Algarve Coast of Portugal – June 10th to 12th 2022
June 10th – Today, we say goodbye or “tchau” to Évora and the Alentego Region and say hello or “olá” to the Algarve Coast. The Algarve Region is one of Southern Europe’s most famous destinations. Full of historic towns, pristine beaches, scuba diving spots, restaurants, and much more, it is favorite for English and Germans. And we would experience most of these while her
We stopped in São Marcos da Serra, a quaint whitewashed village in the Monchique Mountains, where we would start our ride. We then rode 18 miles through the Monchique mountains on nearly deserted roads through picturesque scenery toward the Algarve Coast, where we stopped in the castle town of Silves to enjoy a family-style lunch at a local open-air cafe near the castle.
The ride through the mountains was difficult because of the heat and the hills. At over 90 degrees with no shade, the ride felt like a sauna. In addition, there were some significant hills to climb. And one hill was extremely tough with a length of 1.5 miles with an incline ranging from 7% to 13%. I stopped and walked my bike part of the way up. Because there were a number of eucalyptus trees along the road, I nicknamed today’s morning ride the “Eucalyptus Sauna Ride”.
I skipped the afternoon ride due to the heat to shuttle to Bela Vista Resort & Spa, our gorgeous Relais & Châteaux hotel by the beach in the tourist town of Praia da Rocha. I spent the afternoon relaxing, took a long walk along the beach, which was packed with Portuguese and European swimmers and sunbathers I did get into the Atlantic Ocean. It was cold! Later, we took a short walk along the boardwalk to dinner at a restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking the same beach I had strolled on earlier in the day. We walked past a lively night scene in town back to our hotel, where I promptly fell asleep.
June 11th – When I awoke this morning, I opened the door facing the beach and let in the scented ocean air. Feeling Zen, I found a secluded grassy spot surrounded by high flowering shrubs and practiced some yoga. After yoga and breakfast, our group shuttled one hour to beautiful Costa Vicentina National Park, cycling 20 miles along one of Portugal’s most scenic coastlines.
After 13 miles, we took a break at a postcard perfect beach known only to locals and enjoy some iced coffee under the palm trees. After another 7 miles, we stop at the beachside village of Salema, where we enjoy a lunch of sardine pate, sea bass and brim, and roasted vegetables and potatoes. Two of us change into our bathing suits and take a dip in the cold Atlantic Ocean. Because the waves were crashing and there was an undertow, I did not swim out very far. But it was still exhilarating.
After lunch, several of us rode another 20 miles conquering more hills, including one that had a 17-degree incline. Although steeper, it was easier than the previous day’s big hill because it was only a third of the length. So, I made it to the top without stopping! After 20 miles of riding in 90-degree heat, we stop at a small village to enjoy some well-deserved cold beers and get a lift in the shuttle back to our hotel for time at the pool and on the beach. The afternoon ride was the most difficult for me during the entire trip because of the hills and heat.
We met at the Hotel’s outdoor restaurant for our Farewell Reception and Dinner. During the reception we enjoyed Portuguese sparkling wine, white wine, and red wine while listening to Fado Music. Classic Portuguese Fado music must include a vocalist, a 6-string Spanish Guitar, and a 12-String Portuguese Guitar, which can be played like a mandolin or a guitar. The closest I can come to describing Fado Music is a cross between American Folk and American Blues. The songs are usually about overcoming hardship.
After dinner, some of us walked down the street from our hotel and hung out at a karaoke bar past mid-night. I did not ride the next morning!
June 12th – This morning we say “Tchau” to Portimao Beach in Southern Portugal and “ola” to Lisbon, arriving back this afternoon to where we started our Backroads cycling trip. My last day would consist of memorable encounters, the first of which was with a sea gull during breakfast. After setting down my carefully selected plate of breakfast goodies, I left to get some coffee. When I came back to my table, it was the site of an epic battle between another guest and a sea gull, whose obvious intention was to make off with my breakfast bounty. And it did. The wait staff cleaned up the carnage. As I eyed my adversary perched across the way, I enjoyed my second plate.
I used this morning to walk one last time on the boardwalk of Portimao beach. As the beach came to life with European tourists filing onto the beach, I noticed large metal structures being erected. So, I did some research and found out that Portimao Beach will be hosting the 2022 Secret Project Festival from June 17th to the 19th. Secret Project is an emerging festival born in Los Angeles fusing art, technology, and curated music. Having been successful in Los Angeles and Miami, it went international last year in Amsterdam and is being held this year in Southern Portugal. It seems to be a huge dance party with scattered dance floors featuring techno and disco music. So, this beach will be super packed next weekend.
After grabbing our boxed lunches, we loaded up for the 3.5-hour drive back to Lisbon. After being dropped off at the large traffic circle at the beginning of the Avenida Liberdade, patterned after the Champs Elysee in Paris, I walked down this beautiful boulevard to my hotel, Tivoli, which is where Elizabeth and I stayed while visiting Lisbon several years ago. Unfortunately, my room would not be ready for an hour. So, the hotel offered free beer and snacks while I sat in their beautiful lobby. Later, as I walked back to my room after spending some time at the pool, I had my second encounter of the day. Three couples from South Central Pennsylvania and Delaware had set up their own party area in a corner of the mezzanine level, complete with a makeshift wine and booze bar. Seeing me walk by, they invited me to join them. They were all leaving for a Viking Cruise the next day on the Tagus River. This would be their first trip together as a group. To me, it appeared to be getting off to a splendid start.
Before walking around town, I visited the hotel sky bar and rooftop restaurant and enjoyed a gin martini and octopus carpaccio. I wanted to do this to remind me of my time here with Lizzy. We had sat at the same spot and had ordered the exact same thing when we were here together several years ago.
So, my last night in Portugal and in Lisbon would be a real celebration because it happened to be one of the biggest party nights of the year in Lisbon, created to celebrate St. Anthony, the saint of lost things. The evening features costumes, especially “sardine heads”, and neighborhood parties, with the Alfama neighborhood, which my friend Pete Keane and I had visited a week earlier, featuring the biggest crowds. It also has music, street food, especially grilled sardines, and even a grand parade down the Avenida Liberdade. I walked among the throngs of people and even found a square full of people watching a big screen that was showing a UEFA Nations League match between Switzerland and Portugal, which reminded me of watching the EuroCup Switzerland/France match on the Eiffel Tower mall in Paris with my son Jack and daughter-in-law Olivia several years ago. Unfortunately, Portugal lost 1-0. But the loss did not dampen the party mood.
As I walked along the parade route among the thousands of people, who did I run into other than a couple from my Backroads trip! They were having withdrawal because it felt like being a kid again and missing your new friends from summer camp. I never thought about it that way, but she was right. As I have told everyone, what makes these trips so special are the interesting people you meet and their stories. And I thank Gerry, my Gin Buddy, Dondra, whose story is a mirror image of mine, Bill, my riding buddy, and Melinda, who has done over 35 of these adventure trips, for sharing some of their stories.
I did stay awake long enough to watch the beginning of the parade, which started at 10 p.m. I woke up at 3 a.m. and the partying was still going on….
The next morning I went for a short run before leaving for the airport. Believe it or not, other than the empty grandstands lining the Liberdade, you would not have known that there had been a massive party the night before. The city of Lisbon and its streets were clean! And there were people walking around with cafes opening. Amazing…
My big purchase at the airport was five cans of sardine pate, which I discovered on the coast of Portugal – love the stuff! But the good news of the day was the fact that the day I left Lisbon to go back to the United States was the first day that the U.S. did not require a negative COVID test to get back in! So, I have two unused test kits in my baggage. And that is a good thing….
A final comment about traveling and Backroads. If you love adventure travel, there are so many companies that do this in addition to Backroads. One that we already use is MacAdventures that my friend Rolf uses to arrange our self-guided hiking trips around the world. A British company, they have great hiking itineraries. They also arrange excellent lodging and porter all baggage from one location to the next. We used them for the Camino Hike in Spain and the Rhine-stag Hike in Germany.
Melinda, who I met on this trip, has travelled using Rhodes Scholar 35 times. In addition, as Lizzy will tell you, and like my friend Bernadette, I arrange many of our trips. In fact, I totally arranged my upcoming vacation later this year to England with my three sons using the internet and AirB&B. So, my friends, there is no excuse not to travel and see the world.
Tchau,
Johnny
