NOOO! Kid Flu!

Just past Christmas and before leaving we made another trip to see family again. As we walked in the door they joked that our grandson has CoVID. We decided to stay anyway. We tried our best to keep a bit of a distance from the germs determined to upset our trip. Our time there was great with gifts being exchanged and food and drink being shared.

We returned home and Melanie immediately feeling poorly, and resulting in her spending a couple days in bed. That kid flu is really bad for us. I pulled out my sleeping bag and set up in the upstairs loft, determined not to get sick. It didn’t work. Just one week out I also feel bad. With my finger poised on the cancel flights button, we carry on packing, determined to fight this shit off. We can’t let a medical issue stop us again. We’ve had enough. We are heading to Orlando. We both feel on the mend. It’s not as quick as we would like it to be. We are in a slow race against time.

It’s just two days before flight time and we are in Orlando at my other son’s house. Good enough is just that. Good enough! No fever, snotty nose is less and no cough. When we arrive in Lisbon I have some work to do on the bike. There is a leaking fork seal that needs to be fixed. My friend know of a nearby shop that will be capable of fixing this and also do a minor tune-up. Spark plugs, air filter, a couple new screws and bolts, oil change. The shop only charges Euro 35/hour. After a fun week catching up, we are finally ready. We will finally be ready to head south into the beautiful Algave region of southern Portugal.

A cool front has moved through. Lisbon is on the same latitude as Washington, DC. The temperatures here are much more moderate though. Daytime temperatures ranging from 60 F (15 C) to nighttime 40 F (5 C) are normal. And sunshine making all the difference to a fantastic ride. We arrived at our friends Ricardo and Sandra’s home to a warm welcome. They have a beautiful home full of memorabilia from past motorcycle journeys. On our last big trip across Indonesia, Asia and Europe, they rode across Europe to meet us. They spent time with us riding in central Turkey. The nights were chilly and a nice warming fire in the fireplace was fantastic. You must know how overland travelers enjoyed gathering around a fire. Amazing stories are always shared.

On one of the warmer days, the sunshine was shining down warming up the valley. It was an ideal day for a walk along the seashore. The seashore was just an easy drive from the house. The hamlet of Ericeira overlooks the sea high on a cliff. We casually walked along the sea with colorful fishing boats, with nets and traps stored for the season. Colorful cats lounged lazily amongst the boats and in the traps. Probably waiting for other fishermen to arrive with their catches of the day. We walked to the end of the cove. Then we turned inland. We walked back through the buildings headed to the coffee shops high on the hill. They were all painted in the same shades of blue and white. Of course we must stop for a Espresso and a sweet pastry. The most famous Portuguese dessert might be Pastel de Nata or Pastel de Belém. It is a custard tart pastry with a crisp, flaky crust. The filling is a creamy custard.

A couple day later I rode with Ricardo to pick up one of his bike that needed maintenance. I also saw his new yo him bike, a 1989 BMW R1000 GS Dakar. Such a beautiful and iconic motorcycle. Unfortunately the transmission had gone kaput at a recent ride to Senegal. I got to play tag with Ricardo on a 45 minute spirited ride back through Lisbon. We made a quite important stop in Mafra for, you guessed it, an espresso and a Pastel de Nata.

Finally my bike was ready and it was time to meander slowly down to the Algarve region of Portugal. We would follow the rocky, hilly coastline through Portugal on our way to Morocco.

Cheers, ’till next time,

2WANDRRs