As my wife is feeling better I thought I would treat myself to a short trip to Spain.
I hadn`t decided what to pack, but the bike was serviced and had fresh rubber put on last week, so all I had to check was the oil and I knew the pressures were right because it is riding fine up to 200kmh, it weaves above 170ish if the pressures are off.
So I decide to travel light, absolutely nothing, no water, no gps, no luggage, nada, not a bloody thing apart from my passport and cash.
I had laundered the inside of my Tour X helmet and polished the exterior with much vigor, dark visor chosen for the sunshine ahead and vents aberto. (open)
I had a quick look at the map, memorised the road numbers and places en route, had a nice drink of cold water and off I went @09:15 this morning. No food of any kind with the intention of eating at 13:00. A nice 19 hour "fast".
It was approx 28c when I set off and the speed and open vents on the jacket make is very comfortable, but I could feel the temps rising as my speed slowed around Castelo Branco....Not long before I was out of there and on the open roads to Spain.
So with no sat nag to worry about (don`t have one fitted to the bike) and a good idea of where I am going, I am soon setting a blistering pace, hot tarmac, warm tyres and a willing mind....The lovely sweeping bends through the open countryside, little traffic and no real mountains, just hills really.
I quickly make it to the border.
I am undecided to whether the graffiti on the tourism boards is Spanish or Portuguesa, but it bothers me not.
So over the bridge and into Espanha....The road lifts a little and there is no noticeable difference in the surface, temp. or smell.
I quickly arrive at the bridge at Alcantara, along with the hydo dam, so decide to stop to take some piccies.....Carceres is just 66km away and the temp is building, so I decide to park in the shade of a tree....Just.
There was this notice board.
The Bridge is rather beautiful, but is rather old....I expect the Romans would be proud of their expertise, since it was built nearly 2000 yrs ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcántara_Bridge
There is some serious cranage involved in this work, whatever it is, so I took the opportunity to get a picture that includes the hydro dam and my finger.
The Tagus had a decent flow on it and was full of fish, no doubt turtles also, they are literally thousands of the buggers in the rivers in this part of the World....Didn`t see any Tortoises though today.
I carried on to Alcantara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcántara
Bog Standard old place, with the usual old buildings, along with the old people sat at the cafes and bars....Which I do like, but I have to say, not really worth stopping and taking a piccie......The heat was rising faster than a Monks cock in a Nunnery.
So a quick about turn and back to my beloved Portugal.
Nice simple signage, no information about where you are in Portugal, but you do know the name of the rio (river)
So a blast back home, before it cracks 42c!
I get back home exactly 3hrs and 5 mins after leaving home....12:20hrs, so in time to make myself a nice cheese butty and a nice cold weak shandy with a few crisps, apologies for no food pics, but I like to think we all know what food looks like after a few decades on the planet!
Distance covered : 214 kms. Duration, including two piccie stops and a fag stop 3hrs 05 mins. Fuel used 14 euros worth.
Apologies for not measuring the depth of my tyres, so no info regarding tyre wear.
I am pleased with my packing decision, it turned out to be spot on, so I can repeat that decision.
What would I do differently to improve my experience? Absolutely fuck all, it was utterly brilliant and a Roman bridge thrown in to boot!...The pisser for you reading this in the UK.....The surface of the Roman bridge was far better than the majority of the roads in the UK! I shall take a picture of it next time, but it was large granite blocks with a few gaps, but none that swallowed your wheel!
If you got this far....Thanks for reading.
.....If you didn`t, then you shall never know. 
I hadn`t decided what to pack, but the bike was serviced and had fresh rubber put on last week, so all I had to check was the oil and I knew the pressures were right because it is riding fine up to 200kmh, it weaves above 170ish if the pressures are off.
So I decide to travel light, absolutely nothing, no water, no gps, no luggage, nada, not a bloody thing apart from my passport and cash.
I had laundered the inside of my Tour X helmet and polished the exterior with much vigor, dark visor chosen for the sunshine ahead and vents aberto. (open)
I had a quick look at the map, memorised the road numbers and places en route, had a nice drink of cold water and off I went @09:15 this morning. No food of any kind with the intention of eating at 13:00. A nice 19 hour "fast".
It was approx 28c when I set off and the speed and open vents on the jacket make is very comfortable, but I could feel the temps rising as my speed slowed around Castelo Branco....Not long before I was out of there and on the open roads to Spain.
So with no sat nag to worry about (don`t have one fitted to the bike) and a good idea of where I am going, I am soon setting a blistering pace, hot tarmac, warm tyres and a willing mind....The lovely sweeping bends through the open countryside, little traffic and no real mountains, just hills really.
I quickly make it to the border.
I am undecided to whether the graffiti on the tourism boards is Spanish or Portuguesa, but it bothers me not.
So over the bridge and into Espanha....The road lifts a little and there is no noticeable difference in the surface, temp. or smell.
I quickly arrive at the bridge at Alcantara, along with the hydo dam, so decide to stop to take some piccies.....Carceres is just 66km away and the temp is building, so I decide to park in the shade of a tree....Just.
There was this notice board.
The Bridge is rather beautiful, but is rather old....I expect the Romans would be proud of their expertise, since it was built nearly 2000 yrs ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcántara_Bridge
There is some serious cranage involved in this work, whatever it is, so I took the opportunity to get a picture that includes the hydro dam and my finger.
The Tagus had a decent flow on it and was full of fish, no doubt turtles also, they are literally thousands of the buggers in the rivers in this part of the World....Didn`t see any Tortoises though today.
I carried on to Alcantara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcántara
Bog Standard old place, with the usual old buildings, along with the old people sat at the cafes and bars....Which I do like, but I have to say, not really worth stopping and taking a piccie......The heat was rising faster than a Monks cock in a Nunnery.
So a quick about turn and back to my beloved Portugal.
Nice simple signage, no information about where you are in Portugal, but you do know the name of the rio (river)
So a blast back home, before it cracks 42c!
I get back home exactly 3hrs and 5 mins after leaving home....12:20hrs, so in time to make myself a nice cheese butty and a nice cold weak shandy with a few crisps, apologies for no food pics, but I like to think we all know what food looks like after a few decades on the planet!
Distance covered : 214 kms. Duration, including two piccie stops and a fag stop 3hrs 05 mins. Fuel used 14 euros worth.
Apologies for not measuring the depth of my tyres, so no info regarding tyre wear.
I am pleased with my packing decision, it turned out to be spot on, so I can repeat that decision.
What would I do differently to improve my experience? Absolutely fuck all, it was utterly brilliant and a Roman bridge thrown in to boot!...The pisser for you reading this in the UK.....The surface of the Roman bridge was far better than the majority of the roads in the UK! I shall take a picture of it next time, but it was large granite blocks with a few gaps, but none that swallowed your wheel!
If you got this far....Thanks for reading.
.....If you didn`t, then you shall never know. 
