Summing up and the culprit (426km)

It's taken me a little while to feel strong enough to write this last post. I'm just a few days post surgery and on the road to recovery. I've been totally devastated by the accident but I can't change it. I'm determinded to focus forward and start working on planning the next adventure.

I found the courage to look up the street where the accident happened. I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I've never seen a drain like this before. It all happened so quickly as accidents do.

As with all my trips, I try to recognise the learnings. So, here are some of my lessons learnt:

1. The kindness of strangers is extraordinary.

2. Things do and will go wrong. Solution finding is a real skill.

3. Travelling solo can be both rewarding and not.

4. Travel insurance is very important having been repatriated on business class flights.

5. The Portuguese people are so kind.

6. The online cycling community offer such strong encouragement.

7. You will get 'Kamooted' several times. Even if you choose 'Road' instead of 'Tour'.

8. Take whatever gear you need to make your tour comfortable, after all, it is 'your' tour!

9. It takes a few days to get used to the weight of the bike. 

10. There is no shame in walking. Pushing a loaded bike is par for the course.

11. It's almost impossible to remove a quad lock with one hand.

Given the accident happened less than two weeks into my trip, the kilometres travelled are somewhat irrelevant. I was feeling strong and capable and that changed in just a few seconds. Navigating the accident and repatriation has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Portugal is diverse, windy, hilly, and beautiful. I'll definitely return. For now, I'm focussing on my recovery. 

Porto to Mindelo (Povoa de Varzim) 30km

Unfortunately, it’s all over not so long after it began. I’d been riding rough cobbles for what seemed like an eternity and had had enough. There were some other riders around but on bikes with suspension and much less gear. I plotted a route away from the cobbles using Kamoot, Google Maps and my paper maps. I was slightly distracted by an altercation between some drivers so worked on getting away from that as quickly as possible. 

I finally found some bitumen and was travelling downhill and around a corner, one eye on the phone, the other on the road. As I came around a bend, there was a drain grate across the entire road. 😳 I’m going to try to find a picture of it in due course!

My front wheel ran into the grate and down I came. No time to take evasive action. I have a fractured right wrist and need to go home as it’s unstable. I need an urgent surgical review. I also have a lacerated knee but that will heal much quicker than the wrist. I hit my head on a stone wall, but my helmet saved me yet again! 

I can’t fault the care provided by the medical system in Portugal apart from a lack of pain medication. 🤪😱 It took about six hours to get Panadol and anti-inflammatories. Note to self for future travel! Pain relief! 

My body is bruised and broken, and my mind devastated by a loss of what could have been. It’s an emotional roller coaster. However, it could have been a lot worse. I consider myself privileged to be able to do this and I try to remind myself of this. However, navigating such a situation alone called on every bit of emotional strength and solution finding ability I had. I won’t lie, it’s been really hard. There have been a lot of tears.

The amount of people that have helped me has been incredible. From the orthopaedic surgeon, Frederico who took care of my bike and delivered it to me, Joana - the owner of the guesthouse in Povoa, Juanfe who packed my bike, helped me find food, a sling, a wheelie bag and accompanied me to the airport, the Emirates staff in Lisbon, the cycling community and my dear friends and family. The Portuguese and Spanish people are truly beautiful. A special mention to Monica, Juanfe’s girlfriend for her patience. 

My Camino this year is over, but I’m hoping that I can come back at some point and start in Povoa de Varzim where it finished, and eventually get to Santiago. I’m currently sitting in the business lounge in Lisbon waiting to be repatriated. Thank goodness for travel insurance. 

I will post my learnings in due course. 

Love to all and thanks for the support. Buen Camino! 

The Duoro Valley

Today I decided to treat myself to a tour of the Duoro Valley. There were only three of us plus the tour guide so it was perfect. It’s my second rest day after six consecutive riding days. Back on the bike tomorrow.  My day in pictures. 

First rest day of the trip - Porto

This is my first official rest day of the trip after six days of riding and 400km. It doesn’t seem like much but pushing a 40kg bike is certainly more challenging than being on my road bike. 

I had planned to do a city walk based on advice using guru walks. Apparently they are available in most major towns. You pay a donation which is based on your experience at the end of the tour. It was a great experience and I learnt so much about Porto. I also managed to get my credential stamped at the cathedral!

I’d done some research on gluten free restaurants in Porto. The first two were either closed or non-existent, so I set about find my first meal of the day at around 2:30 pm.

I found a local restaurant and a had a lovely fish meal. Then, after wandering some more trying to find a gluten-free coffee shop, decided to head down to the waterfront and found another restaurant where I had some cheese and also dessert with a glass of wine. So eventually, I had a three course meal at two different locations.

I found an amazing store that started building wooden bicycles and then they were trying to find a way to use the leftover materials. They’ve now started making beautiful leather goods using excess cork and leftover wooden materials from the bicycles. It’s an amazing concept and one worth investigating. I just had to get myself a little something! 

I have a tour of the Duoro booked for tomorrow so I’m hoping for an early night this evening and a full day tomorrow. I’m planning to cycle out Friday morning heading to Esposende all going to plan.