Reaching Douro, shale and vineyards
Trip Start
Apr 01, 2011
1
13
Trip End
Apr 16, 2011
Where I stayed
Albergaria Vale do Côa
Vila Nova De Foz Coa, Guarda, Portugal
Thursday, April 14, 2011
We were serious about this last leg already in advance but we also expected to experience some training effect that allows our bodies to endure that easier. Having done the first three climbs we are actually quite done in Castelo Rodrigo already. In an exquisite boutique on the beautiful village's mountaintop we strengthen ourselves with galao and local spiced almonds (so tasty!).
After continuation landscape changes suddenly from granite to basalt and later also shale. We're getting remarkably into the Douro region. The vegetation changes with it too: heather is being substituted by olive and almond groves, later by vineyards. We semm to have missed the almond bloom by a few weeks.
During a break in Castelo Melhor we think about making a visit to the gravuras rupestres (stone-age engravings). Unfortunately we are supposed to wait for quite some time until car and guide are available. Since Vila Nova is still to be reached and we know that there's still a steep hike (250 m altitude, up to 7% uphill grade) ahead of us we abstained from that visit. We are ambitious to reach the total of 600 km on this vacation. We are truly knocked-out upon arrival at Albergaria Vale do Coa.
Since we would leave the bikes here to being dispatched back to their lender we booked our room in advance. I find the Albergaria quite overpriced and the receptionist naturally continuing to speak in Portugese with us (what we harldy understand) inappropriately arrogant.
The next morning we take a bus to Pochinho train station, then enjoy the train trip down the Douro valley. We are to buy another ticket in Porto for the Lisbon leg before hurriedly continuing back to the capital.
