Vila Nova de Santo André to Vila Nova de Milfontes - Escaping the Rain--In Portugal - CycleBlaze

November 4, 2024

Vila Nova de Santo André to Vila Nova de Milfontes

Finally, some scenery!

When we checked in to this hotel, we were pleased that the rate, including breakfast, was only 73€. We didn’t have high expectations, especially when we entered our dated room with its view of the parking lot. However, the service has been excellent, the dinner not bad, and the breakfast buffet pretty good. I was a bit concerned about the latter because when we arrived yesterday, there were no cars at all in the big parking lot. In fact, we were worried the hotel might be closed and we would have to go back to the one at the north end of this sprawling town. 

The building has a nice large inner courtyard, complete with pool. This view is from the breakfast room/restaurant.
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Beyond the pool (quite large for a hotel pool) is an adventure playground; off camera to the left is a wading pool.
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Karen PoretWOW! Biking and then laps! I’m in.:)
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1 month ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Karen PoretI’m surprised Al didn’t go for a swim. It’s possible he was tired from battling headwinds for 2 days but also that the last time we tried a hotel pool, in Nerja, Spain, in November, we were shocked to find the water icy cold.
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1 month ago
Karen PoretTo Jacquie GaudetBrrr! But, when you’re overheated from cycling this “ shock” is sometimes ok!
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1 month ago

It took us a bit to get back on our route south. At first it seemed we could carry on along the road the hotel was on and a short unpaved stretch would connect us to our planned route. But the unpaved road was treacherous sand so back we went to get on the highway by conventional means. It was only a short stretch on the limited-access highway then we were on a pleasant, paved, parallel road. 

Off to our left was this pine forest. Something looked different!
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It appears sap is being collected. For what, we wonder. Ideas?
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Theresa Davieswas curious... found this
"Pine sap collected in Portugal has many uses, including:
Turpentine: Portugal is one of the few countries in the European Union that can supply turpentine for perfumery.
Rosin: Portugal supplies rosin for the manufacturing of tires.
Waterproofing: Pine sap can be melted and applied to fabrics, leather, and other surfaces to create a waterproof barrier. It can also be used to repair holes in tents or improve the water-resistance of tarps.
Adhesive: Pine sap can be used as an adhesive to bind materials together, such as in the construction of wooden sculptures and jewelry. In a survival situation, it can be used to craft tools, weapons, or fishing gear.
Skin salve: Pine sap can be used to treat rashes and skin conditions, such as eczema.
Anti-inflammatory teas: Pine sap and pine needles have antibacterial properties and can be used in anti-inflammatory teas and broths to treat a sore throat or other ailments.
Pitch glue: Pine sap can be used as a sealant. "
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1 month ago
Karen PoretTo Theresa DaviesHow interesting ..thank you for the explanations.
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1 month ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Theresa DaviesI knew someone would look it up! Interesting! And thanks!
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1 month ago
Theresa DaviesTo Jacquie Gaudet😂yup, that would be me.. you're welcome. Thank you for sharing your trip.
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1 month ago
Margie AndersonThanks to Theresa for the fab info but the only one I knew of was this:
The gum-like substance in rosin is applied to the bow in order to generate friction between the strings and the bow. It improves the resonance of the instrument. Without rosin, the bow's bristles would slip and wouldn't be able to rub the strings with enough friction to produce a sound. 🌲
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1 month ago

After about 12 km of riding, we turned away from the Autoroute and joined a minor highway to Sines. More traffic (there had been almost none on the parallel road) and no shoulder either. This was the case for the rest of the day. 

 There was a smooth off-road cycle path most of the way around Sines which helped us get past the busy port. We saw nothing of the actual town on our route. 

The coast, finally. We hadn’t seen it since getting off the ferry from Setúbal yesterday. This is just before the port of Sines.
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Sines old port.
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Looking back at the new port with its LNG and container terminals.
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We had occasional views of the water and then off in a field to the left:

An ostrich! There were at least 3, each in its own very large pen.
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Kathleen ClassenThey surprised the heck out of Keith and I too. That was three years ago! I wonder if they are the same ones??? I have no idea how long ostrich live. I will look that up shortly 😀.
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1 month ago
Beach view looking south
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Same place, looking north. This is what we came for!
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At Porto Covo, a decision needed to be made:  follow the EV1 route 3 km inland to a bridge then back out to meet our planned route, or follow the Classen’s lead and go more or less straight south as I’d planned. According to RWGPS, only about 1.5 km of this would be unpaved, while the EV1 route was entirely paved. If you know us, you know which we chose!

We rode down a steep paved road almost all the way to the water. Then we walked across the top of the bay. Not sure if this would be passable at high tide.
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That’s Porto Covo up on the bank
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The push up wasn’t bad at all.
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Almost done the steep bit
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Views!
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Margie AndersonThat’s tha very same succulent plant you see on the California coast.
Ice Plant: Carpobrotus Edulis; 3 sided leaf, invasive but interesting.
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1 month ago
We thought we’d hit asphalt sooner than this—but we didn’t.
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Margie AndersonWow, that was some detour!
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1 month ago

In fact, instead of 1.5 km unpaved, it was about 6.5 km. It was mostly rideable but I walked some especially sandy bits. We didn’t return to asphalt until we turned on to EN390. 

Unfortunately, it was back to the traffic too. Not too bad, but more than we’d like.

We arrived in Vila Nova de Milfontes and soon had a room at Sol da Vila. Very pleasant, especially for 45€!   The young woman who checked us in gave us recommendations for places for dinner and breakfast when asked. We ate at the recommended Pátio Alentejano and it was very good. She had suggested we order one main course to share because the portions were very large and she was right.

We each started with soup
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The main course: pork with clams and shrimp came with potatoes too.
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Cheesecake for dessert. Twice the size we’d be served at home!
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Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 175 km (109 miles)

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Kathleen ClassenI suspect the same ostriches. I looked it up and in the wild they live 30 to 40 years, in captivity up to 70. Huge winds and rain here today. Portugal is a better place to be!
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1 month ago
Keith ClassenIt’s fun to compare our experience with yours on the same route. Hope you are feeling better Jacquie and the weather cooperates.
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1 month ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Kathleen ClassenAnd snow in the mountains too. We are hoping for a good ski season when we get back.
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1 month ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Keith ClassenI was expecting to see the permeable pavers I saw in your photo of Kathleen but maybe that was a different place.
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1 month ago