The weather forecast today was pretty grim - storm Laurence was coming through and the wind was going to be over 40mph gusts with rain at times.
I was prepared to stay in Espinho another day if required however after breakfast the weather was positively decent with about a 10mph tailwind so I headed off.
I knew this stretch of coast very well and soon knocked off the miles up to the mouth of the Douro.
I stopped to take photos of a Sporting Lisbon fans garden where he had models of the players and lions on his wall, this was the third time I had passed so I thought a pic was in order.
The sea was rough and waves were crashing over the piers which were both unaccessible on he South and North side.
I turned right to head 5 miles inland to Porto to cross the river. I passed a boatyard where the wooden Port carrying barcos were being repaired on wooden slipways. Next I was passing the Port warehouses before cycling across the Ponte Luis I on the lower deck, a great steel arch above supported both the lower roadway and the Tramway on a deck above the arch.
I cycled through the historic Ribeira district back along to the cost and headed North along decent cyclepaths in the main. At Matosinhos the were docks and I had to cross a bascule bridge, I had watched a large tanker entering the piers and as I appriached the bridge it was up to allow the ship into the docks.
Next I passed a huge refinery before picking my eay along awkward cobbled roads through many coastal villages leading to the River Ave.
Progress was slow but interesting, at Vila Cha there was a memorial garden for the crew of a Lancaster Bomber which crashed, immediately next was a cottage with roughly made figures of fishermen and seats to take a pictyre with them.
I pressed on passing Vila de Conde where there was a very long Aqueduct in various staits of disrepair before cycling through Povoa de Varzim.
Lunch was at a Petrol Station Cafe at Fao before cycling along the coast through Esposende and a brief visit to a menhir at Sao Bartolomeu do Mar.
Only 25 miles after lunvh and I was crossing the river Limia into Viana do Castelo on the impressive green box girdered bridge which has the road deck on the top and a train deck underneath.
A tricky day with gusting winds but mostly helping so I was once again in town relatively early at about 4pm.