A Thorny Day.

@August 16, 2021 Written a little late!

Camped on the backside of a sports stadium, I felt like it was pretty stealth.

The coffee kept me up for a majority of the night, so once again a mediocre at best sleep. Woke up around 6:15 (after a 30 minute snooze) to try and get on the road ASAP. Peniche to ERICEIRA was the plan.

I moved everything over to some concrete steps in order to pack a little easier. Rolling over the grass there, I got a double puncture. A thorn in the front and rear tire.

Image: Bike against a wall, just as the tires started to slowly deflate.

Instead of being on the road at 7am, I was on the road around 11:30. 4 hours of trying to find the puncture in my tubes, trying to find replacement tubes/CO2 (on a Sunday 👎). After a final puncture part way out of Peniche, I found the last culprit. A part of the thorn was not removed from my tire, and repeatedly stabbed the patch I had made.

Lesson Learned: Check inside and outside of tire after punctures!

Finally on the road with a fresh tube, the day seemed to go well enough. I veered off the EV 1 and took some alternate routes. Today was exhausting. Mentally and physically drained, I had the goal for ERICERIA, but was confident I would just have to setup for the night elsewhere. No clean clothes left, and probably smelling like that, I just happened to stumble past a campsite!

I arrived at 14:20. And I needed to relieve myself. Man at the gate, informed me it would be 6.50 Euros for the tent and myself for a night, but I had to wait for the office to open at 14:30. Office opens up, and I have to take a Covid test (luckily I brought it with me). 30 minutes later, I’m in the clear. I set up the tent. I’m famished, and find an open pizza place on the map. Perfect. It’s 16:30 now. Pizza place is open, but the pizza oven is not on ☹️. Walk into town and smell roasted chicken. Jump in to mini-preco for a whole roasted chicken, and a couple pieces of bread (and TP. Bring TP to campsites. I’m down a sock.) Finally sit down to eat, around 6:30. I’m wiped and just want to take a nap. Laundry and charging to do first! Walk 15 mins to the laundry spot, andddd out of service for the day. Hand wash my clothes and set them on some line for them to remain wet until the next day. @August 16, 2021 they are now drying on some strung up string in a lunch park. Eventually I get a phone call in with Stephane. I try and pass out to end the day.