Lisboa to Sines

.I had travelled in a roundabout way to Santana and was on the way to being re-united with the coast again. The road out from Santana climbed high and you got occasional glimpses of the sea to the right. I saw the sign for Portinho and followed it down to the bottom of the headland. It was a blind alley but one I'm glad I took.

There wasn't much there except for this lovely restaurant, so after taking my pihoto I returned to the top road and in to Setubal.

At the bottom in Portinho there was a set of traffic lights to allow traffic to enter and exit without confronting each other on the narrow road at the bottom of the descent.

Setubal was just visible around the headland as was the spit of land that the ferry sailed to and avoided the longer journey around the inland lake formed behind the spit.

I soon found the ferry and was dismayed to find that it cost 6.50 euros, but to hell with the cost. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the sun was boucing off the water as I arrived at the terminal.

Looking back towards Portinho as we sailed across the stretch of water between Setubal and the spit of sand dunes and woods on the other side of the river Sado.

On arriving on the opposite side the bike had cooled and wouldn't start, so I had to wheel it off nad push it up the steep incline of the embarcation access road.

I got it started and it spluttered to life and rode the distance to Sines in no time.

It was getting dark and I wanted to arrive in Sines for sunset but it was pushing it.

I eventually arrived in Sines just as the sun was setting. The sky reflected on the calmness of the ocean leaving the most incredible coloured turqouise sea on the horizon.

I tried to find a vantage point on the road to get a photo, but by the time I had, the colour had gone from the sea, but I was left with the most beautiful sky I had seen.

Sines is the energy hub of Portugal and there were pipelines crisscrossing all over.

I parked in the town centre and was so hungry bought myself a tin of beans. I peeld the lid off and drank the lot in minutes. I was walking around looking for a bar when I stumbled into a black bar. It wasn't till I sat down I was aware I was the only white in there. They were looking at me with a certain amount of curiousity or suspicion, but as I re-ordered the novelty wore off and I was being greeted by new arrivals the same as them.

I had been there a couple of hours when a couple of Energy engineers from Germany entered the bar. They were familiar with the bar as they had worked there quite a lot. I heard them discussing whiskeys, so decided  I would offer them the benefit of my knowledge and expertise on the subject and we finished up knocking back several glasses of Famous Grouse.

They left and as I went to follow I realised I was absolutely wrecked for the first time on this ride. I tried to walk back to the bike as I had just left it roadside with all my gear and still hadn't located a sleeping place.
That was sorted for me, when as I went to cross a carpark, I missed the three foot drop at the side and went sprawling onto the gravel, finishing up behind a parked van. I had no energy left to get up, so just curled up and went to sleep.

I woke a couple of hours later and remembered where my bike was so set off to get my sleeping bag and find somewhere a bit more 'private'. I did manage to locate a small back alley that ran behind the shops where there were a couple of houses, so I nestled myself up against somebodys house and fell sound asleep.

I woke the next morning without any rude awakenings from the locals, got myself a coffee and set off for Sagres