Flying back into Portugal felt different this time. I was exhausted from a ride along the pacific coast highway with the cousins. So my excitment for the time being was halted!

I know what your saying “boohoo!” How can someone be so lucky to ride the PCH (Hwy 1) and then fly to portugal to ride its coast be complaining?

Its not complaning its more of reality. When we ride, we ride hard and party hard. Most stops when I ride with the cousins results in us hitting up the local watering holes until closing time, or close to it.

I flew back into Porto, and took the train into Joaos families town, still tired but I was pumped up to explore some more!

Joao’s family was as kind as ever. The goal was to ride back down the coast and get to the most southern part of portugal.

The Bike was left as I left it, underneath an awning waiting to be rode again! Riding back out along the douro river once again proved to be a highlight!

Stunning views, road side cafes, and cool weather to boot! It didnt make we want to go anywhere. I could explore it more for sure. However on this trip I only have a week before I have to fly back home and still have no idea where to store the camel.

First step get the bike serviced! I found this local BMW shop ran by the couple in the bottom picture……

While waiting for the bike I toured some more of Porto! In my last post I didnt give porto its due. Here are some more photos from there!

(The suckling pig sandwhich)

Wandering I found this local winery!

A great View and good wine!

In the above picture this is a local dish! (Francheshia) chicken,beef,ham, and bread with traditional Porteguese sauce!

Porto is great city! It deserves more time, for sure!

Once the bike was finished! I stayed in a hotel close to porto in a town called Barraco. Sometimes you just need a place to stay for the night. This one turned out to be a hotel with a garage. What a great touch 🙂

I have no real plan except to hug the coast. But this is the first trip I’ve taken like this where I dont have to cover much distance. If I wanted to go all the way down to the southern tip of portugal it will take me only 5 1/2 hours.

So my first stop for no reason at all is Espinho, Portugal.

My only desire was to eat local, and wander. Maybe check out the towns history. Reality though, was once I found the hotel…..

I just wandered and relaxed. I was feeling the effects of being on the move! Again this trip started in Los Angeles and I really havent stopped.

Here is what I saw…..

Thats right nothing, but the beach and a small market! Thats how tired I was. This is life on the road!!!!

I woke up a little more refereshed and just wanted to get up casually and ride. Thats what I did! Stopping along coastlines and beaches.

The rides were smooth and weather pleasant. The towns were all unique, nothing stood out though! I really just enjoyed taking my time stopping and looking at things that were intresting. Including this place for lunch….Bikers Spot Bar! I litteraly was riding by and thought yep……

I have no real issues except I dont know where I’m going to leave the bike, and I didnt have a destination for the night until someone at the biker spot bar suggested I stay in Figueria da foz! As it has quite the nightlife.

Being on the road and my younger self would love the nightlife stuff. However the older man in me really didnt care for it. At least not on this particular night. But I woke up around 4am to people yelling and screaming like they just came out of a club!

I decided that morning I would try to leave my bike in Lisbon. I haven’t had the chance to back track much on my trips since (2016) and go the to towns I have been to before, but Lisbon was one place I had to go back to.

Before heading to lisbon I thought I should still enjoy some more coastal towns next up was the ancient town of Peniche, Portugal!

Touring Peniche a pretty awesome medieval town, in the picture above, I was starting to feel….A life behind bars!!! It aint easy! But its worth it!

The next morning I found a town pretty close to me that is a world surf reserve…..

Ericeira, Portugal

Riding into the town I was immedietley taken back by its buildings and coastal structure, this huge wall dominated its beachside

The architecture was quite eclectic….

There were war time relics of the past….

I found a hotel in downtown, within walking distance the beach by the wall…..

There was something about this town I really liked and I couldnt put my finger on it! Beachside was comfortable!!!!

I stayed here for a couple days contemplating where to keep the bike. I knew I wanted to get to lisbon again and that they have garages there but I was actually really enjoying staying in Ericeira. It was just the type of quaint, historical, and lively towns I like.

Coincedentley I was speaking with hotel owner Armando and he was asking me where I was going to keep the bike. I said something about Lisbon and he offered his place if it didn’t workout. I thought hmmmmm….maybe!!!!!

I have only 3 or 4 more days before I go and not a long distance to get to lisbon, so anything is possible but I want to see the capitol again and explore.

I left and continued down the coast, every turn seemed like the perfect picture opportunity.

The goal was to get to Lisbon but there was a smaller suburb along the coast called Cascais, which is where we stayed when we played rugby in 2018 and I wanted to visit there again. As much as I travel, I dont really like to back track or visit twice but it is nice to go somewhere where I was comfortable.

Before I made it to Cascais I stopped to eat some local sardines at a Beach restaurant….

These were not your average sardines, it definitely was fishy ;0……………

Followed by a stop at the farthest point in western europe

(Guia Lighthouse)…..

Surprisingly many many tourists!!!

I arrived into Cascais and found a hostel! This is one of the most expensive towns in portugal. So hostel was the only way to go.

In Cascais we spent a whole week, in 2018, while playing rugby with the outsiders!

I immedietley made a quick pit stop at some of the local Irish bars we spent a few nights at as I was only a mile from there city center.

I spent the night hanging out downtown….It was pretty quiet!

The next morning I spent it on the beach, something I havent done yet! Which is ironic because all I’ve been riding is coastline. But I’m not a beach bummer:)! Except for this morning I just needed to slow down.

I have about 4 days left and I wanted to spend it doing two things. One find a place to park the bike for the year, and two explore lisbon some more.

I took the bike into Lisbon and do what I normally do when touring a new town. I pick a spot at each corner of a city and rode around until I get familiar with my surroundings. Sometimes this can backfire becuase I can get into trouble being in a area that isnt allowed. Like this particulaur moment in Lisbon. I took a turn up a steep grade that was only for tourists and the city Tram. Once I realized I was going the wrong direction and met a dead end, I tried to turn around! BIG MISTAKE! As soon as I turned around the angle for the bike was too high for my foot to touch the pavement and down I went. Right in front of the tram and gazillion tourists.

Luckily a good samartin came to help me pick up the bike, there was no way I was doing it on my own. Turns out the dude was american. He says in southern draw, “Happens to the best of us” Lol! I said, “Yes it does!!!!!” We both chuckled and then my sweaty embarassed ass cruised right down the hill!

Unfortunatley, the emabarassment didnt end there. I was excited to be back on the bike, and didn’t realize I turned on a one way street. In an instant, I was pulled over my the police. Mind you he was walking and jumped out in front of me.

He spoke no english and I spoke no porteguese. A match made in heaven, at least for me. He say’s in broken english, “wrong way!” I said what most people dont, “I know!” admitting quickly to the error, he gave me a confused look and said, “Go, Go!” Yes, Yes I did!!!

I decided to stop and take a breather. Big unfamilar cities and foreign signs can give you anxiety. No need to rush! But this is when I realized I’m kind of small town type of person. I’d much rather take Armando’s offer and leave the bike with him! After all the town felt like home.

The next day I woke up, after emailing and confirming with Armando if it would still be ok to leave it there, and I rode back to Erceira. Packing and preparing the bike this time felt too soon. It was the shortest trip I’ve had to europe since I started in 2016. One thing is for certain on these trips though, there is no shortage of the amount of good people in this world.

P.S On the way to the airport all I thought about was, even if it took me another 3 months to get home on the bike I’d much rather ride it there then be in this line, then getting on that bus. To get on a plane to stand in more lines. (Insert Facepalm) Lol its like nails on the chalkboard!