I was finally in Portugal and after a great nights sleep, I was ready to head out on the first day of cycling. Everything fit where it was supposed to, and the bike was ready and loaded.
It was easy going, cycling along paths and gravel roads, trying to keep close to the ocean. There was an ever-present threat of rain, but I somehow managed to stay dry all day!
But it was pretty obvious early on that I was going to have to take it very easy. Have lots of breaks through the day and slowly adjust to cycling with a loaded bike again. Rast means break in Swedish and felt like a sign to take my first break of the day.
I’m cycling through a tourist-oriented area and there were plenty of opportunities to have a short, nourishing break!
The scenery was terrific, but I felt very unfit. After only a bit more than 50 km I realized that I would have to take it very easy these first few weeks. I’m very unfit and still recovering from Covid. Even though it felt like a letdown, I decided to take the opportunity to get a good, cheap hotel and not overextend myself. There are plenty of good deals along the coast, what with it being off-season and still a bit restricted due to covid, I might as well take advantage and enjoy it.
I found a great hotel on the beach and after a little bit of a rest, I couldn’t resist taking a walk along the beach.
I’m going to have to take it very easy tomorrow as well, but it’s a great area to be forced to spend some extra time in!
