{"id":3423,"date":"2024-06-17T20:20:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T20:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madbikerides.com\/?p=3423"},"modified":"2024-06-19T07:43:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T07:43:14","slug":"60-guimaraes-to-valenca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madbikerides.com\/?p=3423","title":{"rendered":"60. Guimaraes to Valenca"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our last day in Portugal! And we covered some distance!! And a surprising amount of ascent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alas\u2026..woke to rain! Lots of it! Guimarain! And the forecast looked bleak! The cloud level was at around 100m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martyrs to the cause of completing the ride? Or pragmatists who really do not enjoy getting soaked and cold\u2026.with nothing to see in the clouds\u2026.for five hours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pragmatists won!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we investigated trains\u2026.grateful that Valenca was indeed on the network. Just. The very end of the line!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to find full information from Portuguese Railways\u2026I had to be registered! And it was the most extraordinary form I have filled in on line\u2026for a very long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All the usual details..then \u2018number of people in your household?\u2019. A bit weird, but then \u2018how many sons?\u2019. Really? A – why might they want to know? But B – do daughters not count? No question about how many daughters!! And then \u2018date of birth of eldest child?\u2019. Now\u2026given the prior question\u2026this did raise the same confusion for me. Do daughters count? And really – again – why might they want to know\u2026when all I want to do is to buy a train ticket! So very strange!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway\u2026.as noted\u2026the pragmatists won\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026but as we made our way to the station\u2026the sun came out!! The forecast further North was however still dire! So, as we sped along in the comfort of the train\u2026.we were hoping for torrential rain to justify our decision! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It did arrive\u2026and \u2018thankfully\u2019 got heavier and heavier as the journey progressed. Truly miserable!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We changed trains at Trofa. A town about the same size as Blenheim, NZ. The infrastructure here really is impressive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Given there is not more to write about today\u2026there is one thing I often think about on the ride. So many road signs here\u2026indeed everywhere in Europe. But this is one which must take the cake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I often wonder how many of these we have passed on this trip. Hundreds\u2026certainly! Indeed thousands on these rides! They are everywhere! I am sure we have all passed thousands of them\u2026all over the globe! A sort of copycat safety precaution! But for what?  Honestly\u2026how many times have you come across a deer skipping across the road? And\u2026if perchance you have\u2026had the sign actually prepared you to do something you might otherwise not have done? I somehow doubt it! And I for one\u2026.have never ever come across that deer jumping across the road!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems particularly extraordinary when you think about casualties on the road. Deer accidents? I cannot recall reading of one! And I am 100% sure that fact has nothing whatsoever to do with the presence of the warning signs! Accidents involving pedestrians however? Thousand every year everywhere. Yet\u2026no signs!! Hmmmmm! What a colossal waste of money!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train was about half an hour late by the time we reached Valenca\u2026a small town right on the border!! (In fact our phones were picking up signals from a Spanish tower just across the river\u2026so it seemed that we were an hour and a half late!! Confusing!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it was cool. A maximum here today of just 16 degrees! Portugal. Summertime! And there I was thinking we might have to retreat to the coast to escape the heat!! Haha. Liz has just arrived in Greece (Skiathos) and is \u2018suffering\u2019 from a heatwave!! My heart bleeds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nice wee place here though\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026.we were staying inside the old fort\u2026with these views from our balcony\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cold beers, food\u2026euchre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s new? Except, today cold beers\u2026.means beers in the freezing cold!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact not so cold\u2026simply wet\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026wet\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026wet\u2026!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And Euchre? 5-4 now! I finally managed to break John\u2019s lucky run!! Haha!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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