Tâmega River

[Pedro]

The Tamega River flows from it's origin in Galicia through Portugal in Chaves to end up in the Douro River about 40km from Porto. Having made the trip up the Douro a few times, and having had a few coffees in Entre os Rios ("Between the Rivers"), I have never been to the Tamega near where it joins the Douro, so today I did. This ride only covers the last 30 or so km before the Tamega ends.

Work was pestering me so left a little later than I wanted, and very annoyed so didn't feel like taking the gopro nor stopping for pictures a lot.

Honestly I don't think you missed out on much, it was pretty uninspiring. It was amazing weather to be riding, a few lovely spots to stop, but overall pretty uninspiring roads.

First stop, to answer a work call that tried hard to ruin my day. Stopped on a dam access road with a nice view.

 

 

After a little more I started looking for a place to have my light lunch, and found the perfect location. 

 

When I planned on going for a ride today, I wanted to stop someplace with a majestic view and mountains, it wasn't to be but I loved this:

 

 

 

Before I ate I had another call, which sort of put me in a better mood and helped my spirits, I enjoyed lunch better that way. Birds singing, great weather to ride, could have been better with a nicer sandwich but you can't have everything.

I was really missing having a nice expresso after lunch, but cafes are still closed, and the places serving takeaway I spotted open weren't inviting enough to risk contact with the people outside. So braved on without my expresso. 

A few kms further on I was riding on a quite bad old cobblestone road and decided it was a nice chance to adjust my suspension a little, so stopped in front of this great old farm house to do it.

 

 

 

It reads:

They did not pass!

To the brave defenders of the old romanic bridge, who under the command of Captain António Serpa Pinto, of Soalhães and Canaveses (a local), managed to heroically hold back the charge of the french invaders on the 31th of March and 01st of April 1809, saving the populace of the Douro from the curses of war.

Signed: the peoples of the region

 

 

A little closer to home stopped by a cafe by the Douro with just one person outside to see if they were serving my expresso, but had no luck. As I was hanging up the phone a duck came to say hello. 

 

 

From there, a quick 15 or 20km on the motorway and I'm home.

Funny thing that shows how different fuel mileage on my bike is when riding on small roads and motorways. Last ride was a 300km motorway ride with the sidecases at 130 to 140 average. Fuelled up just a little before arriving home, and today the autonomy indicated 400km as I was leaving home with an almost full to the brim tank. At around 75km into this ride it was showing 525km, and now 150 into the tank it's back at 400km 

 

[XTreme]

Great pics and write up Pedro!

And your ride reports are looking as empty of people as mine! 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

The roads might not have floated your boat but nice pics. Most of us here in grey lockdownland would love a bit of that, I definitely would. 

 

[Grasshopper]

For not taking many photos you managed to get a few nice ones.  The first one in particular, wow Portugal is beautiful.

...and those grapes looked very good! 

[Pedro]

1 hour ago, XTreme said:

Great pics and write up Pedro!

And your ride reports are looking as empty of people as mine! 

There were two or three cars with people having lunch near where I stopped, restaurants being closed people that work on the road stop in places like that, but still picnic areas in the countryside would only be busy in weekends. Traffic is absolutely normal, though, we are unlocking progressively. Will still be restricted on the weekend and easter period, though.

 

56 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

The roads might not have floated your boat but nice pics. Most of us here in grey lockdownland would love a bit of that, I definitely would. 

 

Thank you, I did miss it too. What I miss more is more wide open spaces, the summer as well 

 

 

4 minutes ago, Grasshopper's Ride said:

For not taking many photos you managed to get a few nice ones.  The first one in particular, wow Portugal is beautiful.

...and those grapes looked very good! 

That is very typical of rivers in northern Portugal, on the other side you can have your horizons restricted in places like these, beautiful as they are they are not a match for big views as far as I'm concerned.

[Tym]

17 hours ago, XTreme said:

 

And your ride reports are looking as empty of people as mine! 

Extra credit for the Duck shots!