhabited and some not, a few factories, some operational and some not, until I started to approach the hills and mountains of Monchique. There were vast expanses of blackened trees and earth from the forest fires that raged through this area last summer. Some areas had been bulldozed so instead of vast pine forests, there were big hills of red soil - I would hate to see the area get a really rainy season - all the soil would be washed away.
As I climbed, various groups of road cyclists passed with a wave or a greeting. I think the racers from Portimão use this climb for training. The traffic was steady-ish but not all that bad, so I was glad I had chosen this route. Despite the burnt areas, it was pretty. Then I arrived to Caldas de Monchique, where the fellow from the Arabi had suggested I stop. I pulled off the road at a mini park where there were a few benches under the trees with views into the village and its thermal baths. It was really pretty. Well worth the break and to recharge my legs for more climbing.
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The climbing began in earnest for the remainder of the ride. When I rounded one particular corner, the forests were untouched by the fires. As I arrived into Monchique there were a few young boys on their bikes who came past me, turned around and u-turned again. They seemed to enjoy cycling with the very-slow tourist. They laughed when I said they were a lot faster than me!
It took a few minutes for me to figure out the side street from the village centre where my lodging was located but find it I did. I am literally a fifteen second walk to the tiny centre square. There was a long climb up to the first floor (the same everywhere, it seems) but then when the cleaning lady saw me, she had a look on her face like I was up to no good. This was because I had arrived before the official check-in time. The owner came out and said it was fine and to come along inside. My room is another TINY thing with a bed that must be only 1m wide. I can live with that - we'll see if it is long enough for me. I chose the lower bed of what are bunk beds and I'll have to be careful when I sit up - the top bunk is very close.
I wondered about getting a snack so Googled the town to find there was a tapas restaurant literally across the path from my room. Tradições is its name. I looked out the window into the server and clients faces - that close. And it is well-rated. I wasn't sure what to have but someone had suggested the soup - vegetable - which was similar to caldo gallega without the meat. Then I had another tapa of small pieces of bread in olive oil and garlic. Good lord, it was amazing.
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Now, I am just about to head out and explore the village for a wee bit and figure out which route I will take tomorrow.
What a pretty little town. Up a hill here, down another there. Old and ancient buildings. Hills all around - some with forests and others with blackened stumps. Everywhere I turned the roads and pathways were beautiful cobblestones. Slippery cobblestones - so yes, I was extremely careful.
After my normal afternoon snooze, I wandered around another part of town til it was close to supper time. Tripadvisor suggested O Ze, a very nondescript little bar-cafe-restaurant that looked more like a fluorescently-lit corner store from outside. Before having a meal, I went across the road to a beautiful raised square and pergola with views across the valleys below and the Monchique mountain range. Sadly by now the sun was pretty well gone and it was cloudy - indications for tomorrow's rain.
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Around 7 pm I returned to O Ze and asked the server what she suggested - Assadura, she said. So I did. Pork loin strips bathed in garlic, lemon and olive oil, fried potatoes and salad. If this does not become the best meal on this trip, I would be surprised. Every bite was better than the last and I could almost have licked my plate and tray afterwards. But didn't. Also a first, the food came on its on metal tray with serving utensils. I remember this from all my other trips to Portugal.
Very telling, as 7pm came and went, locals continued to trickle in until the place was full. And everyone was so pleasant - I ended up chatting with a couple formerly from China and who were staying in my own somewhat lame accommodations. Small world.
Today's ride: 27 km (17 miles)
Total: 107 km (66 miles)
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