Rafael provides great cycling fuel in the form of a gorgeous curry.
Flat virtually all the way south in the morning, on a route between the sand dunes and the salt lagoon. A very popular road with the hoards of Sunday Lycra cyclists, one group alone was around 100, but not one woman. At the end of the road we are expecting a ferry, so we can continue south, but the car ferry is not running and the passenger ferry has no place for bikes. For a few minutes we think we may have to turn round and pedal back 12 miles, but the locals rally round, shepherding us to a floating pontoon where a toothless old chap in a water taxi miraculously appears and fits us in his very small but fast boat. We do not know where he is taking us, but it is generally the right direction. We land alongside some fishermen, not far from a village where we soon find an unsurfaced cycle route through marshes and sand dunes, then village roads to tiny Cadima. Here Celia welcomes us at her lovely house, and after showers she takes us to the nearby town of Cantahede to meet with her friends in a bar. Alongside the beers is served what looked like butter beans (tremços).
The others all throw away the skins, and think it strange we eat them! Celia takes us home to a very tasty Portuguese fish dinner, then her parents, Hermande and Manuel, come round with a bottle of home made liqueur and some 20 year-old tawny port! Soon we are all best friends, despite our lack of a common language.
Miles to date:- 650
Location:Ovar to Cadima
