Bike tour with couchsurfer Viera from Slovakia

Dear all,

 

So I have decided to buy a road bike, something I had in my mind for quite a while. There was a guy selling a brand new bike with a big discount because he is leaving the country soon, so I have decided to seize this chance!

Yesterday I have tested the bike on a small trip by myself but as today I was hosting Viera, a couchsurfer from Slovakia, we went on a city tour by bike!

 

We left Algés and went to the beach to walk a bit and seize the sunny winter day:

Peter Lamb and his bikes

The trip continued along the river bank, with the Belém attractions:

Peter Lamb and Viera

Viera and Torre de Belém

Peter Lamb and Viera with 25th April bridge in the background

The trip continued and one of the stops I had the chance of having a picture of my new ride. Isn't she beautiful?

PeterLamb's newest ride

The following stopover was close to the bridge.

Peter Lamb chilling out on a Sunday morning!

Peter Lamb and Viera

After a while we changed the bikes, they are way way different!

Viera and my new bike

Viera trying the bike

The following stop was at Terreiro do Paço:

Peter Lamb and Viera close to river Tejo

With Terreiro do Paço in the background

Terreiro do Paço is one really nice square in Lisbon. There is a viewpoint on the top, close to the statues shown on the next picture. The fee is 2,5 Euro but we couldn't go as we could not leave the bikes. One next time!

A yellow tram at Terreiro do Paço

The journey continued along Rua Augusta towards Praça D. Pedro IV, also known as Rossio.

Peter Lamb on Rua Augusta with the bikes

D. Maria II, the national theater

The journey continued but close to Bica there were some rain showers:

Bica's elevator

Parliament's front façade

We settled with my lovely sister to have a lunch at the best baguette in the world place, located in Belém:

Brotherwood love :)

Viera having a break

Peter Lamb having a break

Just a bit before Belém I found out that I had the back tire flat. How is it possible? On my touring bike I have close to 3,000 kilometers and I never had a flat tire, even going through Latvian's unpaved roads. This new back tire lasted under 40 kilometers! Hopefully I will be luckier from now on!

So, the trip back home was done by walking!

With fountain and Jeronimo's monestry in the background

A small stop at Centro Cultural de Belém for some pictures:

Viera on happy mode!

Peter Lamb keeping the balance!

Sunset colours from CCB

On the way home we took two last pictures:

Peter Lamb's bike with flat tire

Peter Lamb and Viera

 

The details and all the data of this trip can be seen on the following link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/432834823

You can change for metric units at the top right of the page

 

That is all for now folks!

 

Best,

Peter

 

Postado com o Blogsy

First cycling of 2014!

Dear all,

 

After a good new year's eve, in the company of very good people, it was sort of settled among some of the people that we would go to Carcavelos Beach on the next day for the first swim of the year. Imreally thought that would be just an idea (probably due to the large amount of alcohool consumed during the night), but in fact the idea proceeded on the next day! So, of course I would join! (If I really would go for a swim or just meet them on the beach on this winter day was something yet to be decided!)

People were gathering at Cais do Sodré to come by train, but I had a look at my bicycle in the morning (lets call 12h50 morning, ok?), and thought, why not cycle there? Afterall Carcavelos beach is only about 12,5 km away from home!

Peter Lamb ready to bike at the first day of the year!

The jorney would take me along the river bank. Along the way I passed close to the reminder and countdown to the Lisbon's half marathon. I have 74 days to get ready for it!

74 days to go!

Peter Lamb close to the river

Does it looks like a good day for the beach?

Well, the weather was not looking nicer closer to the beach, but still I was enjoying this first ride of the year.

Stormy weather

The fortress, really close of my final destination

I arrived a bit earlier than the girls, so I seized for some more pictures and start to write this post.

Peter lamb in the almost desert Carcavelos Beach

My bike is also a beach lover!

Well, I indeed had the courage for the first swim of the year, quite cold indeed but nice. Inês also swam, maintaing the tradition ( already 2 years old one!!!). Maybe I will do it again, hopefully on the summer South hemisphere, ahah!

Peter Lamb and the girls

It was a nice program for the end of the day! Thanks for the invitation Inês!!

 

Cycling home was way faster, as I was cycling downwind!

 

Summary of the day:

• Distance - 24,13 km
• Time - 1h24m23s
• Average Speed - 17,37 km/h
• Top Speed - 45,36 km/h

That's all for now folks!

 

Best,

Peter Lamb

 

Postado com o Blogsy

Day trip to Santarém to meet Rita and João

Dear all,

 

Well, it is the last weekend of the year and it is not freaking cold. So, I've decided to visit my friends Rita and João from Faro. They came for the weekend to Santarem, about 100km north of Lisbon, so it is possible to go by bicycle.

As I live in the West side of Lisbon and I have started the day quite late, I decided to cycle close to the river to the East side of Lisbon and take a urban train to take me north for some kilometers.

Along the way I have stopped many times for some pictures, as my sister has my SD card for the camera, so I had to use the mini Ipad for the pictures.

So, this has became more like a picture trip, rather than many things I could write about, so specially for those of you that are not so familiar with Lisbon, here you are the pictures of the way:

The start of my trip at my door

Peter Lamb still sleepy in the morning

Bike close to Torre de Belém

Padrão dos Descobrimentos! It os gonna rain soooooon!

Peter Lamb and river Tejo

Former Lisbon's power plant, nowadays electricity museum

Peterl Lamb's bike under 25th April bridge

Peter lamb under the bridge

Terreiro do Paço square

Terreiro do Paço Square

Lisbon's Cathedral

The Pantheon behind and main north train station on the right - Santa Apolónia

It was the first time that I have cycled all the way between Algés and Oriente, following the river path, and it was nice see that the cycling path is now complete:

Cycling path between Santa Apolónia and Oriente

What it was a dream some years ago, it is now a reality!

I have to return to Oriente for some more pictures with good weather. This is the new part of Lisbon, where Expo 98 was held:

Cable car and Lisbon's highest building on the background

Lisbon is hilly!!!

Peter lamb's bike

Peter lamb on happy mode

Lisbon's oceanarium

Peter Lamb and Vasco

Peter lamb and Vasco

Peter Lamb and Gil

I had no idea at what time the train was leaving Oriente's station so, despite of the rain I head for the station. Nevertheless I lost the 12h59 train just by a single minute, so I was stranded for 30 minutes which I seized to start writting this post.

Peter lamb's bike and the urban train that would take me North

Although the train's last stop was Azambuja, I've decided to leave it 2 stations before, so my final destination was Vila Nova da Rainha.

 

Cycling to Azambuja was pretty fast, but the traffic on road N3 was quite intense. The sideways are wide, but the tarmac was wet, so the truck's spray was severe on me!

When I reached Azambuja, I took the first road on the right to reach river Tejo.

Quiet and nice road close to Azambuja

Small river crossing

The landscape in this area is quite enjoyable and easy to cycle as there are no hills. Nevertheless the wind today was a bit strong, so although the pace was quite steady, there were areas where was hard to cycle faster than 15 km/h.

Countryside

After a few kilometers cycling I have passed near two small airfields:

Taxi for take-off

About 1 meter to touchdown

The journey has continued and sometimes the colours at the fields are quite impressive, considering we are already in the winter season:

Colourful landscape

At this time I realized that there were about 20 km to my destination and I would have at most 75 minutes of sunlight, so I had to stop taking pictures and it was time to cycle a bit harder.

After some time I reached Santarem, my destination of the day!

Peter Lamb and his bike at Santarém

Santarém is a nice city, it is the capital of the gotic style and it is close enough to Lisbon to deserve a day trip, moreover if you rely on the trains to help you out on your journey. A reference though has to be made that most of the city was built over a hill, so the 2 last kilometers are done in a rather steep road!

This region is famous for the bullfights

The Market

Santarem's main church

Finding my friend's house was not difficult, so I have arrived quite on time.

We phoned the train company and there were trains towards Lisbon at 21h08 and 23h08. There was enough time for a lot of chatting, share some stories of the last times and a super nice dinner with their family. It was great to be amoung them and to feel welcome. Thanks a million guys!

Sadly, it was time to leave, but they were super cool to lead my way in their car till the train station! The good news is that mostly was downhill, so I could reach about 57km/h.

Time for some pictures with them at the train station:

What were you doing Rita? Me and João seems scared while you are smilling!

Rita, João and Peter Lamb in normal mode!

 

At the train, the indication of temperature was 5 degrees, quite chilly, don't you think?

 

Well train ride was about 35 minutes, almost enough to finish this post.

 

The original plan was only to cycle from Santa Apolónia (the terminal station) till Cais do Sodré and take a train there till Algés, but it was no wind at all, so I made the 10 extra kilometers till home.

 

Summary of the day:

• Distance - 80,95 km
• Time - 4h33m52s
• Average Speed - 18,07 km/h
• Top Speed - 57,21 km/h

So far I have cycled in this bike 2845 kilometers!

 

Well, that's all for now folks!

 

Best,

Peter Lamb

 

Postado com o Blogsy