Todays weather was attrocious - it was a multiple Bus Shelter day for sure !
I routed myself out of town past the Braga football ground as it is quite unique, it's buikt in a quarry woth only stands down the side of the pitch. On each side there is a double tier stand and tge upper tiers are cantilevered backwards and they only stay up because there are steel ropes hung between each stand for support. Unfortunately the ground is closed for sightseeing on a Sunday so I took a video for my facebook daily bit of culture.
I headed off and it immedistely threw it down forcing me onto Shelter #1 -I was following the River Cavalo to Fao on the coast and then North to the City of Viana de Castelo.
I routed myself off the main road but soon discovered, the snaller roads weren't good. By the time I reached the next stop under a flyover just outside Barcelos I had ridden on about 8 miles of slippery, bone jarring cobbles.
Next floowed the dry 45 minutes of the day and I got some lovley views in Barcelos around the centre there was a museum with a huge Cock ! then there was the Tiwn hall and church and an ancuent tower with a legend of King James being executed. It was really old and you coukd just walk in, there were stone coffins and loads of antiquities inside and outsude it overlooked the Old Bridge over the Cavados.
Excitement over I tjought Id stop in a couple of miles for a coffee but I needed another bus shelter first.
I did finf a cafe next and was so pleased I did as it hammered down the hardest all day while I sat inside.
I had 10 moles to the coast and I could see the raon was ubfortunately lined up with my route, so when it eased I bit the bullet and did a head down 10 mikes to Fao where the rain eventually relented.
I crossed the river and headed through Esposende where there wss a great copper statue of fisherme n which lead to the church, there is also a large promenade and the waves were peppering the shoreline, exploding 20 feet in the air as tgey crashed in.
That left 13 miles and my route I knew was going to be on cobbles,so I diverted onto the main road and did an extra couple of miles, which in hindsight eas a great decision.
When I approached Viana do Castelo there were diversion signs on the main road, but I thought it was for HGVs. Unfortunately within touching distance of the bridfe, the road and paths were not only closed, but thoroughly dug up.
Rather than do the detour I found a path further towards the port which turned into a great cycle path ... and it went along the estuary with great views of the town before actually joining the main road to the bridge ... Result.
I had cycled across the bridge before, its quite busy, quite narrow, double decked with trai s running under tge riad deck. It also has a plate steel pedestrian path raised a couple of feet but only about 3 feet wide - imposdible to cycle on especially when wet like today. so I stayed on the road and just left the traffic to chill behind whilst I completed the half mile across.
Oh I Ive just noticed Im over 20,000 ft of climbs in 5 days 😱