Ride to the mountains

Weather had been mixed to say the least in central Portugal, so when a calm, warmish day arrives it is time to go for a long run! Having not ridden for 2 or 3 weeks, I felt a bit rusty initially with misjudged corners, sharp braking and inconsistent speed. A coffee stop soon sorted that and once a rhythm was established faster progress was made. The destination was a gorgeous area around the Barragem De Santa Luzia, a dam creating a lake used as a reservoir. Autumn sunshine hit us half-way through the ride, warming us up and compensating for the drop in temperature as we climbed higher and higher. Visibility wasn't the best however, as the recent rain had increased the humidity. Unfortunately, with Covid many cafés and restaurants were closed, so we had to go off-route to find a 0lace that served us fried chicken, salad and frites, wine bread and a dessert for €10s each! Portugal at its best! A quick tour of the lake and we set off to head home, but a different way. So off down the mountain heading for faster roads as the sun was going down and it was getting cooler. The fast thrash home was exilerating on near empty and well-surfaced roads. As the engine ticked as it cooled after we parked up, a huge sense of peace and contentment filled us both. The joy of biking is the best therapy, bar none!
A mountain stop above the great snaking river of the Zêzere in central Portugal.

Albufeira da Barragem De Santa Luzia

Overlooking the great snaking Zêzere river in central Portugal