Day 51 - Coimbra - Central Portugal

I spent a day in Porto at the weekend, thinking I might have a day off there. I didn't like it much though - despite discovering an excellent local food and drinkery - so I continued down the coast and discovered a bit of postcard Portugal. Sun, sand, sea, a beach promenade and a pleasant, chilled atmosphere. I took a day off there, in Espinho, and spent Sunday sitting on the beach wall with the locals, looking at the sea. I walked down to the waves, took my shoes off and stood in the water, the powerful tide stripping the sand from beneath my feet as it rushed out, and nearly knocking me over as it came back in again. It's a beautiful sight, the Atlantic, especially when you know there's nothing but water between you and America. Makes you feel quite small, quite insignificant.

Got me thinking too. When I arrive on the East coast of Italy and look out over the Adriatic, having done the same on the Med., how would I feel knowing I had cycled all that way, on my own? And how would I feel if I turned up having 'cheated' a bit, on the pretence of saving some time? I can feel it now, thinking about it, in my stomach, and that's why I'm heading East to the border with Spain tomorrow and then for the Pyrenees again. On my bike.