Season 5. Episode 15. Brotherly Love.

Season 5. Episode 15. Brotherly Love. 

September 13, 2025. Santiago de Compostela to Redondella. 53 miles. 3,439’ climbing. 

The Portuguese Way is the pilgrimage route starting in Portugal that starts more commonly in Porto or for some further south in Lisbon. It’s 163 miles from Porto or 381 miles from Lisbon.

We were cycling the Portuguese Camino in reverse. 

After several days of riding in the same direction as walkers, and passing them, it was odd traveling against their flow.

I even had a few people tell me I’m going the wrong way. (I’m not sure if they were joking.) But figuratively I was confident we are on the right path. In fact, for some reason over the course of my life, I’ve had a pattern of going against the grain, of zigging when others zag. It hasn’t worked out too poorly. 

In our first few miles leaving the city, there was a series of musicians entertaining and busking for those finishing their walks. It was a festive, celebratory atmosphere. We wished we finished into this celebration. We forget how much of these rides is mental more than physical and we needed to get ourselves psyched up after a bit of the relaxed letdown from getting to Santiago de Compostela yesterday.

On one of our early, unpaved steep narrow climbs.

I could see Heather was not happy.

It was a scenic ride giving me a longing to paddle at home next week and think about a kayaking trip.

The route was close to 30% off road on unpaved paths that at times was essentially mountain biking.

Today was one of those days that I thought was amazing. Heather had a different perspective. I loved the challenge and thrill. And am confident riding in narrow spaces past walkers. Heather doesn’t feel the same way. When she caught up to me after walking for a long time, Heather was miserable and at the end of her rope. 

As I tried to figure out how to console, support and encourage her, it appeared I said the wrong things at the time.

She understood I was loving the scenic and often rocky Camino path, and didn’t want to take that from me. She also knows herself and decided to take a paved path on a major road for the rest of the day and we’d meet at our lodging. 

In the afternoon, I saw palm trees and was surprised since Porto is pretty much on the same latitude as New York city and we were still north of Porto. It was a reminder that climate is based on much more than north-south location.

After about 4 hours of riding separately, a crazy thing happened. About 3 miles from the end, I was flying down a hill to intersect with the main road and I got there a mere 15 yards in front of Heather. Given all the different little decisions we each made during the day of when to snack, drink, rest, pee, and routes to navigate, that was an incredible sign of our meant to be.

And it was sweet that Heather after reflection time on her own did give me credit for one of the things I said earlier that helped settle her.  

The day would end well- or so we thought. 

We got to our Airbnb, and after waiting 30 minutes for the host to meet us and show us in (that has been a custom here at several of them, rather than just leaving us an entrance code), we were told we cannot take our bikes inside and the building has no safe place. The host wanted us to leave them in an underground public parking garage that had two entrances open 24 hours to which anybody could walk in. 

I still hold the scar of having my bicycle stolen when I was 13 years old. It was traumatic to come back to the bicycle rack, where I locked my bike and see just the chain and lock lying broken on the ground and my bicycle gone. So I said no to that parking plan, let’s cancel and find a hotel. It was now after 7:30, we were tired and hungry and it started to rain. No problem!  We found a place that was adequate and we were dry, warm, and safe with Charlie and Heather’s bike safely inside. 

September 14, 2025. Redondella, Spain to Viana do Castelo, Portugal. 53 miles. 1,957’ climbing. 

Minutes into the ride, the day took a bad turn. I had a chain drop (chain jam) where my chain went off the cassette (gears) and was wound tightly around the rear axle. I’d never experienced this and after trying for a while could not fix it.

Bike stores were nearby but all closed for the day - it was Sunday. While still striving to pull the chain out of its position being stuck, and not pull so hard that I break it, I started to think about taking a train or taxi to meet Heather in the next city that had bike stores open the next day. 

But then two angels appeared -  cyclists passed by and Heather alertly noticed them and flagged them. (Interesting side bar to note how Heather is reluctant to ask for help for herself but no problem to ask for help for me.) They went right at it, digging their fingers in to the jammed chain mess, and with finesse and pulling and four hands at it, after about 20 minutes they had it reset. The kindness of strangers!!

After an hour delay including cleanup, we were on our way.

Our luck would continue as we soon met more angels. Or you could say very loving parents. 

Oscar has Cerebral Palsy and his father was pushing him for sections of the Camino. I shared how we ride for the Reeve Foundation, his mother was aware of Christoper and Dana Reeve, and our bond was formed.

What was eerie about this encounter, was on the French Camino I heard from  an American walker about the inspiring documentary called I'll Push You. It is the awe-inducing story of best friends, Patrick pushing Justin in his wheelchair for 500 miles on the Camino across northern Spain. I watched previews of it that day and noted to watch it when I got home. I’ve thought about it a few times since, especially when challenged. And today I saw my own adapted version of that commitment.

Our final memory in Spain was riding alongside a marching band that was playing for a local festival. It was fun to imagine they were playing for us.

We rode over the Rio Minho, separating Spain from Portugal. It’s actually for cars also but seemed like we had it to ourselves.

We are getting closer.

It was our first sighting of an above ground, concrete burial ground since touring years ago in Argentina.

Arriving in Viana do Castelo, we saw the signature blue and white tiles that adorn buildings in Portugal.

September 15, 2025. Viana do Castelo to Porto, Portugal. 54 miles. 1,342’ climbing. 

I woke up deep in thought about this being the final ride and how far we’ve come. France seemed like a vacation long ago. The rain, mountains, and even the challenges of the past two days (Heather’s confrontation with unpaved terrain, and my mechanical setback) seemed like old memories. 

As I lay in bed, I stared at the ceiling remarking to Heather how beautiful the molding was. She said I said that last night. I forgot. I was marveling that I have a view like this. That somebody took the time to design it and craftspeople made it. I’ve never thought much about or stared so much at my ceiling at home. I’m aware old world labor wages allowed detail work like this.

At breakfast, Heather sampled and delighted in her first Portuguese wonder “pastel de nata”. She exclaimed “no wonder you loved it so much last night”.  She’d go on to have 5 in the next 36 hours!

Departing Viana do Castelo hotel.

Eiffel Bridge we’d soon cross. Yes bridge not tower. One of the many bridges we learned Gustave Eiffel is known for worldwide.

I was riding up a hill listening to the theme song from Chariots of Fire which has been part of my climbing motivation to spur me on, and I came around the corner and saw this sign. I stopped to take a picture. 

And then out of the blue I started welling up with tears. I didn’t realize how much emotion I’ve kept bottled up for so many weeks. The accumulated struggles and challenges came to a head. In that moment I felt our journey was complete.

There were just a few more hours of riding, and one more mission to pull off. 

After a lengthy stretch of spectacular coastal riding, we went to a beach club that I told Heather was a great spot for lunch 11 miles from Porto. 

Heather’s brother Benjie had business this week in Lisbon and he and I plotted for him to surprise Heather.

Brotherly love to fly to Porto, get a hotel, rent a bike, ride out to greet us, ride back with us, dine with us, stay in a hotel, take the 6am train to Lisbon for business meetings the next day. Thank you Benjie for making us feel special and giving us a proper conclusion to this trip.

Toasting our completion in Porto with the famous dessert pastel de nata!

These last hours of riding in sunny, warm but not hot perfect temperature, with cool breezes from the ocean, not gusting winds, was idyllic. Who can remember any hard times?  

Thank you for following our adventure. I hope this blog has entertained, educated, amused and/or encouraged your thinking. 

We hope that if you’ve not yet had a chance to support the Reeve Foundation, please consider making a gift at Heather & Mark Ride for Reeve.

We’ve chilled in Porto for a few days. When I stop to think about it, I’m still in disbelief at what we’ve just done to get here. And it amazes me that we actually kept to the exact nightly itinerary we plotted out this spring. 

I’ll need to reflect on this experience and try like in the past to add another blog after we fly home tomorrow. 

© Copyright Mark Segal 2025.