Mar 4, 2025 - Portimāo to Albufeira - Random Acts of Kindness (Tour 27) - 2025 🇵🇹

March 4, 2025

Mar 4, 2025 - Portimāo to Albufeira

Muito concreto hoje

Portimao to Albufeira, Casa Amarela Guest House $67

THIS morning I was on a mission - I had to have breakfast at the guest house then had to get going so I'd be to Albufeira by noon so I could check in and drop off my things.

Though the web forecast said it was sunny out I coud see that it had been raining and it was very cloudy with ominous dark patches of clouds. Hmmm, I thought. I had the delicious breakfast which included chopped fruit one of which waas mango! I quickly loaded up, carried things down the long set of stairs and rolled away from the guest house toward the water's edge. And it started to sprinkle rain. I found the route to the bridge and whilst crossing it sprinkled more and then quite a lot. Once to the other side it got even heavier so I ended up pulling over to the side of the road under a concrete canopy and I watched it absolutely pour. So much for sunny skies, eh?

There was a city employee also under the canopy so I joked with her about the rain in a multi-lingual chat. She was from Cape Verde so spoke Poruguese and a tiny bit of Spanish and French but I could understand her Portuguese and she could understand my Spanish and a bit of my French. She said that her family had come her to get away from the crime and danger from her home. Once the rain slowed almost to a stop I wished her and her family well and continued on my way.

Surprisingly for such a built-up area, the EV route at this point followed a dirt road through old farms, but soon the road was paved again and alongside the road on both sides was a very posh looking golf courses and huge fancy mansions along the hilltops. Not sure who owns them but they were beautiful and their style fit in to the region.

The road went from wet to damp to fairly dry so I don't think it rained everywhere. As I approached Lagoa the road was very busy until again, EV had me divert onto small roads or dirt roads that meandered and twisted through the countryside. At times I was close to the sea and at other I was well inland and could only see it in the distance occasionally.

I was a bit worried about getting to Albufeira on time so once well past Lagoa I set my GPS to direct me to the guest house. This took me from the EV and put me on to sometimes busy roads. The last little bit before I arrived to town was a long steep climb before rolling a few blocks down to the guest house. The owner came right to the door once I buzzed and let me bring my bike right in to the courtyard where she let me wash it and I also checked it over. Then she offered to let me store it in the laundry room which is locked at night, but she also gave me a key to the room in case I need the bike.

I went over the whole bike, adjusted the brake pads (which are wearing a lot with all of these hills). I adjusted the gear cables which seem a bit stretched. Then I gave the whole bike a rinse to remove any last bit of dirt and soap. And I was happy.

I was soon able to get in to my room which is very nice and then headed out for a walk. Just more than a block away is the Vila Recife (1982 and 2019) which looked so sad to be so quiet. They close for the winter and do not re-open for another few weeks. Good memories of a nice place. Then I noticed that the little restaurant across the road is gone and the space and more is taken up by a Spar supermarket. Darn. I headed toward the water and looked for the other nice restaurant I had been to last time (the one with the bikes in it) but it was now a new place but wasn't even open until supper. I suppose both of thoe restaurants were casualties of the pandemic.

I found another place where I had a decent (not great) lunch of calamari, fries, salad and a pineapple Sumol before heading down along the beach. Since it was not a sunny day there were people about but not all that many which was kind of nice. I walked along the boardwalk, walked around the still-standing rock that I remember from way back, then just watched the waves crash on the beach while I snapped photos of just stuff.

A few dark clouds started to approach so I returned to my room where I lazed and dozed. Before sunset I headed back out for some photos with better light but I think it was a bit too dark on the beach. However, as I came back up to one of the concrete sitting areas there was a tortoise colour cat who meowed and rubbed up against me, enjoying a few head scritches. It's a good thing I did not have any tuna with me or he would have had a feast right there on the sidewalk!

Now getting dark, I returned to my room for an early evening with a movie and reading. Tomorrow will be a rest day off of the bike and to figure out what to do over the next few days since some pretty scary weather is coming this way and I think there might end up being some flooding again.

Surprising to see a scene like this in the Algarve these days. -- Lagoa, Portugal

Where our family stayed in 1982 and I stayed in 2019. Sadly, they close for the winter otherwise I'd have stayed there again. -- Albufeira, Portugal

Calamari, fries, salad and Sumol. -- Albufeira, Portugal

There is the big rock I remember from 1982. We hung out on the beach near it and a few times a day climbed the staircasse up to the town, though back then it was a really old set of stairs presumably for the fishermen since that was what went on here more than swimming back then. -- Albufeira, Portugal

The town has changed a lot but that rock and the beach are just like I remember them. -- Albufeira, Portugal

I remember this being a little country road up to Vila Recife and rough vegetation alongside. Not any more. -- Albufeira, Portugal

When Alex was young, Pookie was his little bear. Some years ago (like 15+ years) I asked him if I could bring Pookie along and send back photos of him in various spots. Alex liked the idea, and I have brought Pookie along on every trip since then. Here Pookie has the Albufeira rock behind him and is kind of looking out to sea. -- Albufeira, Portugal

This little cutie approached me and meowed, rubbed up against me and enjoyed a few scritches. -- Albufeira, Portugal

This little cutie approached me and meowed, rubbed up against me and enjoyed a few scritches. I might be a sucker for sweet little cats.-- Albufeira, Portugal

Today's ride: 39 km (24 miles)
Total: 471 km (292 miles)

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