Here we are in Caramulo, Portugal for the 6th meeting of the Internet BMW Riders Europrez group. We are staying in the Hotel do Caramulo which is located at 2,476 feet (743 meters) on the side of a mountain. We were told by one of the other guests that the building was originally constructed for use as a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients by Doctor Abel Lacerda. The doctor was apparently quite influential as the street on which the hotel is situated is named after him. There is also a local attraction that the doctor established. He was apparently an avid car collector and his collection is now open to the public in the form of a museum.

The weather here is quite different from our experience in other areas in Portugal. There has been a extremely large cloud bank hovering on the north side of the mountain on which the hotel is located. Every morning the entire mountain top is surrounded in thick fog which doesn’t burn off until midday.

The picture below is the view from our hotel room looking south. The photo was taken late in the afternoon and the low clouds are very visible as is the smoke and haze in the valley below. Some statistics about those present:

Bike Country Rider Passenger 2001 K1200LT Portugal Pedro Rolo Paula Rolo 1997 K1200RS Ecuador Clemens von Campe   1997 R1100RT Germany Georg Schaaf   2000 R1100RT Netherlands Leon Brunken   2001 R1150RT USA Jeff Bacon   1999 R1100RT Portugal Manuel Bernardino Mariana Markova 2001 R1150RT Germany Tita von Rössing   2000 R1100GS USA Verna Norris   2000 R1150GS USA Jim Seavey   1982 R100RS Sweden Ingemar Luttu   2000 Honda CBR1100XX Germany Alexander von Rössing

We were wondering if we had stopped at the wrong hotel as we were the only ones here until well after 1:00 PM. That’s when we left for lunch. When we returned we found Georg’s RT parked next to our bikes in front of the hotel. And then we found George! EP VI has begun.

As the day progressed others arrived one by one. After dinner everyone spent a bit of time in the bar sampling the local delicacy, a lovely vintage port wine complements of Manuel, along with the local firewater, some Portuguese cigars and cigarettes. A good time was had by all. In the morning we are all off to Obidos.

Day 1: Caramulo to Óbidos

Per Pedro’s instructions, we were to have engines running at 9:00 am, ready to go. Well, 9:00 came and went while many stood around waiting. Finally we all got together and left about 9:45. Not too bad for the first day! The fog had burned off at the top of the hill where we were, but soon enveloped us as we snaked down the road. We stopped for a break after about an hour on the road where tires were kicked and coffee was consumed (below, right).

We had a nice ride on good roads all the way to Figueira da Foz where we stopped to take a picture of Ingemar in front of the Casino (above left). The weather was overcast all the way so it stayed nice and cool for us. Pedro, however, was apologizing because he had promised everyone very warm weather. We, were happy for the cool temperatures, as was Leon.

We headed south through the eucalyptus and pine forests, noticing the collection of pitch from the pine trees. Evidently the pitch (sap) is used to make a glue. We had never seen anyone collect sap from a pine before, so were quite intrigued. Before lunch we made a brief stop at a glass factory/showroom where we could watch a couple of craftsmen working on glass vases. The showroom has lots of beautiful items for sale, but they weren’t really set up to ship to the states, so Verna didn’t get that nice bowl after all.

The kebabs came and were a delight, especially the way they were served. They came hanging from a holder and each kebab had a piece of smoked pork loin, grilled ribs, smoked ribs, beef steak, and a shrimp (right). Yum!

We ate lunch at a great restaurant above the beach at S. Pedro de Muel. The food was excellent and plentiful. Most opted for Pedro’s suggestion which was mixed kebab and rice with beans. Good choice! Above left is the group awaiting their meal, already stuffing themselves on shrimp, pickled octopus, presunto (ham), cheese and rolls. Most of us had to try a dessert, all of which were sweet and rich. The most unusual (at least in name) was a creamy custard which translates into English as “Camel Droolings.” It was delicious though we didn’t care much for the name.

We took a leisurely walk up the hill to get a view of the area and make sure everyone would stay awake for the afternoon portion of the ride. We then hopped on the bikes and headed out for a ride through the nearby forest before heading south. From this point, the roads got a little more challenging as the condition of the roads deteriorated. They were a bit rough and one had to keep on the lookout for potholes as well as sand in the corners (eh, Jeff!). We certainly didn’t break any speed records! 

One thing we did notice was the reactions of the other car and truck drivers. We often got lights flashed at us as well as horn honking and waves, all in a very friendly way. As we would pass through a town, everybody stopped and watched us proceed through, from the young kids to the elderly men and women. When going by construction sites, all work came to a halt. It was truly quite amazing and fun to experience. Pedro told us that motorcycles rides in Portugal are respected and admired by the general population and that those who rode large displacement bikes received the most adoration.

In the late afternoon we stopped in Nazare, a popular seaside resort. On the cliffs above, as legend has it, a count in medieval times was hunting a deer on his horse, and in the rush of the pursuit, followed the deer to the precipice. The count, understanding he was about to die from the fall, raised his eyes to the sky and asked for mercy. As it happened, the Virgin Mary appeared and spared his life by sticking the horse’s hooves to the rock. Well, we never found the prints of the hooves (they supposedly still exist), but did enjoy the view of the waterfront right. We owe Pedro for providing all of this information on the excellent logs that he provided each rider last night.

In the square near these cliffs, local vendors are plying their wares. We were surprised to find the seafood we had first tried in a restaurant in Spain (left). We found them to be very tasty, though a bit different. You break off the hard, pointy end, exposing the muscle, which you then pull out of the tube and eat. They are some type of barnacle (percebes in Spanish, but we never got the spelling in Portuguese).

We hit our final leg of the journey, arriving in Obidos about 8PM. A quick shower at the hotel, then off to dinner for more excellent food. Tonight our favorite appetizers were the cheese and shrimp croquettes as well as the dates wrapped in bacon and grilled. Our main course was a traditional Golden Cod dish served with salad. Thank goodness it was a rather light meal after the huge lunch we had. Four days of eating like this is going to be disastrous to our waistlines!

Day 2: Óbidos to Palmela:

Before we continued our journey today we took a walk around the medieval fortified (walled) city of Óbidos. It must have been fun for the defenders on the wall given the narrow width of the area from which they had to direct their fire. We walked across this wall (well, some of us did) noting that you would never find an unprotected drop-off like this in the US nor in Germany. But here, people assume the risk if they want to cross and no one would think of suing if they got hurt. Interesting concept!

Then we rode to the village of Mafra where we visited a monastery that was built to commemorate the birth of the daughter of the King D. Joao V. The monastery was completed in 1744 and has 6 organs. Unfortunately there was some restoration work going on inside but it was only in a small portion of the building. An organist was playing while we were there and it was lovely to hear the rich music resounding through the area. The most impressive part of the interior was the amount of marble used. The floors were done in a marble mosaic, the walls were marble and some of the ceiling domes were a mosaic marble while another was done in marble with carved relief. Then there were all the statues along the sides, many done in the beautiful carrara marble. All of it was quite exquisite! At left Jim and Ingemar are resting in the last row, taking in all the beauty. .

From Mafra we made our way to the village of Ericeira where we had lunch. We were entertained throughout our lunch by the local police as they worked to prevent people from parking in the area to the right of the location where our bikes were parked (above) in order to provide the local buses a place to do a U-turn

We ate in a restaurant directly across the street from the bikes. After we finished our lunch we drove through the forested areas of Sintra which came complete with horse drawn carriages. This are is considered to be an area where the privileged live as it was in the 19th century when a summer palace of the Portuguese royalty was located here.

We then rode to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe. While there, we took the opportunity to get a photo of the members of our illustrious group. The paper in Manuel’s hand (below right) is a certificate that can be purchased with your name on it to commemorate your visit (Mariana’s certificate is pictured at left). The tower over Ingemar’s shoulder is the site marker. This site is used by many of the Lisboa motorcyclists as a meeting point on Sunday’s. We then rode through some very windy areas next to the beach which involved negotiating several patches of road where sand had covered the pavement. Pedro and Verna both found this bit challenging while the rest of the group watched from behind while they led the way through. From here it was heavy traffic and a ride along the coast to the Torre de Belem (above left), a monument which commemorates the Portuguese discoveries of the 16th century. We stoped here for a break and then worked our way through the Lisboa rush hour traffic and crossed the bridge to the south. This bridge (above right) shows a striking resemblance to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California; even the same color.

We made our way south to Palmela where we spent the night in a Pousada. While Pedro, Paula and Manuel all when home to exchange their bikes for cars the remainder of the group did their clean up thing and had the odd cervesa on the patio. When the cars arrived we traveled about 30 kilometers to the town of Sesimbra where we had part of our delicious seafood dinner by candle light thanks to a power failure. Pictured at left is one of the many bowls of seafood that we were served.

Day 3: Palmela to Evora:

Today we headed south into the warm areas of the Alentejo. Warm? How does 40 degrees C sound? That was the temperature when we arrived at our destination for lunch.

We drove through some beautiful countryside that look remarkably similar to the Sierra Nevada foothills near the town of Jackson east of San Francisco, California. As we continued another area looked very much like the terrain in and around Red Bluff, California which is located just south of the city of Redding and Lake Shasta. We saw rolling hills with oak trees where the grasses had all turned to a beautiful golden color because the area is arid in the summer. We took a brief break at the top of a hill which was at one time the walled community of Arraiolos - the views were spectacular (below). We traveled to the Herdade do Esporão, a famous vineyard, for lunch. This was a five star meal. We started with some appetizers, including several tasty breads, 3 types of sausage and some wonderfully flavored herbed olives (just ask Jeff). This was followed by Sopa de Cação (sand shark soup), then Salada de Pato (warm duck salad), then Javali com Puré de Castanhas (thin grilled slices of wild pork with chestnut puree). And we weren’t even to the main course yet! The main course was Cozido de Grãos no Tarro (a hearty stew of garbanzo beans). We were also provided several varieties of the vineyards wines with our meal (Monte Velho Branco and Tinto, 2000). If this wasn’t enough, we finished with 3 different sorbets and 4 or 5 baked desserts (so we all had to try a taste of each). At the conclusion of our meal we relaxed for a bit then were given a tour of the winery. The facility was upgraded significantly in 1987 and we were shown the new underground areas where the wine is aged and stored.

We then headed for our hotel in the town of Évora and an opportunity for a dip in the pool to escape the heat. As can be seen in the picture below Clemens had a difficult time adapting to a relaxing afternoon at the pool. Others indulged in the cigars that Manual had provided the opening day of the EP.

After a light evening meal in an outdoor cafe some retired to the hotel for a light refreshment while others took a stroll about town. Alas, EP VI has come to an end. Tomorrow morning all of our prezes point their bikes on to other adventures and/or the road home. For everyone that attended this was truly a unique experience to see many parts of Portugal and learn about the varied micro climates, the unique terrain and some history and customs of the country first hand. We have been treated to a glimpse of the culture and have been able to sample some excellent food and drink. We all owe a great deal of thanks to Pedro, Paula and Manuel for all of the hard work that went in to planning and delivering a superb event. Everything went very smoothly each day and we never had problems at any of our stops. Thank you all for a great EP VI!

For additional EP VI photos click here.

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