Peniche - Caldas da Rainha - 30km

A short day yesterday to give me more time to reassess my planning and work out if I’ve got it right or if I need to do some re-routing. I’ve re-routed my next day on the basis of this reassessment. 

The day started later as I knew it wouldn’t be a long one but I’m quite tired so even a short ride is tough. I used a combination of paper maps and Kamoot which mostly worked well apart from a road works diversion that required another hike-a-bike session. 

The tyres are improving each day - thanks Ian and Brian for the advice! Hopefully by Porto they will have lost the extra grit attached to the bitumen spray and I won’t need to replace them.

I’m staying in another guest house. The same price as camping. However, I didn’t read the fine print. It’s at the top of a ridiculously steep staircase and my room is internal with no windows and a bunk bed. 

I had some company last night when Lorna checked in and we went out for a late (for me) drink. We met the owner of the guesthouse and her partner and friend out and ended up at a bar with a guy playing guitar and doing covers in English. One drink turned into two and I knew I had to get back to get some sleep given I wanted to get an early start this morning. 

Caldas da Rainha is a lovely town full of restaurants, cafes and bars. There is a lovely park in the middle of the old town where the queen used to come for holidays. There is a thermal spa hospital here. Maybe I should have given that a try for my tired legs. 🤨  Unfortunately the house itself is in ruins. I believe they are trying to restore it but that looks like a mammoth task. There was a beautiful peacock strolling through the centre of town. 

There is a really tough climb today but I was advised last night that there is a special ‘ascensur’ that now takes bicycles and wheelchairs to the top of the cliff. That sounds like a superb plan so I’ll report back on whether I am successful. 🤞