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Bikes, bikes, and more bikes in Cabo da Roca and Lisbon, Portugal.

Sunday 7/4/13

I was on the road early this morning and enjoying a short blast up some great winding roads to Cabo da Roca. What a blast. It was a lot of fun and there were plenty of other bikers for company.

This is the sight that greeted me when I got to Cabo. I reckon there were about three hundred bikes there.

The bike attracted a lot of attention so I met quite a few riders and ended up hanging around for a bit longer than I had anticipated. Even after all my years riding I'm still amazed that the instant you meet another motorcyclist you immediately have a new friend.

Then I met Werner from Swizerland. Werner was riding an XR600 that he leaves here in Portugal so he has something to ride when he visits. At home he has a BMW like mine. We chatted about bikes and travel for a while, then Werner had to leave to take care of some things. Again, it was great to meet another nice person on our trip.

I stayed a while longer, talked to a few more people, and took a few photos. Cabo da Roca, the most western point in Portugal, and Europe. Mmmm, Lotto win please. Just right for my next trip. Super cool.

Once I'd had my fill of travel stories and looking at bikes it was time to visit the motorcycle show in town. The motorway and the traffic didn't appeal to me at all so it was up into the hills for another back road trip into town. Most of the places we've been in Spain and Portugal we have the roads to ourselves. This road was no exception.

The bike show was a bit of a let down. To be honest it wasn't a patch on the Perth Motorcycle and Scooter Show. I found out later that this is the first show run by this organiser, so hopefully it will improve for them in the future. Having said that, there were some nice goodies there. Nice custom FJ Yamaha. Watch this bike increase Enfield sales.
Sooooo nice. I think I need one of these.

Moto Cluba Faro had a stand at the show so I had a bit of a chat with the guys who were manning the stand. It was nice being greeted like an old friend.

The day was nearly shot, so it looks like we'll be staying in Estoril for another night. Time to get back to the hotel.

Suzanne and I decided to go for a bit of a walk along the beach and find somewhere to have dinner. The rock formations on the beach were interesting. While we were walking , who should we bump into? Werner, who I met at Cabo da Roca in the morning, with his friend Christian. What are the odds of that happening? Christian is another Swiss, but he now lives in Portugal, and is in love with the place. He's also a real character and was very interested in Suzanne's body painting and the potential to use it for the  Revolution Day celebrations in Portugal. One thing led to another and now we're meeting up with Christian tomorrow to discuss some ideas. Larry, Moe, and Curly. oops, sorry
Me, Werner, and Christian.

As we were talking, out of the blue Werner said something that hit me like a brick. He told me that Suzanne and I are welcome to stay in his apartment after he goes home to Switzerland on Wednesday. Wow! Werner has only spoken to us for about an hour in total, and he's offered us the keys to his apartment. See, motorcyclists really are the nicest people.

Suzanne and I found a restaurant right on the beach and sat down to another lovely dinner of yummo seafood bisque, then lamb chops, followed by profiteroles. Suzanne had a thick steak cooked on a hot rock at the table. How would you like your steak? Decent size crabs. They were about the size of my hand across the body.

Back at the hotel we had a nightcap. They didn't have any bourbon, it's not very popular over here, so I ordered a vodka and ice. This is what I was presented with... Just a small one thanks.

After our nightcap we were off to bed. Today had been a very, very full day. Lots of riding, lots of walking, and lots of talking. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

It will be interesting to see what our meeting with Christian turns up tomorrow.
Posted by Simon at 20:48