Cycling along the Euro-Velo-1 in Portugal (*****)

Let’s be honest, cycling just costs a lot of energy

It’s very nice to spend your energy in an even rhythm, with your partner that you have been friends with all your life, knowing that everyone at home is doing well, you haven’t used up your whole bundle yet, your tire pressure is good and you will lie down in a good, real, wide bed tonight. Camping is fun, but sometimes…

… sometimes it’s a little different. Sometimes things don’t go as smoothly as you’d like. Sometimes you have trouble crossing a river. That was exactly the case with this cycling couple. If you are going to cycle from the north to the south, the Euro-Velo-1 is a perfect choice. But sometimes you have to get across the river. And that was not easy!

The Euro-Velo-1 is a beautiful cycle path, sharply along the coast

A small piece of a whole network that has been created throughout Europe.
Those bureaucrats in Brussels and Strasbourg do something more than just come up with crazy rules. They also come up with things that are really nice for the people; in this case for the cyclists among us.

I saw them walking down, behind son Broes, to the camping area, and a quick glance up taught me that they were cyclists. Early afternoon is not a common arrival time, so maybe something is up? Technical problems maybe? When cyclists arrive, the first thing I think is anyway: do we have something cold to drink, something to eat? You can’t take much with you, on the bike. Every ounce counts. And it’ll make you hungry. And thirsty.

When they came walking back, we greeted each other, and against my habit (if Broes does the honors, I don’t interfere) I spontaneously asked: “Are you real campers?”

In retrospect, my intuition was probably like: move over, I’ll do this one – and so I started about room 2, which was empty, with a terrace and two nice chairs-with-cushions … maybe not right, but my experience is that you get a wooden bum from long cycling, and that after camping so many times in a small tent you can do with a good bed, a little more space, and get that wooden butt off the ground.

It turned out to be not so much projection as prophecy, because that night there was a thunderstorm, completely out of the blue, with heavy rain and even hailstones! (in July!)

As for food and drink, he went straight to the store of Jorge Neto in Alqueidão, so nothing else was needed. They could use the kitchen, so they would take care of the cold Coke and the warm pancakes themselves.

We bade farewell the next morning. “What a beautiful place” he kept saying, and of course he stole my heart with that. While they themselves live in a beautiful place in the Netherlands. They have a group accommodation in Drenthe (northern part of the Netherlands), so they know what it’s all about.

On to the next adventure. Have a nice trip, dear guests!

And then this:
A new travel advice for Portugal has just been published: There are no longer any entry requirements for Portugal. You do not need to show (that you’re) corona proof. The travel advice for Portugal is green.

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We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, Holland to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal.

A big step, especially with two small children.

We are busy to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa which has been turned into several holiday houses, rooms and a campsite.

You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere.

Since 2018 we call ourselves the first B&B&B in the world – Bed & Breakfast & Bathrobes. You can buy a home-made unique bathrobe/housecoat with us.

Each week a little blog about what is happening around us. An easy read. A few minutes in another world. A little about what it going on in Portugal. If you plan your holiday to Portugal, it might be a nice preparation

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