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Writer's pictureNick Sanders

Blog 199 Paso da Regua to Alfandega da Fe

28th April

So the Google Map cycling icon did it again and took me way off the beaten track. I love it as much as I find this style of routing a bit annoying. Now is the time to ramp up the daily distances because I want to get home. Except that there are, hidden in between these strung along moments, short stretches of enormous happiness I rarely get anywhere else. Unlike anything else in my life other than time with my wife, which is not predictable, I now know the mix to make happiness happen: a little sunshine, back roads without cars, scudding clouds across a summer sky, a cafe, someone smiles. People are poor in happiness and however good at it to get it, sadly it's an emotion that never becomes a habit.



But I need to function finely with good knees, a lightness of movement and an ability in my head to absorb who I am for 15 hours of solitary cycling every day for three-quarters of a year. This is my make-believe life where I'd prefer to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring but at least I'm something and not hiding in the shadows waiting to die.


Just a thought ...

Breakfast in Portugal $3

Great friendly conversation in a language you don't

understand with people who smile and laugh a lot.


Breakfast in Starbucks $11

Great hello until you don't pay a tip. No connection with

fellow customers all buried in their phones and laptops.


Map of the Day


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Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Top Man $3 for a coffee and Cake not bad But $11 is steep But Ive just paid £4.50 for a Latte on the way home so im not sure how that compares, But at least you havent got long to go

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

That just highlights the rampant stampede of aggressive corporate greed...where food and drink is concerned, all spiralling seemingly uncontrollably out of America to every corner of the planet. 3 bucks for an excellent coffee and local something tasty against 11 for a tasteless mass produced coffee and cheaply made pastry (to maximise profits ofcourse). I guess a trip round the world like this at street level gives you amazing perspective...good v bad, cheap v expensive, friendly v not etc etc...

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