April 25, 2022 - Aveiro to Praia de Mira - Return to Cycle-OPOLIS (Tour 22) - 2022 🇵🇹

April 25, 2022

April 25, 2022 - Aveiro to Praia de Mira

Fish jumping, birds singing, me pedaling

Hotel: Granny's Guesthouse

Restaurant: Restaurante Lila

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Breakfast was to be served starting at 8 am but when I went downstairs ten minutes early, everything was set and ready to go so I had my breakfast so I could get going. I had poked my head out the window to hear birds chirping and a clear blue sky overhead, though it was 7 C, so a bit chilly.

I quickly got ready and headed downstairs with the bike and bags, loaded them on and was away by 830 am. I took my time so I could enjoy the old centre and canal area without yesterday's throngs of people - I am still not really used to crowds.

The first part of the route was to get back across the bridge and back toward the coast where I could pick up the Eurovelo 1 (EV1) route once again which was about 10km away. I just meandered through little villages and back streets until I hit the 'purple line' on my GPS, with only one dead end that I had to re-trace.

As I turned south the steady light breeze from the south greeted me once again, for the third day in a row. Most of the route in town was a paved bike path but once out of town the path continued on an old dirt farming road that brought me along numerous small cultivated patches where quite often one or two people were there tending to their patches of cale or cabbage or onions or whatever else they grew. On the other side of the path were the tidal mud flats of these numerous inlets and lagoons from the sea. Quite often I could see or hear fish jump and when I looked into the water could often see fish just below the surface, though I have no idea what species.

After such a snowy winter back home, it was so nice just to see greenery. -- near Aveiro, Portugal

My route brought me along the mud flats were men were digging for crabs to use as bait. My route followed along a smooth dirt path. -- near Aveiro, Portugal

Once I knew I was getting closer to my destination I reset my GPS to lead me to my guesthouse so I wouldn't overshoot the mark. This took me away from the EV1 route via paved roads through smallish towns so it was a nice change. I did like the quiet and solitude of the dirt path but it was also interesting to see homes and towns. There are lots of new homes along the route though every now and then there are the older original homes and then some of the really old formerly-glorious homes that are now deserted and crumbling, and quite often these ones are for sale. They must be money pits to renovate or they would not be for sale.

When I got to Praia there was a funny jog in the road, which triggered a memory from when I was planning - and sure enough, there was my guesthouse right across the road from where I was standing. I rolled in along the building and stepped inside to be greeted by a very friendly owner who said, "You must be Brent." He said that my room was ready, showed me my really nice room, showed me where to put my bike in his garage (and offering his lock if I wanted it), then suggested a few restaurants when I was ready to eat. This place has a really high review rating and no wonder.

I asked my host and he suggested Restaurante Lila,so when I saw that they closed at 230 pm, I zipped right over for lunch and had their signature cod with potatoes (and a pineapple Sumol). The meal was fabulous. -- Praia de Mira, Portugal

Once in my room, I checked the restaurant to find that it closed at 230 pm and it was already noon so I dropped my bags and headed up the street to the restaurant. It only took five or ten minutes and since it was early for lunch I had my choice of tables on the patio. On their menu was their signature meal of cod with potatoes roasted in olive oil with garlic, so I ordered that with a pineapple Sumol.

As I sat and waited the street got busier and people started to arrive at this tiny restaurant and there was even a small line at one point. When my meal arrived it came in a stoneware pot and was sizzling from the oven - the server said to be careful as it was very hot.

The first bite was a mouth full of heaven. No sooner had I had a few more bites that I hear, "Hey Brent, how is it?" It was the host from my guesthouse driving by! I enjoyed each and every bite til everything was gone except for the bones and the bay leaf. The server asked if I wanted anything else but I was stuffed, but I told him again how amazing it was.

I had seen that there seemed to be quite a beach up over the dunes from the restaurant so I went to tke a look - and holy smokes what a beach. It actually made me think of the beaches in Cuba - a huge sugar-white expanse of beach with blue waves turning to white as they crashed onto the beach. Though today is Portugal's 'Freedom Day' and is part of a long weekend, the beach was surprisingly empty (it was cool out) and nobody at all was in the water. Apparently this region is popular with surfers.

Other than a few families and a few people laying on the beach, I had the whole expanse almost to myself. I didn't put my feet in but I did walk all the way to the water's edge then walked quite a way along the beach. All along the high point of the waves there were dead sardines. There must be so many of them near the shoreline that when the waves wash ashore it brings the sardines with them and strands them out of the water. Out in the water I could see seagulls eating from the water so I guess there are so many sardines that they can be choosey to only take fresh ones and not the dead ones from the shore!

After lunch I went up over the dunes and to the huge expansive beach of white sand with waves crashing in. -- Praia de Mira, Portugal

Though not a lot of them on this beach, there were a number of these traditional Portuguese fishing boats and were still in use. -- Praia de Mira, Portugal

After a nice long walk along the beach I headed back to my room to rest a bit and possibly sleep, though I haven't done so to this point. I don't know if I should force myself to stay awake so my night sleep is less undisturbed or take the nap because I'm tired. Either way, if not too tired, I may take another walk up to the beach later in the evening since it is so close to here. This town is quite small.

Today's ride: 31 km (19 miles)
Total: 133 km (83 miles)

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