For our final night in the van, we found a great surf beach and joined the other hobbos, van dwellers, and assorted ruffian in a large parking lot beside a beautiful beach. There was a little bar which had perfect views of the setting sun over the ocean. We were more than happy to linger … More Just the tip & farewell!: Portugal
On my ride east along the coast, I was smitten with the beautiful rock cliffs and sandy beaches of the Algarve. So, when I was joined by my fabulous friend/cousin/travel companion, it seemed necessaray that we spend a day savouring these vistas. Not only can you take scenic walks along the cliffs, you can also go … More Benagil caves
More than a month has passed since my magical trip to Portugal, but I still haven’t shared a glimpse of my favourite city: Porto. We headed straight north from the southern coast of Portugal, cruising up the well-maintained, fast moving (toll) highways in our beaut of a van. We rolled into Porto and found a … More Living in a Porto paradise
Sarah and I touched based at the end of January to see how the training and planning has been going for the big adventures to come this year. In this interview, we chat about my cycle trip in Portugal, my goals for 2017 (my Champagne goals and my “everyday magic” goals), and share some thoughts … More Tough girls get going: Tough Girl #2
While Faro was great, we heard from a local gal that Tavira was a “must-see” place in the Algrave. As you head east of Faro, you start to leave behind the golf resorts populated with British and German tourists and get to expereience true southern Portugese cities. We were definitely not disappointed, as Tavira was cobble-stoned and … More Touching history in Tavira
One of the best things about travel is the surprises you find along the way. Andrea and I woke up on Christmas morning with a vague plan of heading east to Tavira. But, as we went along, we stopped in a charming beach community (partly because there was ample parking that did not require any … More Xmas in an anchor graveyard? Yes please (Praia do Barril)
Even though I [technically] spent 4 nights in the Faro area, I didn’t do a comprehensive tour of the city to share with you. Instead, I will share a very small sliver of Faro. I stayed in a wonderful hostel (1878 Hostel) where I arrived on my bike. I showered (!!), washed my clothes (for free!), and … More A very small piece of Faro
The last bit of my journey was the least picturesque. While it started the same, with the classic magical elixir: The rest of the day was a little bit grueling. I spent my last 90km along a pretty uneventful regional highway, passing by resort after golf resort, getting passed by RVs and transport trucks. Thankfully, there was … More Final taste of bike life: Portimau – Faro
Travelling to the south-western nip of Portugal was a breathtaking journey. There was a lovely , quiet, “collectors” road beside the highway which made for smooth riding all the way to the tip. I stopped for snacks at a popular surf beach which was absolutely spectacular – perfect beach surrounded by stunning cliffs. It also … More The surf, the sun, and reaching the south: Carrapateira – Portimao
Another perfectly sunny day. I saddled up my pony and glided to a nearby town to check out a stunning view and drink a pair of espressos. It turned out that caffeine and bag of chips became essential fuel for the mountain switchbacks that were to come. At this point in my journey, I had decided … More Mountainous switchbacks make powerful thighs: VN de Milfontes to Carrapateira
Lovely Outliers 