Porto - Serra Da Estrela - Castelo Branco

So after Porto, me and Rico as i think i already typed actually, took a train 100km east through the Douro Valley, then we rode for a bit and stopped in Pinhao, then i went on South towards Da Serra Da Estrela Mountain range where i got into some crazy trail that had me going over the moutain, i took one photo of the road conditions that lasted 5km just for Rico, i hope he checks it, crazy...So i made it through, over, and around the moutain range, and then had one heck of a ride down, CRAZY, particularly because the way i happened to go was not well maintained and parts of the road were actually falling over the cliff and there were boulders in the middle of the road, and here i was going 50 to 60 km per hour, not for long though, its just not safe. So i rode on towards the international park Tejo, where i stopped for the night in Castelo Branco, there i found out that i could catch a train at 5am in Caceres, so the next morning i just said, ok im going to Caceres, and 7 hours (+3 hours of ciesta, HA Rico, he knows i sleep a lot) of riding and 144km later, i was in Caceres by 1 am, then i slept at the station till the train came and BAM just as i expected, no bikes allowed. not on that train and not on three others, not until 4:30 could i take the train, so i kicked myself because i could have just taken an easy day, camped out again, and then another easy day to Caceres, but hey i didnt know. So i got to see yet another city, and its actually quite nice, and i still get to go to Madrid today, but i dont get there till nearly 7pm. So thats where im at now, just waiting for the train to Madrid. Here are some pictures from the past few days... Sorry the photos are a little out of order and i have no time to fix them...oh well.

Lagoa Comprida - Da Serra Da Estrela, Portugal

I literally climbed a mountain for this picture, no other higher peaks...

Im sorry to say i dont remember the name of this village...oops...

Pinhao, early morning

Douro Valley, quasi Napoleon style

An awesome old window

Messing with the camera at sunset

Castelo Branco Jardin

The other side of Da Serra Da Estrela mountain range, this photo from the road

Da Serra Da Estrela

This photo is for Rico, REDICULOUS - 5km i had to go through this crap...

...ouch my feet still hurt!

Santiago to Porto - 300km in 3 days...

So i dont have much time to upload photos, so i will just have this short message in the slot for the last week or so for now, unfortunately... really there is so much more that i want to type and so many pictures i want to add, but time is short...so basically i went with Rico from Santiago to Oporto, we did on average 100km per day for three days and spent two days in Oporto before training 100km east to the Douro Valley, the oldest wine growing region in the world, and then we biked a measly 25km, stopped for the night in Pinhao, then i went on from there, now over 300km myself, and am now im Branco Castelo. But this does no justice to what all ive seen and experienced in the last week and a half or so...i went over a mountain with my bike, LITERALLY, it was rediculous, i had to take my bags off my bike, carry them about 5 km, then go back and get my bike and do the same, i made only 30km in one day because of this. but i took some amazing photos which i can hopefully upload at some point, it was rediculous...that was in Da Serra Da Estrela mountain region, and tonight i will be camping out in the Tejo national park, right along the spanish portugese border. After this i will have to bike another 150km to get to a train station that will take me to Toledo. i want to spend a couple of days there, then train to Gibralter, then bike to Cadiz, then on the Sevilla, where i will again train to Lisboa, from there i will bike no more than 200km around the city to the three national parks, as well as to Sintra and Setubal. So hopefully at some point i can upload more photos of the last week, and still more to follow. all is well, i need a shower though....maybe in one more week...Chris

UPDATE! yay! so here are some photos i am fond of, i hope everyone likes them as much as i do. These photos follow from Santiago to Porto.

a funny photo of the gas cans inside the hostal

beach view on the way to Porto

Another lovely beach view

passing by i took this photo

a beach me and Rico stopped at

As Rico says, "Like Russia." but kind of pretty

Just 15 meters from out campsite for the night, 50km inside Portugal

Oporto

Sandeman Wine Cave

1500km - Barcelona to Santiago, yes...

Adventure every day... Ruitelan, the edge of the city, riding my bike, everything is great, preparing myself for the nearly 1000 meter climb to the pass...BAM! a car door opens just as i am passing and in less than one second im from about 20km per hour to a dead stop, i fly into the door bang my head (thankfully i was wearing a helmet, now cracked), as well as my shoulder. DAMN, then i was on the ground sliding towards the curb, my camera sliding on the ground...shit thats all i can say. it hurt but i am fine, my bike is fine thankfully, so i just came out of it shaken, a few cuts and bruises and a banged up shoulder and knee. but hey, adventure everyday...thats the saying amongst the bikers i have met, and its true for me too :) but i made the climb and then the next two peaks as well, then down the mountain to sleep in Samos, the site of a very old monestary, of which the mural pictures are from. The next day, me and my friend Rico, made the ride from Samos to Melida, it was SO cold there, we had a few beers and then went to sleep, and now today we did the 55km ride into Santiago, where i officially completed El Camino de Santiago. However, we will now ride to Muxia, then 3 days ride to Porto, and i will go on another 2-3 days ride to Lisbon, and on and on....so again, everything is fine, i have a place to sleep tonight, although i could smell a little better and my clothes could be a little cleaner...so here are more pictures from the last few days. Christopher.

See, im ok, ciesta in the fields of Samos ;)

beautiful Sarria River

Mountains of Galicia

Murals in the Monestary of Samos

Fields of Galicia

Awesome church guy with a city in his hat :)

Horses at the top of the mountain pass in Galicia

Santiago, 72km away...

The awesome Chewy Bird...

La Catedral de Santiago

a not very good picture of me at the cathedral

1200+ kilometers and growing...

So i have come a long way on my journey, i am now about 300km from Santiago, and another 100km from the coast, cape finesterre, then i begin the ride down the portugese coastline, i am excited for it. the next two days will bring me through 2 mountains and many abandoned towns, with very little in the way of provisions along the way, so today i will be maintanancing my bike and stocking up on food stuffs. then i will bike 70km to the foot of the mountain range, sleep, and next day, 2 mountains in one day, wooo. so i have biked through the arid meseta of spain now, nothing but farm fields, no trees of shade, and lots of wind. i have biked with people from all over the world: spain, denmark, sweden, finland, germany, france, ireland, south africa and others too. i have met so many interesting people along the way, peregrinos and local spaniards, its been great. the next set of pictures will catch up to me from roughly Logroño to Leon, approx 300km, enjoy... Old pilgrim hospital

Sunflower fields, there are many

dinner made by myself and Rico

Allergy...yikes

Iglesia

Storks on the cliffs in Navarette

Wheat fields, there are many

Iglesia

Pretty Flowers everywhere

Wheat field

12th century bridge

La Iglesia de Santa Maria en Los Arcos

Viana

beautiful light from stained glass window

Soy un Peregrino!

So the pilgrimage has officially begun, i took a train to Bayonne, and then to Saint Jean Pied de Port, and now i have biked about 300km from there. howver, from then till now i will upload some pictures and try to narrate, however time is scarse and i have to wash clothes, boil eggs, and take a shower all in about 25 minutes! so i left from st jean, and met a german man, 67 years old, Erich, whom i rode with for about 4 days from st jean to Pamplona, it was nice to travel with him and hear his stories, however once i got to Pamplona and the San Fermin festival to see the running of the bulls i had to leave him to make better time on the way to Santiago. the journey has been hard at times but always i am in the good company and somehow i always find a good meal, whether i cook it myself or i get it from a refuge, albergue, or hostal. Being a peregrino (pilgrim) is nice because people instantly recognize who you are and what you are doing, and generally respect you, and usually approach you for conversation, so i am never alone, always there is someone to speak with from another country, with another point of view. i have seen countlesss cathedrals, churches, monestaries, and the like, all the while taking pictures of each and every one that i encounter. Also i have seen many mountains, and struggled over each one! to date i have ridden over 5 mountains and over the cliffs of Costa Brava, and before reaching Santiago i will ride over two more passes, and i have no idea what i will encounter in Portugal. so far i have ridden on bicycle just short of 1000km and my legs are SO tired, each day gets a little rougher, but i will take a break maybe in Burgos, 2 days from now, as it is a beautiful city with much to see. For now i will just upload as many pictures as i can and narrate as best as possible. All is well, including myself, my bicycle, and my spirits.

Saint Jean Pied de Port, where the pilgrimage began...

Orisson, where i stayed the night

Orisson

Sheep in the fog on the way to Rosconvalles

The fog in the mountainsç

Erich and I in the mountains

Dam near Zubiri

Pamplona sewer lid at the dam

San Fermin festival, the bulls are running, you cant see them...

Hot air balloon released at San Fermin Festival, Pamplona

Farm land on the way to Longroño

quiet village street complete with black cat

beautiful cathedral in Los Arcos, its sideways....

Casas de las Cañas

Pottery in Rioja

thats all for now, i have to wash clothes and sleep. all is good, Christopher!