Two Wheels, One View: A Pillion’s Ride to Portugal (Part 5)
Day 13: Ride to Argés
The room had been unbearably stuffy overnight with the heating on full blast, but it was worth it — by morning, all our bike gear was dry. It was raining again when we set off, but after checking the weather front sitting stubbornly over Portugal, we knew we’d made the right decision to head inland.
We rejoined the E‑82 on our way to the A‑4. The E‑82 offered lovely scenery — vineyards, rolling hills, valleys, the occasional solar farm, and birds of prey (I think kites) hovering by the roadside — but the road surface itself was one of the worst we’ve ridden in Spain, full of potholes. At least the rain had stopped.
The A‑4 was a much better road, with similar views but now with bigger hills and mountains appearing in the distance. When we joined it, we had just over 100 miles before our next turn‑off. With around 50 miles left, we saw dark clouds ahead — and sure enough, we rode straight into heavy rain. The further we went, the worse it became. Strong winds buffeted us, and although the tunnel we passed through gave us a brief break, we emerged straight back into a wall of rain.
At times the wind was so strong it felt like it might blow us into the next lane. As we approached Madrid, the traffic intensified — as it always does around a major city — but combined with the wind, rain, spray, and sheer volume of vehicles, it was hard going. I kept checking the rider was okay. I could see how much effort it took to keep the bike steady, especially in exposed sections or when overtaking high‑sided vehicles. His shoulders, neck, and arms were tense from fighting the wind.
I suggested pulling in for a break, but realistically, who wants to get off a soaked bike, walk around in the rain, and then climb back onto a soaked bike? And with the traffic so heavy, we’d have had to exit at a random junction and then work our way back.
Each time the SatNav took us off at a junction, we hoped it was the last — 26 miles, 16 miles, 11 miles — then a series of short hops through built‑up residential areas. Eventually, after a 3.5‑hour ride that felt far longer, we arrived. In all our years of motorbiking, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so exposed to the elements as I did on that ride.
We unloaded the bike and moved into our home for the next seven days: a lovely three‑bedroom villa with two bathrooms, a large open‑plan living/dining room, a spacious kitchen, and a wide welcoming hallway with stairs to the right — and a knight in armour greeting us at the end.
Day 14: Recovery!
Today was a practical day in Argés — two loads of washing hung out to dry, a walk to find the supermarket for dinner supplies, and a wander to locate the bus stop for our upcoming trips to Toledo and Madrid.
Day 15: Rain Stopped Play
The weather was miserable again, so not much happened today. We managed a short walk just to stop ourselves going stir‑crazy.
Day 16: Rain Stopped Play
More rain, but we squeezed in a couple of walks. We also declared that no matter what the weather did tomorrow, we were going out — cabin fever had well and truly set in.
Day 17: Toledo
We took the bus into Toledo today — only about €1.50 each, which I thought was incredibly reasonable. The journey took around 15 minutes. We got off just after crossing the river, near a large archway, and walked up towards the city.
Impressive buildings line the left side of the climb, with others perched high on the hillside above. The old city is full of beautiful architecture, narrow roads, and tiny alleyways. It’s like a maze — you wander from plaza to plaza, sometimes looping back to where you started without realising.
Even though it was Sunday, plenty of shops and cafés were open, so we dipped in and out of places, stopping for coffee and snacks as we explored.
Day 18: Madrid
Today we decided to go to Madrid by train. It cost around €17 each for a return ticket. I’d been looking forward to seeing the station when we arrived because my sister had told me about a beautiful tropical-style garden at one end of it. Unfortunately, the station was undergoing a major revamp inside and out, and the garden had gone. I was a bit disappointed, as the photos she’d shown me looked lovely. I’m not sure whether they plan to reinstall it once the work is finished, but I think they should.
We walked to the city centre, which took about 30 minutes, popping in and out of shops along the way. We even found a motorbike shop and went in to see if they had any gloves that might fit, but their largest size was still too small.
Madrid, like any large city, was very busy—traffic everywhere, made worse by building works. Pavements and roads were blocked or narrowed to a single lane, with temporary traffic lights adding to the chaos. Still, there are some truly beautiful buildings around the city, even though many are currently being renovated.
We were only there for a few hours, so we didn’t want to visit museums or anything that needed more time to appreciate. We were happy just to wander the city, admire the architecture, and do a little shopping. In hindsight, we probably should have looked beforehand at what there was to see and what we could realistically fit in.
While we were there, we found out about a Don Quixote statue that my husband would have liked to see, but it was too far in the opposite direction from the train station to make it back in time. Hindsight really is a wonderful thing. There’s also a large park and gardens close to the station, but we only managed a small section because of time.
We could always choose to revisit in the future—maybe a city break, who knows. We all travelled back on the same train, but separately in different carriages, as we returned during rush hour when everyone was heading home from work.
Day 19: Toledo (again)
Another trip into Toledo today — we took the bus in and out (once we finally located the bus station). It was a lovely sunny day, possibly the warmest we’ve had so far. We wandered through parts of the city we hadn’t explored on our previous visit and discovered a few new nooks and crannies. The city was still busy with tourists and, I assume, plenty of locals too.
I even persuaded hubby to try the zip line across the river. It cost €15 for the crossing, with the option to pay an extra €4 for a photo taken near the end of the run. You’re given a code to access the picture online, which stays available for six months.
I think I could walk around Toledo’s narrow lanes and alleyways for hours. Even when you revisit a street, you notice something new — a detail you missed before, or a different angle that makes it feel fresh again.
