Reflections from the Wild Rooster Tour

As the saying goes, "all good things do come to an end". We have reluctantly returned home and are undergoing the pleasantries of reentry. Sleep patterns are upside down (I'm writing this at 4:30AM) and yet we still attempt to fit back into our 'normal' life routines.

Our recent travels have been very encouraging. On the last night of the trip in Lisbon, as is our custom, we ordered a bottle of wine and discussed the highs and lows of the trip over our final meal...what worked well and what we could do better next time. It was quite surprising how much of the former there was and how little of the latter. Either we planned well or we just got lucky and things simply fell into place nicely...probably a good combination of the two. We had good weather, poor weather and days with heavy wind, but managed to comfortably deal with each situation.

With the cycling we tried something new and were delighted with the out-come. We learned so much during our 820km tour which we dubbed the "Wild Roosters Tour". For example, while we completed a number of training rides before we left home, we found that as long as we were reasonably fit at the beginning that our "game fitness" came along nicely with each day that passed. Clearly its a better experience if one has a reasonable fitness level before departing, but there was no reason to practice with full panniers or anything like that.

I would take a few more t-shirts and a light, warm core vest and toss out a few minor items. Otherwise our choices of layered clothing, casual travel duds and wet gear were good. I was pleased to have my net-book for communication purposes (family scattered to the winds!), but will upgrade to an I-Pad and reduce my electrical charger 'wiring' for the next trip.

If cycling in countries such as the Benelux area where the bike routes are usually separated from the car traffic I probably would not take a bike helmet. I gave this careful consideration and was advised by everyone to take one, but advised by cousin Gord not to...the only one of my 'advisers' who had actually ridden in Holland. I never wore it, never felt the need, and it simply took up valuable space in my panniers. Putting everything into light dry bags was brilliant, both from a practical perspective (panniers not fully waterproof and difficult to remove from the bikes) and for organizational purposes. When we arrived at our daily destination, we simply took the 3 or 4 dry bags out of the panniers and easily carried them to our room.

When we go again we will likely rent bikes as it is much less hassle and less expensive than bringing our own bikes and gear, particularly if planning to move on to another country after completing the ride. However, we would immediately take the bikes in for servicing as the rental places complete bare maintenance given the majority of their customers are day renters. Taking our own bar bags was a great decision and it also served to protect the Drambuie I brought home at the bottom of my checked travel pack. Finally a way to beat the system!! We would definitely bring our own bike seats too!

Organizing some of our accommodation was necessary as we had a bit of a schedule to keep with family visits and we ran into some special events along the way that tied up a lot of the places. However, in the shoulder months (not July or August) we would only book ahead on line or by phone a few days in advance. We bought a phone at the airport at the beginning of the trip and it proved invaluable, so will carry it on future travel in Europe and simply purchase the SIM cards along the way. A great experience and we are already talking both about our next travel destination in another direction and our next cycling experience in Europe. Seems that Belgium, Germany and Denmark also have great cycling routes...but that's for a future travel when we have more time!

Last, but of course not least, thank you to our Netherlands family for all the incredible hospitality, friendship, great humor and genuine welcome. Each time we have visited it has been memorable, and this visit was no different! Its now your turn to make the journey to our home. Your bed is already waiting!

That Was No Bull (fight)!

We’ve all experienced it…sometimes things just don’t turn out as expected, but something else comes along instead which in the end is actually better than the original thing you had planned to do. We kind of had that experience late this afternoon. Let me tell you about it.

 

After a long, very enjoyable day away from Lisbon visiting the “cultural landscape of Sintra” (I didn’t make this up…it’s the title on the brochure), we returned by train and jumped the metro across to the arena to inquire about possible tickets for the bull fights. Many years ago, and not so far away, we had the opportunity to experience the bull ‘fights’ in Barcelona. We discovered to our somewhat developing social consciences that the ‘fights’ were not very much of a fight at all, with everything pretty much rigged in the matador’s favor. There were toreadors and other lesser lights who first soften up the bull for the matador and made most out-comes fairly predictable…no doubt you’ve seen the ‘fights’ on TV or the internet…the bull gets the worst of it every time. An interesting cultural tradition, but fair play is somehow missing. Interestingly, Barcelona banned the fights 3 years ago and was the first and the last city in Spain to do so.

We had heard over the years that bull fighting in Portugal was much different than our earlier experience in Spain. In Portugal an eight man team called the forcados line up opposite the bull and the first forcado tackles the bull (well sort of) and the rest of the team try to wrestle the bull to a standstill. No swords hidden behind a cape, no weapons…just speed and considerable insanity are all that’s required.

We had read and been told that the bullfights happen every Thursday at 10PM including tonight. However when we arrived at the bullring at 5PM to source tickets we found two long lines of people leading away from the front of the amazing arena in two directions. It seemed odd that people would line up for 4 hours, and when we couldn’t locate a ticket office I started chatting with various folks in the line who informed me that there were no bull fights tonight, but instead they were lined up to watch the Portuguese national soccer team play the Czech Republic in the quarter finals of Euro 2012. After a bit of discussion we both decided that we couldn’t pass up this cultural opportunity. It was just too good! And it was! We lined up with everyone else for a couple of hours and then with the mass, plus many others who shamelessly forced their way onto line, we managed to get into the ring. Many did not and they sat outside and watched on other big screens.

Inside it was pretty crazy. Flags, scarves and soccer uniforms everywhere, and the place was packed! There was a warm-up team on a large stage and soccer ball jugglers performing, loud music and even dancers! All in all a good warm up show. By game time the mass of red was pretty pumped! No score in the first half although Portugal was coming on late. In the second half they also started strong, but there was little finish around the net, and a goal was called back…to the huge disappointment of the crowd. However, in the 80th minute Ronaldo finally broke it open and scored what proved to be the winner. As you can imagine the place went absolutely crazy…my ears are still ringing! As we left and started off for a long walk back to our pension (no way we’d be able to get a bus or on the metro) the crowd moved with us toward the city center…horns blaring and kids hanging out car windows with flags flying! What fun!! The police finally closed off a huge roundabout close to where we are staying and this became party central. I wish I could post some of the photos I took…simply amazing! Folks all over the massive central monument flying flags and singing songs. Of course as I write this the celebrations continue all over the country.

 

I couldn’t help thinking yet again, “good for Portugal…they really need this”.

Another perspective – guest blog

Geoff is happily ensconced in the common room watching the last few minutes of the Britain – Ukraine match, leaving me with the opportunity to record my thoughts and reflections on our trip so far.

We all know the power of the pen in recording history, recognizing that the author invariably (and often unconsciously) infuses their unique perspective in recording what might be considered factual accounts. This is no less true of blogs than of other forms or recording, and Geoff (admittedly while being somewhat lightheaded following a rather long stair climb this morning) graciously agreed to allow me an opportunity to present my reflections on his blog.

I have to begin by saying that the cycling portion of our trip exceeded all of my expectations. The romance of “slow travel” appealed to me right from the start, but I was a little concerned that a) it would be grueling, b) we would get bored after a while, c) we might be challenged by uneven capabilities, and d) we had been over ambitious in our planning. None of these turned out to be true. At the end of our ride each day, we both had ample energy to continue exploring or enjoy our family visits. The diversity of the routes and within each route kept us very engaged, and left us looking forward to the next day’s ride. Because it was a bit like a scavenger hunt each day, we had no trouble keeping together – and in fact found it to be a necessity because if one of us missed a sign, the other usually caught it. And, surprise, surprise, all of our planning paid off…we had the right equipment, the distances were doable and we had the right balance of family time with time for just the two of us. My super domestique was, of course, much appreciated, however I will say that my key role was, I believe, somewhat under reported. As team lead I never had expectations of my team that I myself could not deliver on…for instance during significant portions of those windy sections, I rode side by side with my domestique, and only took advantage of his assistance when absolutely necessary. And I did give him breaks and or rest days whenever he asked.

I can’t provide commentary without referencing the food…in Holland we were completely spoiled by the various family members who hosted us and put on exceptional meals. It was asparagus season, (special white asparagus) and we took full advantage – as well as indulging in our fair share of Limburg vlaii. In addition we ate out a fair bit, and in all cases the food was excellent. It’s great fun to have a holiday where you can eat well knowing that it will all be burnt off through our mode of transportation, and we both fully enjoyed the experience.

While I could go on ad nauseum about our time in Holland, I think I’ve covered the key points, aside from noting that these times to connect with my family there are precious, and each visit brings me a greater appreciation for these relationships.

Now on to my reflections on Portugal. Although we are only at the halfway point of our time here, I have already formed some strong impressions….in terms of value for the dollar, this place can’t be beat! This not only includes accommodations and meals, but also entry into historical sites. Consistent with Geoff’s commentary, the evidence of the financial struggles in this country are evident everywhere…yet we don’t see street people as we do in our home town. A striking memory for me will be the widows in Nazare – so many of them all dressed in black, their presence a key part of the atmosphere of this fishing town turned tourist haven. While I did get my feet wet, I didn’t swim in the ocean there; which means I will need to return.

I was very close to giving up on the food in Portugal until tonight’s dinner. We had been going to restaurants that had been recommended by various sources, and yet I had not experienced anything noteworthy (and in fact generally quite disappointing) until we went to A Casinha D’Avo Bia tonight. The menu was a slight variation on the traditional Portuguese menu, and both my chicken and Geoff’s linguine left us well satisfied.

On to Lisboa tomorrow…Geoff has been anticipating this last portion of our trip with great excitement while I am more reserved…but then he always finds the cities more appealing than I do, so this is nothing new.

Drinking With the Enemy

We are sitting in-land this evening in the small historic town of Tomar after departing the beautiful coastal town of Nazare.

We found a brand new highway (not even on our Michelin map) built courtesy of many Euros from the European Community, allowing us to zip across the country side in less than an hour...a trip that we thought would take far longer on the winding narrow country roads. Arrived here with more time to spare than expected, and quickly located a suitable pension. Needing some exercise (we are really missing climbing on to our bikes each morning) we decided to hike up to the KnightsTemplar fortress of Convento de Cristo for an hour of kicking about. To our surprise, and 3+ hours later, we came away knowing that we had just seen an amazing site (developed between the 12th and 17th centuries).

The art works in the central 16 sided Charola were brilliant and are in the process of extensive restoration. The completed works again exhibit a 'color' seen once again in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel since restoration work was completed there. While the works are generally darker, the colors are brilliant. Considerable work is being expended on this very large, significant site, no doubt in an effort to attract increased visitation to this UNESCO location. I think it will eventually gain the attention it deserves, but today we were two of a hand full of visitors, although we did see a couple of tour buses in the parking lot as we departed and it was a quiet Monday.

 

 

Prices at the various historic locations have been a modest 6 euros, but we are told that this reflects a significant increase from prior years, and I have read to expect even higher fees at the sites in Lisbon. Portugal is of course experiencing its largest economic challenge since the '30's and is looking to raise funds from every possible source. VAT has sky-rocketed to 22%...it was 16% only a few years ago. Costs here for the traveler are significantly low compared to other European countries so it’s difficult to complain about the fees and taxes. Some of the historic venues are so good that they could easily charge more and visitors would pay with little complaint. Pensions, food and other travel basics are essentially on par with central Turkey…low.

We have been here only a few days, but already we are seeing the impacts of the economic challenges...many properties for sale, empty business premises, unfinished or unsold housing developments, deferred maintenance in parks and at historic sites, etc, etc. Many are obviously in distress, but seemingly all is not negative we watched many Portuguese folks enjoying themselves in Nazare...there are always those who are in good financial shape. Strangely we have seen very few ‘street’ people, but expect Lisbon will be the acid test.

Indirectly and slowly I finally reach the subject of this entry. Last night we went to the main plaza where all the bars extend their seating into the plaza while it is warm enough in the evenings. Of course we went to watch the Netherlands play Portugal in the decisive game of the preliminary E2012 round...a win for Holland and they were through to the quarters...the same for Portugal. We were still cheering (very, very quietly) for Holland, but to see the passion of the people as they lived and died with each play and each attempt at goal and then ultimate victory was a moment to be remembered. There is no denying that I witnessed much of the same passion in Holland, but at the conclusion of the game I could only applaud with the locals as their team came from behind to win the game on the back of their national hero, Ronaldo. He was outstanding and obviously idolized by the folks watching. No doubt their world is troubled and futures are completely uncertain, but for a time the entire country was able to focus on one large distraction...the success of their national football team. The joy that followed the win was very tangible and completely unforgettable.

Yesterday as we drove south to visit the town of Obidos I saw a slogan sprayed in large black letters on a concrete wall that made me think of a similar slogan I'd seen in Northern Ireland in the 1970's. It took me a moment to realize what the Portuguese words said...then suddenly I realized the words were the same, "Ireland is not dead"..."Portugal is not dead".

Small Update...

This has turned out to be one of those special days you experience when traveling...I know...every day is special when traveling, but some are a little more special than others. First of all, after providing an update this morning I found out that our Euro 35 room did come with breakfast...how cool was that? Then we had a very enjoyable day touring around the country side (sure is easier in a car!) seeing two of four monasteries that are each UNESCO World Heritage sights. Each an exceptional experience, with very few other tourist types visiting while we were there...bonus! That will change in about 2 weeks.

 

Next nice event was wandering through a small market store and gathering the fixing for lunch today and then taking those items to the top of the cliff overlooking our village beach where we sat on the edge in 26C sun and just enjoyed the view.

Now I'm thinking, “it doesn't get much better than this”...but it did! We returned to Nazare and when we complete the 3rd floor crawl to our room, we notice that the rooms at the front of our funky hotel are vacant with amazing Atlantic views. The Team Lead suggests that it sure would be nice...but at what cost? The Super Domestic resurrects his roll and descends the 3 floors (again) and manages to negotiate a move to this amazing room...at the same E35 rate (with breakfast!!!). He climbs back up to the 3rd floor (yet again) to inform the TL and we happily move into the penthouse suite where we have three cute windows that open on to the amazing beach and the wide open Atlantic. SD and TL head out to acquire a good (but cheap) bottle of wine and potato chips, and sit down to look out to sea and follow the happenings on the promenade.

 

 

Then another major occurrence...you may have noticed no photos in the blog this trip. I have had a problem with my card reader, but I was able to fix it (in between glances out to sea) with my trusted Swiss knife and I now have my photos backed-up. Unfortunately I am having problems downloading to my blog so may have to wait until I get home...next trip definitely update to an IPad so can connect with home system from anywhere.

So a special travel day...and we haven't even been out for dinner yet! Just thinking about all that sea food…then there is the possible sunset from our window(s). Then there was a parade around mid-night...no idea what it was about...went right under our window!

 

Dad, will try to connect with you tomorrow on Father's Day. Sorry I can't make you dinner until I get back, but I will be thinking of you as always. Glad to hear that your ear surgery went well...best news possible.

Portugal!!

We are situated in the small coastal town of Nazare about 110kms north of Lisbon (pronounced Lisbo). It’s a traditional fishing village that has managed to maintain much of its identity, even as modern tourism has found the village with its lovely parcel of sand fronting the town, towering cliffs and the massive waves that thunder continuously against the very steep wall of sand. Some amazing winter and spring storms must roll in from the open Atlantic to set up a sandy beach like this.

 

I mentioned that while tourism has found this town, it has also managed to maintain its traditional identity. On arrival you are met by women from all over town with rooms to let for the night in their homes dressed in colorful multiple layered dresses…I haven’t been greeted like this since walking off the small ferries in the Greek islands in 1975.

We were tempted to be led off, but felt that wifi (pronounced weefee) might be quite hard to come by so we made the decision to stay in an old, very funky hotel on the waterfront. It’s the sort of place we like to stay, clean with a nice dose of character. At E35/night ($42) it’s a steal! Bed a bit hard, but it’s the price you sometimes have to pay for funky! There is a shower and ensuite bath so all is well, but as in Spain breakfast is not included in the price (oops...turns out it is!!). Turns out there is wifi here, but we are up 3 floors (walking only) and the walls are just too thick…so I write this early downstairs while Annemarie sleeps.

In any event I have wandered off again. After walking the beach and finding a small store for water we stopped in at a small bar for a cold beer where we enjoyed learning a bit of Portuguese with the owner of the place. Quite willing to help with this limited English…son lives in Toronto. As we wandered back to the hotel to get ‘dressed’ for dinner we were quite surprised to be greeted by the site of dozens of small elderly women all dressed in widow’s black walking the waterfront promenade. It’s a southern European tradition in most towns and cities for the population to dress up and walk the streets in the early cool of the evening just before dinner where they visit with friends, family and neighbors. There is a name for this which I forget for the moment. In any event, in this town it is mostly the elderly who take a stroll…quite an unusual sight!

As we went in search of a place for dinner we passed the fish drying racks on the beach with a local woman taking down and covering the racks for the night. I expect we will see them all set back out in the morning.

Dinner was excellent. The sea food is abundant and the primary source of cuisine in Portugal which suits one of us just fine! I selected my fish from an amazing array of options displayed in crushed ice, it was weighed and a price agreed on before it was whisked off to the brassier.

We ordered a bottle of Vinho Verde which is a very young local white wine and very tasty. We talked (with our eyes occasionally tracking to the Euro 2012 game which was silently been broadcast across the room)...and then the food started to arrive. There were salads, bowls of new potatoes, bread and the main event, followed by a shared dessert…all for about $45. In Holland a meal like this would have cost about $85+. We finished eating at about 10PM just as the Portuguese began to arrive for their meal. We have learned from our Spanish travels that we just aren’t equipped over a short visit to eat on the timelines the locals use. We don’t take siesta and while we have been staying up late most nights, 2 or 3 AM just doesn’t work well when you want to go places the next day!

We have decided to stay here for at least the weekend and tour from here. There are some good historical villages within easy driving from here and of course some good walking beaches. Time to wake up my pal and get on with this day…promises to be warm and full of new discoveries :0)

Amazing What a Good Meal…

can do for you after a long day of riding!  We continue to work our way northward having taken refuge from the elements in a comfortable B&B in Niewport on the south shore of the Lek River in the Province of South Holland.

 The last two days have been quite amazing, very different rides taking us first from Geldorp/Eindhoven to Oosterhout, and today onwards to our present co-ordinates. Both routes were approximately 78.546kms (the downside of a bike computer), with the first day involving simply following a canal almost the whole way, transiting small villages and Tilburg, quite a sizable city.

 You’d think this would be pretty much as simple as falling out of a tree...stick to the canal like glue and you can’t go far wrong. We though this too, but it is amazing what can happen! It’s said, “expect the unexpected”…a new bridge, road construction, or perhaps someone moving a herd of whatever. In any event we had a few slight deviations…ok maybe 3…perhaps 4? The best one was after we had ‘skillfully’ navigated our way through a commercial area only to discover that we ended up somewhere well away from our intended route. Standing there looking at our map we were approached by a couple of serious looking riders (we call them Spandex Cowboys…hot bikes, serious riding gear and…helmets!! Very un-Dutch looking). Any way they were super helpful and offered to lead us over the canal and get us pointed on our way. We had a very pleasant chat and I now know where to get a deal on a very good bike in Holland…the price was so good it must have something to do with a truck in some dark alley! Their parting words were, “continue on until you come to the 3rd bridge then cross and you will be close to your destination”. Somehow we must have completely forgotten how to count since leaving home, and we crossed on the 2nd bridge. Ok, not a disaster, we can handle this…more freestyle navigation. Ok, that went well…now we’re really lost. Over there! A nice looking local couple on bikes…ask for directions (everyone in Holland is very helpful). Can you believe it…we had to have picked the only two people in Holland with no English language skills. Ok, don’t panic…our Dutch is improving nicely, so let’s point at the map and gesture wildly until we make some decent headway. Thought that went really well, and off we went…generally in “that direction” to Katcheskelder. 

Somehow we eventually found our destination, a holiday resort where Rose and Ted were hosting their family and celebrate their 45th anniversary. While waiting at the registration building for directions to the unit where the celebration was happening, who should ride up, but our two non-English speaking guides! They knew where we were going, sent us off in a vague direction then they rode to that exact place! Wanted to bang my head against the wall, but saw the humor in the whole thing and decided a cold beer would be much more helpful!! Too funny!

 

 After a welcoming, enjoyable night with Ted and Rose’s very excellent family we were off for a very different ride today…northward across the Delta, along multiple dike-top roads and over a number of quite significant bridges.

 

 

Without our usual map to guide us we had to rely on the small computer maps I’d made at home and the occasional route maps along the way. This actually worked quite well, and without deviation we eventually found ourselves at our destination…so much for those detailed 1:50,000 maps! We cycled through some heavy wind today and flirted with more than a few rain clouds, arriving at Niewport late in the afternoon having wandered past numerous windmills (Dutch – molens)

 

 

 and the cement remains of many WWII German defensive structures (did I say something about bridges?).

 

This super domestic was a bit pooped at the end of the ride as much of the last segment was, of course, directly into a stiff breeze. However, it’s unclear if it was the wind today or all the good cheer enjoyed until late last night that accounted for this unseemly fatigue. After a decent dike-top walk to the local ferry (across the Lek) we found a very satisfying dinner in the town opposite Niewport (this being Monday all eating establishments in our temporary township are closed). As per the title of this entry, it is amazing what a good meal will do to re-energize a person! We walked back to our B&B in a soft rain and the team lead has subsequently drifted off to sleep leaving the SD to reconstruct the past few days.

We have to this point traveled just over 750km through this cycling wonderland and unfortunately we have just 2-3 days of riding ahead before we turn our trusty, temperamental steel machines in. The area we are in is historically significant, and as rain is scheduled for tomorrow, we may stay on a further day before completing our return to Amsterdam. A good sleep and the morning weather will determine the out-come. It nears mid-night…time for some sleep.

Addendum:
To complete the Wild Rooster Tour we had a great ride through the mills to Rotterdam, then on to Delft by train to pick up a new piece of Royal Blue Delft for Annie's collection. From there it was back to Haarlem (820kms - full circle!!) for dinner with our Canadian-living-abroad niece, Eden; a day in Amsterdam and dinner with Imka and Jan. Have a look see...