2022 Portugal: Lisbon to Lisbon (Counterclockwise)

 We planned a shorter ride today because John wanted time to visit a surfing museum in Nazare. Since the museum did not open until 10 am, we planned a 9 am start.  We started with temperatures in the mid- to upper 50s F and a significant climb to the coast road through national forest, again, mostly pine and eucalyptus. Great road surfaces and many miles of roadside bike lanes. Once in Nazare, we encountered many cycling groups, mostly riding e-bikes.  In general, we have been targeting small coastal towns and are surprised at their size, development, and availability of lodging, restaurants, and other services. None of them are famous and are seldom mentioned in guide books. We looked ahead and have now booked all of our remaining lodging. Tomorrow is a short day, to Peniche. We targeted Ericeira, but it was a weekend night and the selection was limited. So, we will have a longer ride that day, then return to our original Lisbon hotel on 3 October.  National Fo...

Today was a pleasant day of riding south on Portugal's Atlantic Coast, often following Euro Velo Route 1 (EV1), mostly a separated, roadside bike path. Rain was forecast but the probabilities kept dropping as morning approached. We stopped to chat with 4 members of a bike touring group, all from Belgium on e-bikes. We encountered a larger group the prior day, all on high-end Trek bikes, but they did not show any interest is talking to us. We encountered some mist but never rain. The prevailing 8-15 mph tail wind out to the northwest continued. The land was generally open, a mix of pine and eucalyptus forest, low shrubs, and large sand dunes along the coast. Figuera da Foz Beach on an overcast morning. Figuera da Foz is a busy container port. Our route south was over this long bridge, fortunately, with a separate pedestrian/bike way. The approach on the road was via a narrow shoulder, which ended. I stopped, unhooked my panniers, lifted the bike and panniers over the guard rail, and...