Day 25 – and again at Rio Arado..

It didn’t take me long to decide to stay put for another day. It was another pleasantly warm and dry day, though the sun was restricted to the morning. Rain is coming, but late this afternoon, and tomorrow I believe.

Roja’s looking a bit tired after yesterday which had a lot of big rock steps both up and down. My planning always was for some long days with him, some shorter days with him with me out on the bike in the afternoon. Today was such a day.

It began with a river crossing. The dog’s favourite, but not one of my strengths, despite all the training over the years, not least the New Ing lunch breaks with Scott and Eeva. It took a while, but I managed it, and without a soaking.

Then we ascended the group of rocks that form a viewpoint that dominate this immediate area. It has steps cut into it, and ascends about 90 metres, to 777 metres. The last sections, around a cliff edge, are on metal steps – not the dog’s favourite by any means. I’ve said before that he doesn’t trust anything to walk on that’s man made, and he needed to summon all of his courage to get to the top.

With eagle eyes the van can be spotted..

The city of Braga is relatively close, less than an hour by car, and Porto another hour, so the weather has brought out a few Portuguese day trippers. They are easy to identify; cell phone in one hand, plastic bottle of water in the other, and the huge jacket they started out with in 20C flung over the shoulder.

In the years of consultancy work I did after teaching I worked with the delivery of a Sport England study on users of the outdoors. The study put users into 7 categories, the smallest of which in terms of money spent in the locality was genuine sportsperson, the hiker, biker, climber, kayaker, etc. The largest of which was the brigade I had always grown up taking the piss out of, those who hung around the likes of Betwys in very piece of gear imaginable, venturing no further than the coffee, souvenir and outdoor shops.

The survey’s purpose was to provide information for working towards National Parks being for everyone.

These Portuguese I refer to, are likely not to have had the fortune to experience and learn about the outdoors in their youth. It seems inconvenient and unnecessary to carry a rucksack, proper footwear and clothing. It explains the trepidation of many to venture out even, or the opposite, to wander too far into the mountains and put themselves in danger.

This area is extremely popular once the weather settles, but right now, there are so few people around that it is interesting to chat. I also met a group of four young Hungarian lads over in Porto for a week’s vacation, and on a day out.

After lunch I headed out on the bike. I’ve been somewhat tentative so far, just doing half hours, but went for it today with a decent off-road circuit. The downhill, which was at the start, was rather steeper and washed out than I expected; thrilling it may have been, though it was more technical than I would have opted for, given a choice..

This has been a tremendous and memorable stopover place. Obviously it would be different in the season, but right now, it offers 360 mountain views, the odd goat or horse visiting, and peace other than the trickling streams.

and the ‘goat-dogs’..

There has been the odd person, the German couple the first night, the Polish the second, but most, like them, come and go when they find no cell phone signal.