Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 12:22:16 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Back in Espaņa
Buenas tardes,
Today's drive -- all drive -- was from Porto, Portugal to Bilbao, Spain. It's been a long day's drive, and today i was driving like a madman. Maybe i shouldn't have done some of the things i did, but oh well... i'm still alive.
I woke up late -- last night i was watching movies until quite late, and i woke up after 10 this morning. I wanted to be on the road before 8!!! well, on the road at 11am Portugal time (which was 12pm Spain time) meant i would be reaching Bilbao after dark. This is something i've always avoided on all my trips to Europe so far. Reason for that is it's hard enough finding the motel i have reserved during the daytime, let alone at night! So i started driving just a weee bit faster on the wet roads than i should have...
ok up to 60 kmph faster than i should have.
Anyway, i also took a couple of shortcuts from what the navigation system was showing, and that ADDED about an hour to my journey. One shortcut was through the mountains of northern Portugal -- speed limit on dry roads = ranging between 30-90kmph. My average speed was ranging from 30-130 or 140kmph on wet roads.
it was a fun drive. a few close calls, but it was a fun drive...
I didn't take too many pictures, partly because i was too busy driving, also partly because i was too busy eating pringles potato chips -- the perfect junk food snack while driving. it was beautiful though ... no views because of the rainclouds, but there is something special about the combination of empty mountain roads, clouds through the mountains, and a Jaguar X-type with nice songs playing on the CD player. :>
but on the whole, that added an hour to the trip.
I found a McDonalds in the extremely tiny village of Chaves, Portugal, and that was perfect -- a quick 5-minute stop and on my way again, eating lunch while driving (at the speed limit now).
Entered Spain -- there was a border control checkpoint, but it was closed. Originally i had planned to go up to the northern coast of spain and then drive along the scenic coastal road to Bilbao. Now there was no time for that. I cut across the country --- lot of flat farmlands, an occassional hill with an occasional fort on top of it (took pictures of two of them), and raining throughout, with an occasional rainbow during rain breaks (took 1 picture of that). Here the speed limit was 120 --- and there were about five or six of us going well over 150-160...
I finally arrived in Bilbao at 6:15pm, parked my car on the street just before 7pm, and checked in to my motel around 7:15 or maybe 7:30... the evening rush hour traffic here is almost as bad as L.A.!
I've been here (in the lobby at an internet station) ever since.. checking up on weather in Paris, Frankfurt, etc. A few days ago the forecast for Paris said 50% chance of rain on new years eve... tonight the forecast is saying 10% chance.... YES!!!!!! as long as that stays 10 or below, i'm happy! so new years eve fireworks in Paris will be dry!!!!
driving to Paris tomorrow and returning the rental car....
it's raining on the 2nd, 3rd, and snowing in Frankfurt on the 4th... so i dunno about my flight departure in the snow... but at least december 31st in Paris is dry!
which reminds me - i should stock up on food and drinks.
which also reminds me - i may not get a chance to send another email this year, so in case I dont, happy new year to everyone!!!
or if you prefer:
feliz aņo nuevo a todos!!!
buenos noches,
-yo.
Hills of Northern Portugal:
|
Within Spain:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
