We woke to rain. Of the two possible directions for Wayne to go, we selected the one close to three other bicycle shops. Wayne headed out for a taxi to a bicycle shop. Charlotte and I settled back into our tents to read.
Wayne encountered a few problems with the taxi driver, as the taxi driver would only drive to a specific address (we had located the closest bicycle shop on the GPS, but not a specific address). Instead the driver delivered Wayne to a large shopping mall with a bike shop inside. They quickly replaced the pedals, and Wayne cycled the ~17 km back.
By that time the rain had stopped. As Charlotte and I packed up I couldn’t find my USB battery in the bathhouse! I inquired about the battery as we checked out to learn the cleaning staff had picked it up when cleaning the bathhouse, and shortly we were reunited. By the time Wayne arrived we were waiting in the campground restaurant, coffee in hand.
With a noon start, our next goal was the ferry in Setubal. From there we head south into national park. As anticipated from the map provided by BikeIberia, we encountered stunning views, and the corresponding climbing. Even with steep hills we stopped only a couple of times, and walked not at all.
Approaching Setubal it started to rain. Heading for the ferry, I passed an International Youth Hostel (IYH) sign. Rerouting towards the hostel through two more signs, we still failed to find it. Further searching on the Internet located additonal hostels nearby. Our intended destination for the day lay 40 km south, with a further delay of catching the ferry. The nearest campground located 10 km in the wrong directon, and with rain in the forecast for tomorrow (however accurate that might be) we stopped in the hostel instead of a late-day 40 km ride to a campground in the middle of nowhere.
Two days of broken bicycle lends itself to slow progress, and the thought of cycling all day in a cold, driving rain tomorrow excites no one. On the bright side, we’re instead staying in a fairly large city under a roof. We hiked around the city, and took a quick meal at a local cafe. Quaint city streets abound. Wayne headed back to the hostel (taking a brief meal along the way), and Charlotte and I continued onwards, discovering a castle visible in the distance north of the city, and stopped for another meal ourselves.
Now we all rest and relax in the hostel, reveling in the Internet and the ability to charge all of our mobile devices. Tomorrow’s poor weather lends itself to local exploration, while good weather will lead us farher south.