Portugal is a very beautiful country and as a fan of mountains and beautiful On The Top of the Mountain views, I am a great fan of Portugal's tallest and most well known mountain ... Serra da Estrela. Serra da Estrela ("Mountain Range of the Star") is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. It includes mainland Portugal's highest point at 1,993 m (6,539 ft) above mean sea level at its highest point. This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in a plateau, being known as Torre ("Tower" in English). Torre has the unusual feature of being a summit that is accessible by paved road. The mountain range is about 100 km (62.14 mi) long and is 30 km (18.64 mi) at its widest point. It is formed from a huge granite ridge that once formed the southern frontier of the country. Due to its bizarrely shaped crags and gorges, mountain streams and lakes, beautiful forests and magnificent views, the area ranks among Portugal’s outstanding scenic attractions.
And that is where we would spend the night on our Day 1.
But lets go back to the beginning of our trip. As we prepared the bike we realized how difficult it is to fit all the stuff in the bags for a long trip like this. We had to leave some stuff behind and I am sure we will make do but not easy to leave it behind. Before we left I went to put gas and the bike felt heavy. Interesting to see how she does going up the mountains.
We left Cascais (about 30Kms/20 miles from Lisbon) at around 12:30 as on the way we would stop in Tomar, Portugal to have some tea with friends we met in Africa while we lived there. It was great to see them and talk about the past and also the present. Last time we had me them was probably 5 years ago so we had a lot of stories to share since then. Friends are a blessing ...
At about 5 in the afternoon we said our goodbyes (loaded up some uneaten "rissois" on the bike) and made our way to Manteigas right in the center of the Serra da Estrela and we timed it just right as we arrived in our Pousada (place where we stayed in the evening) as the night was setting in. There were many switchbacks on the road creating shapes that I had never seen in my GPS before and I wonder if this is in Portugal how will the Pyrenees and the Alps be like. Whatever they will be, it was good to have this practice run. The GSA was a star and ate up the mountain easily although at times I had to shift into first, specially on the switchbacks.
As we were driving we found a mention to a valley of the glacier and really got excited but as it turns out the temperatures are just too high now days and no glacier could be seen. We did take some nice pics though.
The Pousada of Sao Lourenco where we stayed for the evening is in a perfect location and the views are great. For dinner we had the famous Cheese from Serra da Estrela. The production of this cheese has to follow very rigorous rules. It is made from sheep's milk, mostly during the months of November to March. Its maturation period has specific norms and must last thirty days at least. The texture of the paste varies depending on its age, from a very soft semi-liquid when young, to a soft but sliceable solid when older. It is a cured cheese created by artisanal producers with a white or slightly yellow color and a uniform creamy consistency with at most a few small holes in it. Its particular qualities result from slow draining of curdled raw sheep's milk which has been coagulated by using local Cynara cadunculus thistle rather than rennet. The cheese is formed into a somewhat irregular wheel with slightly bulging sides and upper surface. It typically has a soft well-formed rind, smooth and thin with a uniform straw-yellow colour, and is traditionally bound in cloth... Very nice.
After dinner, we relaxed by the bar, reading emails and preparing the blog (internet connection was great) in the company of a nice glass of port wine. A fitting end for a good first day in our adventure.
Live life my friends ...
Click HERE to see all the pictures of Day 1
Posted by Armando
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