Portugal October 2013 - The Anthill Tour

Have you ever contemplated going to Portugal for some trail riding? Don't. It's awful.

Unspectacular countryside






Roads that haven't been maintained since Roman times


Lanes too narrow for overtaking


More gates than Wales on a bad day


Terrible lane discipline


Appalling roadside assistance


... and no Health & Safety regulations at all!


Dead ends everywhere


Boring history


Bleak villages


Inadequate accommodation


Disgusting food


Ugly locals


Detestable drinking culture


... and really bad company...


Well, we didn't know all that and when Timpo asked back in cold, rainy May if we were up for a trip to warmer climes in October, we happily accepted. And we were not the only ones - let me introduce you to the Anthill Mob:

Timpo 'Clyde' Thompson - the Great Organiser


Riding his X-Challenge


RickA


Husaberg 501


Muddymatt


690


GFJ


X-Challenge


Jimmy


DRZ400E


Famous


DRZ400E


Daithi


CCM404


Possu


690


... and yours truly on The Mighty DRZ (400S)


I must warn you: the tales we are going to tell will probably be as boring as our chosen destination - so after this trailer don't hold your breath for the next episode...

Thanks for the warning Ela - it does look very unexciting and I'll make sure I'll never ever put Portugal on my 'to do' list...

Still, I'm glad you're there, showing all those boys how it's done

Looks good to me so far Looking forwards to the rest of the report but looking at the line up I'm sure you all had a great time

Louis

Very good Ella:ddog









Of course you do know that I'm gonna have to keeell you

Nope, I didn't know that...

Will you let me finish the report first?

Yes, my country is awfull , Im so sorry.
How can we live with that countryside.

Calling that a dead end, even our country may be a bit steep for you.

I'm in

Faro!!!......And as for the Alentejo region....that's the pits!
I rode a track there last year with the Nomads club......absolutely shite!
If I can not find anywhere else to ride in April '14, then I may scrape the bottom of the barrel and return there.......

Timpo.

We will just have to see



It's more likely to happen when you least expect it

Right that's my pictures uploaded now just need to refresh my memory from the "Book of Truth"

Book of bollocks.........

If I can't find anywhere else to go, I might offer to scrape the bottom of the barrel with you Timpo.

Thanks again for organising a great trip, I'll post up my thoughts later after Matt's posted his scribblings from the "Gospel According to St. Matthew".

That's the only hope you'll have of remembering anything, particularly the evenings

I wait in trepidation. I fear Timpo's name for it may be more accurate, and that any Gospel according to St Matthew may be a little . . . well . . . un gospel like

and whilst we're on obscure biblical references, would the Pizza girl with the nice toppings, be considered St Matthew's Passion



(I need to get these in now as I feel I am in for soooo much stick in the not too distant!)

...and then what happen???

We want more pics...

Ciao

Nic

Before Matt muddles the report with stories from his so-called Book of Truth, I'd rather get a more realistic account in...

Said Matthew arrived duly in Oxford on Sunday morning, squeezed his bike, belongings and good self into our van and off we set towards the port of Plymouth


Gives a whole new meaning to the lyrics: every body's gone surfin...


Keep going, please, keep going...


Our snug home for the next 19 hours


... which could have been sensibly spent on refreshing our basic vocabulary


Unless there's something better to do


Such as watching good old England disappear in the distance


Adeus, Inglaterra!


GFJ and Jimmy joined the mob


... and together we went to enjoy the simple things in life




The night was surprisingly quiet, but then we had only taken Matt with us on condition of best behaviour, i.e. no snoring, farting or singing inside the cabin...

In all fairness, Brittany Ferries' catering isn't too bad or that expensive, considering that they serve a captive audience


I would probably die of boredom if you forced me on a cruise - but finally, the long awaited call: Spain, ho!


... and while the others were still looking for Blighty on the horizon...


... I relished the sight of beautiful Santander getting closer






Good to know that the Air Ambulance would be able to rescue us even here...


May I draw your attention to what Matt considers his little overnight bag?


The boys making themselves useful and mixing drinks for the journey


Not without quality control, of course!


The first café con leche, tortilla and bocadillo de queso on Spanish soil - what a treat!


Decisions, decisions...


How many bikes are in this picture?


Mmm, the wheel bearings seem to have a little bit of play...


And then - the promised land!


We are not heading for the dark sky, are we?


Welcoming committee Timpo at the Cepo Verde campsite


We made it so far!


Did you notice GFJ's sophisticated luggage support?


Bikes got unpacked and prepared


RickA, who had driven over from France with Timpo after doing the 'Rallye des Pionniers de l'histoire' joined in - sort of...


Surely, the next morning would shine bright and sunny on us, our bikes and our first experience of the Portuguese trails?


Our first experience of the local cuisine certainly promised further culinary indulgences during the days to come...


However, a big fly in the ointment was that on the way down we had learnt that Famous's van had been broken into, the bikes and all equipment stolen and that he and Daithi wouldn't be able to join us after all...

Or would they?

Don't miss the next episode!

. I love ride reports of the mother land.

C'mon Pumpy, the suspense is killin' me, what happened next ?

You could pick up the baton and tell us what happened to the Oirish contingent of the Anthill Mob in the meantime, couldn't you?