Touring Portugal Story and photos by Dan D’Ambrosio
ast year I turned 50. To help ease Lagos, a bit farther east along Portugal’s the world. the pain, my wife Alice and I flew coast. Later explorers like Vasco da It’s a place to worship the sea and to to Portugal for a 12-day, 400-mile, Gama, the first sailor to reach India from trust your fate to its vagaries. In fact, long self-guidedL tour that would take us from Portugal, opening up a lucrative trade before Henry ever set eyes on Sagres, Sesimbra on the Atlantic Coast just south that helped make Portugal a world power, ancient mariners would come to this spec- of Lisbon to Vila de Sagres, the southern- would leave from Belem in Lisbon, where tacular plateau of land to make sacrifices most point on the spectacular Portuguese Alice and I also stood gazing down the to their gods before braving the Atlantic coast. in their primitive boats. I tried to imagine At Sagres on a promontory jutting dra- the desolation of this place in those pre- matically into the Atlantic and towering 10˚� historic times and the courage it took to Spain hundreds of feet above its surface, Henry launch a journey into the unknown in a
the Navigator, according to legend, trained Viana do Ca◊elo Braganca small boat on a very big ocean. Our little the 15th-century Portuguese sailors whose Braga bicycle trip paled by comparison. But we heroic journeys of discovery still inspire Vila Real felt pretty good about getting here under
Porto e Indias stick slashing though the connexion Guinea
their countrymen today. The notes for awing lines in the sand he learned quoting Ptolemy our own power nevertheless. TheAtlanticNorth at othe nod at, our maer aking his head, own our trip, supplied by Blue Coast Bicycles, Ocean Viseu I picked Portugal as our destination the company that arranged our route and for a couple of reasons. First, it’s the lodgings, mentioned Henry’s “historic 40˚� antithesis, climatically and culturally, of sailing school” at Fortaleza Sagres, the Portugal the Netherlands, where we had toured in
ancient fortress on the promontory. An asco 2007. The Netherlands were cool, windy, earthquake in 1755 severely damaged the Santarém and rainy just about every day when we
fort, but remnants, including an imposing Gam were there in late spring. To add insult to
outer wall, still stand. As we would learn, Lis∫on Azeitão Évora injury, the previous two months had been San`ago do however, nothing of the school remains, Sesimbra Escoural unusually warm and sunny, as we were perhaps because there never was a school reminded regularly by the amused Dutch. San`ago de Cacém Beja Newca◊le at all. Porto Covo In Portugal, every one of our 15 days Am◊erdam At the very least, the exact location of p e was sunny. A few of them were hot — Herdade do Touril Paris o r Roma Henry the Navigator’s school on the prom- u very hot — pushing us to our physical Barcelona 10˚� Faro e ontory is unknown. But, to make matters Vila de Sagres Lis∫on limits. When you’re fairly certain you MAP: c a sey greene worse, the person manning the entrance to could make a nice cup of Earl Grey with the Fortaleza insisted there had never been the water in your water bottle, it’s hot. a school at all in the sense of a structure Tagus River to its mouth on the Atlantic Second, I was drawn to Portugal with a roof and walls. Henry’s “school” Ocean. because of its status as the poorest nation was not a building, she said, but simply If Sagres Point never was the site of in western Europe with a per capita gross an idea — the power of a shared obsession Henry’s school, it’s easy to see how the domestic product that was just 65 percent Like the great Navigator, two cyclists among Henry and his navigators to learn rumor got started. I can’t imagine a better of the average in the European Union in what was beyond the ocean’s horizon. place to put a school for explorers pushing 2008. Portugal fell behind Cyprus, Greece, are captivated by Portugal’s coastline Adding credence to the notion that the the limits of the boundless expanse of the the Czech Republic, Malta, and Estonia school is simply a myth is the undisputed ocean because here the ocean surrounds last year in terms of individual purchasing fact that the voyages of discovery Henry you on three sides, a ceaseless wind blow- power. I figured it would have a different sponsored left not from Sagres, but from ing your imagination to the far corners of feel than the other European countries we had toured, the Netherlands and Italy. footsore. This fits 8-1/2 x 11-inch map that cannot be fold- gathered up our crackers and cheese and fine dining rooms, and elegant refitting of It did. Portugal is the only country the pattern we have ed? First you try to fold it, curse briefly some fruit. marble, wood, and stone complementing we’ve toured so far where we’ve seen a established over the and colorfully, then strap it down wher- As charming as Quinta das Torres high-end and spacious rooms. horse-drawn cart clip-clopping down past three years, ever you can. And you stop a lot to con- was, some aspects of it were definitely Refining our system over the years, the back road we were riding, carrying a which I’ve discussed sult it, even though it frequently doesn’t the worse for wear after nearly 500 years. Alice and I have settled on nice rooms weather-worn farmer who looked as if he in these pages seem to hold the answers you’re looking But the spectacular pousadas we would as a reward we deserve at the end of a could fit right into the 19th century with- before, but which for. It was the most unsuitable format stay in over the coming days of our tour riding day, and I have to say it has been out changing a thing. In the many villages I’ll revisit briefly we’ve ever seen a bicycle map take. When were a dif- easy to fall into we rode through, the older generation because there are we brought the subject up with Blue Coast ferent story. the comfortable seemed to stand watch over a vanishing always new readers Bicycles, we were told that other custom- Pousadas are trap that accom- way of life that was tied to the land and of this magazine. ers had found the maps to be excellent, so buildings of modations with that contained timeless cycles of work and We have settled there you have it. historical sig- a triple-digit relaxation. on a style of touring That first day from Sesimbra, we found nificance — price tag afford. One day after a quiet ride through we believe strikes our way in fits and starts to the Hotel old castles, Competing with flat countryside under clear blue skies, the perfect balance Quinta das Torres in Azeitao, the former churches, the pousadas for we arrived in Senita Susana, where we between serendipity palace of D. Maria da Silva and her hus- monaster- our affection in could hear the clacking of storks nesting and pre-planning, band D. Pedro D’Eca in the early 16th ies — that Portugal were in the steeple of a whitewashed church noon. A few yards away, three more ladies between being footloose and having a century. The palace was built as a square have been lodgings known and watch them flapping away on their watched as we exited the town, one of van hovering at your rear wheel, ready to with a courtyard in the middle and towers reclaimed as turismo rural. errands. A small grassy area not unlike them smiling and chuckling as I snuck a scoop you up if you feel yourself growing in each corner topped by pyramids. We as luxuri- As you have a village green in New England sloped shot with my digital camera while riding tired or bored. We go on self-guided group sat on the roof below one of the pyramids ous hotels. probably sur- down from the church, encircled with by. tours, but the group consists of Alice and just outside our room and ate our crackers Although mised, these are shade trees and flanked by the villagers’ Romantic and inspiring promontories me. Our route and our overnight accom- and cheese for dinner. We had discovered it’s a concept found in rural homes, which resembled row houses but bookended our trip to Portugal and left a modations are pre-arranged, but we are too late that the only restaurant in town that’s likely areas, but they were so much brighter and more cheerful. lasting impression in my mind. The trip also self-contained, and it is up to us to was closed for remodeling. Fortunately we to give a restoration architect heartburn, have all the comforts of home, particularly The Portuguese favor vivid blues, reds, began with an early morning landing in navigate our way along our pre-deter- made it to the only grocery store in town Alice and I were completely charmed by if you live in a million-dollar home. and yellows to accent their whitewashed Lisbon that took us past another spit of mined route. minutes before it too would be closing and the pousadas with their swimming pools, Perhaps the best turismo rural we land jutting into the Our first tour along these lines was to sea just past the wing the Tuscany and Umbria regions of Italy of our airplane. in 2006, where we were given the typical Bike Friday Travel Truths #1 Normally I don’t cue sheets and accompanying maps. There dwell on the flight were times when it was a challenge to THE BEST WAY TO GET FROM A TO B. that gets me to the match the written word on our cue sheets, country where the real or drawn line on our maps, to what we When Guinness Book of Records’ “Most Traveled fun will begin — our were seeing in the real world, but overall, Man by Bicycle,” Heinz Stucke, set out to break another record, only one bike would bicycle tour — but navigation was pretty straightforward on fold to allow him to hop, skip, and jump I was so struck by that tour. The next year, we took a quan- between remote GPS coordinates; Bike Friday’s that sight outside my tum leap into the future while on tour Custom Pocket Llama. We figure that with 45 years pedaling under his chamois and no rest window after the over- in the Netherlands as we were provided stop in sight, he must know something about night flight across the with a pre-programmed GPS unit on the getting from A to B ... Atlantic that it is still handlebars of my bicycle. THAT IS, ALASKA TO BOTSWANA. Visit bikefriday.com/heinzstucke one of the first things I I was uneasy at first about trusting our AC members get 5% discount on any Bike Friday. Far out! think of when remem- fate to the little black arrow on the GPS MADE HERE IN OREGON USA www. bikefriday. com (800) 777 0258 bering the trip. The screen and to figuring out just how that promontory appeared little arrow related to the physical world uninhabited and around us, but once we got it down, about washed with bright the second day, it was ridiculously easy. sunlight. I could make Navigation faded into the background as out the white breakers little more than a trivial concern. hitting its shore, and I Cue Portugal last year where we took a was filled with a sense quantum leap backward. Arriving at the of exploration and dis- spectacular coastline at Sesimbra, where covery. It was a place we caught our first glimpse of the Atlantic truly different than stretching to the horizon in a blue sheet any I had seen before. far below the towering cliff we stood on, stucco buildings. Alice and I had two days in Lisbon we were handed laminated 8-1/2 x 11- Beneath two trees, two ladies had before Blue Coast Bicycles would pick us inch cue sheets with primitive maps and arranged their folding chairs for easy con- up for the trip to Sesimbra and the begin- minimal directions for each of our day’s versation as they worked away on their ning of our tour, and we made the best rides. knitting in the quickly warming after- of them, walking the city until we were What do you do on a bike trip with an
20 adventure cyclist july/august 2009 adventurecycling.org adventure cyclist july/august 2009 adventurecycling.org 21 stayed in was Herdade do Touril de Baixo. ded toward the sun in fields that stretched shady groves of cork trees, and indeed during the height of da where we were staying and drive us This large working farm sits on a plain for miles. And we had never seen cork Portugal accounts for about half of all summer there. We to the next day’s destination so we could overlooking the sea; it’s located in the trees. The cork is peeled from the trunks the cork harvested in the world. Cork is were there in mid- have the day off. Although we appreci- Alentejo region’s natural reserve park of these ancient, gnarled trees, leaving used to seal wine bottles, of course, but June. ated his generous offer, we didn’t want to on the Atlantic Coast known as Costa behind a blackened naked trunk, but the the Portuguese have found it’s handy for Two days earlier, spend the day in a car, so we asked Joao Vicentina. We spotted Herdade long bark grows back in a dozen years or so, many other uses as well. We saw every- we had just begun to take us to Porto Covo instead where the before we reached it, riding across the making the trees a renewable resource. thing from cork hats to cork book covers to feel the heat in route returned to the coast. That way we expansive plain that dropped off into the We rode through mile after mile of in Evora, the ancient Roman settlement in Evora, where we would still get a decent ride in. ocean at its edge. It truly appeared as the heart of the Alentejo that was easily saw the spectacular Once we reached Porto Covo, a charm- an oasis — with long tiled roofs, solid the most touristy spot we stayed on our and well-preserved ing fishing village, Joao bought us lunch white adobe construction, and colorful tour. In the little village of Santiago do ruins of the Temple and regaled us with stories of Portugal’s accents. Escoural, we saw a truck stacked 15 feet of Diana, built in history and of his experiences growing After eating lunch outside on a high with layers of peeled cork, a sight so the second cen- up in his family. By the end of lunch, patio surrounding a beautiful pool, peculiar that it took me a while to figure tury AD. Evora was our troubles the previous day were long Alice and I took a short ride down to out exactly what I was looking at. I pon- headquarters for the forgotten, and we had much more insight the sea and the two miles of coastline dered the sight long enough to prevent me Roman commander into the Portuguese people. But Joao belonging to the Herdade. There we from getting my camera out in time to get Quintus Sertorious wasn’t finished. At the end of the tour found a hidden cove with a deep, a decent picture as the truck passed by. from 80 to 72 BC in Sagres, he and his wife picked us up sandy beach and a rocky pathway high If the Alentejo is Portugal’s breadbas- and was an impor- addition to riding close to 70 miles. and spent the day driving us back to above waves crashing dramatically ket, it also feels about as hot as a bread tant military center in the Roman empire. All tours have their challenging days. Lisbon for our flight home. It was a vivid against the gigantic boulders far below oven. In Beja, 60 miles south of Evora, we Our longest ride of the tour was from It’s part of the charm. And when we reminder of the kindness cyclists regularly us. It was the kind of place you hate to stayed at a pousada in a former 13th-cen- Beja to Santiago de Cacem, listed as about returned to the spectacular Portuguese encounter from Kansas to Katmandu and leave, even as the road beckons. tury monastery. An outdoor thermometer 89 kilometers on our itinerary, but well coastline at Porto Covo for the final 100 the perfect ending for our Portuguese The Alentejo is Portugal’s bread- read 33 degrees Celsius (about 92 degrees over 100 kilometers according to the com- miles or so into Sagres — all the while adventure. basket with expansive fields of wheat, Fahrenheit) as we rolled our bikes through puters on our bikes. Unfortunately, Alice’s with the sparkling blue Atlantic to our endless groves of cork trees, and shin- a plaza surrounding the pousada in the rear tire went flat toward the end of that right — all was forgotten, thanks to Joao Dan D’Ambrosio is a reporter for the Hartford ing fields of sunflowers stretching to late afternoon. We were told later that we ride, which is when I discovered the pump Lacerda of Blue Coast Bicycles. Advocate. He’s also a Ford man, loves the games of golf, jai alai, and bocce, and has an extensive collection the horizon. We had seen wheat fields were lucky it wasn’t really hot yet and that we had been provided was not really up to When he learned of our travails on the of Burl Ives music. For more information about Blue and even sunflowers before. But the temperatures regularly reached 40 degrees the task of reinflating the tire. We ended ride from Beja to Santiago de Cacem, Joao Coast Bicycles, visit www.bluecoastbikes.com or call sunflowers’ gigantic yellow heads nod- Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or more up walking about eight miles that day in offered to pick us up at the remote pousa- (888) 788-2942.
There is no shortage of beautiful scenery in the Adirondacks. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist into challenging mountain courses and off-road adventure, or a leisurely biker in search of rolling hills, rambling bike paths and quaint villages, biking opportunities abound. Annual events such as Ironman Lake Placid and the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Race draw crowds of competitors and spectators. Come find your ride.
LakePlacidRegion.com 800.758.0690
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