Algarve

Anyone who believes that the Algarve consists only of cliffs and sandy beaches should take a detour into the hinterland. For motorcyclists, it's a true revelation.

The day started very early; I was wide awake by 6:30 AM. Why, you ask? Oh right, Portugal is an hour behind, different time zone!

Anyway, after breakfast and the morning traffic chaos, I headed northwest towards Pechao and from there into the mountains. It took a solid four and a half hours (without a break) to leave the winding roads behind. Accompanied by various rain showers alternating with sunshine, it was an incredibly varied riding day. The road surfaces were all different - from extremely grippy pavement to gravel tracks. And - how considerate, even on remote roads of the last category, most guardrails in the curves are equipped with underrun protection. The Portuguese love their motorcyclists!

And in between, there were always great real estate opportunities (historical) or a well-preserved used car (low mileage).

Of course, the obligatory road closure was not to be missed today either. After I had some practice yesterday, there was no stopping this time either. And lo and behold, this passage was easy, but the breakage was pretty severe. The Portuguese are dealing with this problem on many roads in the mountains. Time and again, a piece of road has broken away or sunk.

I also treated myself to the last bratwurst before America; since 1996, the Bald couple from Nuremberg have been running their bratwurst stand at Cabo De Sao Vicente. With every sausage, there’s even a certificate, so to speak, a certificate sausage.