Watching for Rain: near Aljezur to near Santiago do Cacem.

November 3, 2014

The sun rises brilliantly creating a golden glow through the undergrowth of my pine plantation campsite. The next time I cast my sight out and up, the sky is odious grey. And shortly having returned in to breakfast on frying potatoes leftover from yesterday evening's dinner and drink tea, I hear the patter of rain on the tent fly.

I wait out a heavy shower before getting on the move. Car wheels hiss along the well soaked road. And as it feels raw cold starting off. I've my warm fleece under my rain-jacket, the first time I'm dressed so warmly since Ireland in July. I wish I'd donned tights as well, as it is parky for shorts. Beyond the first town Aljezur though, there's a bit of a climb causing me to sweat and stop to take off the rain-jacket.

Midmorning I stop for coffee and cake at a little roadside café. Although the sun has come out, it is gone again and as I sit under the veranda outside, it is fair pissing it down off to the left and the dark curtain of rain is moving across engulfing my road ahead. Five minutes later it has passed leaving broken cloud and large areas of blue sky.

There were towns every few kilometres along the Algarve and Lidls in them all. Now the towns are few and far between. Around midday just as another dark shaft of rain is moving in, I reach S Teotonio where there's a Intermarche. I dodge the expected rain here for almost an hour. The rain doesn't come. But later there's drizzle as I reach Odemira via a twisting descent followed by a long bridge, where I'm glad there's picnic tables under a neat conical shelter structure round an old tree. Here I lunch on sardine sandwiches.

On the long meandering minor road riding towards dusk, a local sports-rider on a mountain bike catches me up and we ride abreast for a short while. He speaks flawless English. Says he used to tour too, but when I ask where to, he must've misunderstood me as he answers "I'm just on a long training loop" He initially uses as a conversation opener "Not the best weather for cycling" I agree and he adds "Today is only showery, but it is to be a wet night and very wet morning tomorrow" "Shit!" I hiss.

Having got to a suitable woodland camp spot at dusk, I make sure to pitch the tent on a well drained piece of ground as I don't want to be swamped out in the night.

Bridge into Odemira where I sit at a picnic table underneath a timber and cane shelter built round the trunk of an old tree.

Looking the other way uphill into town after late lunch stop.

It remained dry. Though a local cyclist that caught me up, told me it would be a wet night and tomorrow morning.

This area is green on the Michelin map indicating forest and easily found camping, but on reaching this far at dusk, it is open farmland.

Today's ride: 91 km (57 miles)
Total: 7,785 km (4,834 miles)

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