clairedavieswriter

I’m sure you’ve been wondering whatever became of the hapless British man we came across in Burgos, attempting to source 200 lambs via our hotel receptionist (‘Dos cientos corderos? Madre mía, son muchos corderos’).Today, in the market in Bilbao, the story came full circle. Though it seems he might still be a few lambs short

So what did we learn from our passage through Portugal? I don’t like to start with a negative, but from our vantage point I’m afraid the most obvious point to make is that cycling in Portugal isn’t for the faint hearted. Not because of the terrain (although that also tested our cardiac capabilities), but the…

Our task for today was simple on paper: nip across the border and ride the relatively short distance to Ourense. In reality it wasn’t quite so straightforward to leave Cevide. The options were either retracing our steps back into Portugal, which didn’t appeal, or crossing the bridge and taking one of two footpaths up to…

Portugal end-to-end is complete! Since leaving Faro, Team Bernard have pedalled 833.3 kilometres and climbed 8,939 metres in 13 days, to reach the most northerly point in the country. As international border crossings go, this one is pretty low key: E is for España, P for Portugal. When such things mattered, the Portuguese customs officer…

Exciting news, folks. See that over there? That’ll be Spain. And Bernard finally got to have a paddle, in the river Minho that marks the international border So does that mean you’ve finished Portugal? I hear you ask. Very nearly, but not quite. The most northerly point of the country is still a day’s ride…

There was much to enjoy in Porto, particularly once the weekend crowds had dispersed. We found relatable graffiti. We loved the city’s iconic tall, thin, tile-fronted buildings with wrought iron balconies. And its terracotta roof-scape. But, tempting though it was, we felt two days might not be sufficient time to enjoy a Tantric Love Spa.…

After the commotion in Coimbra, Team Bernard slept soundly in our pretty Auberge. The morning air was chilly, and mist still hung in the valleys. But Bernard was raring to go – he loves a trip to the seaside. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really bucket and spade weather. Nonetheless, we were pretty excited… To have pedalled…

Team Bernard were feeling a little weary this morning. The lads had spent the night out in the rain. And it’s possible we are feeling the cumulative effect of many miles pedalled. Or our fatigue may have had something to do with the fact that our room overlooked a very popular student bar. Over breakfast,…

As I’ve said (do pay attention, 007), the most common end-to-end route through Portugal just follows the N2 all the way, between Faro and Chaves. But Chaves is not the most northerly point of the country, as you can clearly see (below right), and I’m nothing if not a stickler for such details. Which is…

According to our hotel manager in Sertã, most people who ride Portugal from end-to-end travel north to south, ending in Faro, ‘because it’s easier that way’. Aside from a boost to our egos, this news also gave us a perfect excuse to feed ourselves up at supper time. It’s fair to say that in Sertã’s…