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.