A slower start to this morning, beginning with a small(!) Portuguese breakfast in the wonderful place we stayed last night. The manager Sandra was so excited to have us there, but nervous of her English (which was excellent)- and could not do enough to make us comfortable. They had bought in and made so many things for my gluten free breakfast, there was enough to send us off with a box to last the day.
Portuguese hospitality at it's very best.

As we said yesterday, today was a shorter riding day of 106 miles, from Vouzela to Ferreira do Zezere. About 30 of these were in the narrow, twisty roads in the hills again.

As we gradually head further south, the weather is getting warmer and the clouds fewer. So, no blanket required in the sidecar today.

Due to the oversupply at breakfast, we didn't need lunch, we stopped at a mini market in Ferreira do Zezere, a mile before our destination to stock up on supplies for a picnic dinner.

Went out for a walk around the surrounding lanes, and stopped at a local bar (for local people!) on the way back for a cold drink

We awoke this morning to clear blue skies.

On our 220 mile ride from Congosta, Spain to Vouzela, Portugal we rode through mountains, farmland and vineyards, on a variety of roads.

Our stop for lunch at a new but unfinished petrol station resulted in a 4 course affair, in a tiny cafe which also didn't look finished, but had a paper sign showing that it was open. The food far outweighed expectation, and would also give many half decent restaurants at home a run for their money.

The last 5 miles of today's route were narrow and twisty heading up to our hotel in the hills. The hotel was a recently restored Manor House, worthy of Grand Designs.

All three places we have stayed so far have been absolutely fantastic and each totally different from one another.

A short day tomorrow, we'll let you know how we get on....

Thurs 21.04.16

Santillana del Mar to Congosta, Northern Spain.

Last nights excitement was in the town of Santillana, where we ate tapas of ham and cheese, whilst Paul was served his cider from some kind of aerating contraption, where the cider bottle had a long straw in it, which pumped the cider up and through the pipe into the glass - an amazing spectacle.

Mind you, it wasn't so funny when we left the restaurant and it was tipping it down, after all, it was 16 degrees and sunny when we'd walked the 15 minutes to the town, so of course we didn't need coats, or umbrellas. Whoops.

Still, this morning dawned quite bright, with blue sky on its way, we were very pleased to see that the tonneau cover had done it's job, and the chair was completely dry, everything packed back in well, so off we went.

The journey was about 200 miles on A roads, with the odd goat track thrown in. At points, when we were entering the high roads around the side of the Picos de Europa mountains, it was very cold. 8.5 degrees, I wrapped myself in my blanket as much as possible, and I could see Paul girding himself next to me, brr- keep going, keep going.

Our journey went alongside the pilgrims way to Santiago de Compestela, an 800 km walk that the pilgrims can take. There were certainly a lot of them walking in the short length we saw.

We stopped for a very warming lunch, along the Pilgrim Route at a hostel for them. Fried eggs, ham and a few chips for me, mini franks, chips and another plate of potatoes for Paul (!).

200 miles is certainly further on an outfit fo an inexperienced pilot han it is on a solo bike. Paul tells me he has to remind himself to relax, and that the riding requires a lot more thought and concentration than his usual ride.

The hostel we chose to stay at tonight is wonderful, extremely cheap, full of friendly people, and in a beautiful surrounding. The old woman who was sat outside when we arrived was so excited, jumping up and telling Paul she had never seen anything liketthe bike and sidecar.

The whole day was peppered with people cheering at us, overtaking with thumbs up, grinning, staring, scratching their heads in amazement at this thing they'd never seen before!!

“We awoke at 6.30 to the Up and Down of crossing the Bay of Biscay in a boat today. My stomach was turning over with every heave ho of the boat, followed by it making a metal screech as it crashes down on to the sea. 

We stayed in our beds until 9.30, before getting up for very wobbly showers, followed by a stagger along to the food hall, for whatever was left of breakfast there. Tea for two, Thick bacon, eggs, tomato and hash browns, plus toast for Paul. Yum. 

As the boat had left an hour late yesterday, because of refuelling problems, we were on course for arriving an hour late at 6.15 pm, great only another 7.5 hours to fill..... We filled this by trying to walk outside whilst it was still extremely choppy, into horizontal rain. We did the quiz in the bar for half an hour (how many children do the Simpsons have?), and watched all the various shapes and sizes of dog being walked around their small designated patch at the back of the boat. To the accompanying sounds of their dog friends howling from their special dog pound at the top of the boat.

The excitement of the trip was put on hold for a while, until that time that land comes creeping ever nearer, and a small thrill starts to run around the boat. This is when everyone heads into their cabins and emerges j  white shorts, well it is Spain, it's always sunny there, was the general cry. What in the mountains? In April? We decided there would be a good few heaters turned on in their cars once we'd disembarked. 

It was time for us to layer up again, and head from the boat to Santillana Del Mar, in Northern Spain for our first nights stop, only about 20 miles from the port of Santander. 
”