” September 8th, 2012: I enjoy the calm life here in Matosinhos, I went twice to the city of Porto to buy food and pray in the mosque. I’m still awaiting the good winds but I don’t mind they didn’t arrive yet:-)”

Pois, pois, caso não fosse aqui o je ter-se lembrado de dar um ar de sua graça na megastore do MMM, para duas de letra com os duendes de serviço, o charuto dobrável (!!!) Made in China que o Jerome trouxe rebocada no seu veleiro desde a Bélgica ainda não estaria a circular pelas ruas de Leça e Matosinhos city.

Antes de eu lhe ter botado e sujado as mãos, aquilo para onde ele aponta não era uma bicicleta. Aquilo tinha sido uma bicicleta e tinha sido comprada nova, a qual se tornou numa geringonça inutilizada sem ser alguma vez usada. Depois de 6 semanas  a navegar fora de bordo desde a Bélgica até Matosinhos, estava mais enferrujada que o meu inglês.

Assim que me viu chegar, Velho Lau suspirou de alívio, passou-me aquilo a pasta e as ferramentas para as mãos. A ideia inicial seria apenas trocar a corrente do charuto de 20 polegadas, tarefa fácil não se desse o caso da desgraçada estar toda carcomida de ferrugem. Passou a ser um charuto roda fixa. O pinhão estava incrivelmente soldado ao eixo da roda pelas várias semanas a apanhar salpicos e a brisa marítima. Depois foi o desenrasque, a minha paciência e doses massivas de WD40 para soltar o mecanismo e por aquilo a funcionar.

Jerome é um aventureiro belga que decidiu trocar uma vida rotineira pelas correntes e ventos do Atlântico, numa viagem à vela até África, mais propriamente ao Senegal. Porquê!? Para já pela hospitalidade e clima, depois logo se verá. Antes das despedidas e da foto prometeu-me então que iria levar a bicla dentro do Jeanneau Sun Odyssey. Podem seguir a sua aventura aqui: www.puresailing.be.

Boa viagem marinheiro.

“A Nordic bike that sails

Well, because I remembered giving an air of my grace in the megastore (velocultureporto.com) to talk about with the elves in service (Miguel and Sergio), the folding bike (!) made in china that Jerome brought plastered on his sailboat from Belgium would not still be circulating the streets of Leça and Matosinhos.

Before I putted and have soiled my hands, that thing to where he points it was not a bicycle. That would have been a new bike and a contraption that became unusable for 6 weeks spent navigating overboard from Belgium to Matosinhos. The bike was more rusty than my English. As soon as Miguel (aka Old Lau) saw me coming, sighed with relief, and it gave me the tools. The initial idea was just to replace the current of that 20″ wheel thing, peace-of-cake I thought if was not the case of being miserable all rotten with rust and have the rear wheel fixed! Several weeks catching splashes and sea breeze, the pinion was incredibly welded to the shaft wheel. Then was just DIY thing, lots of patience and massive doses of WD40 to loosen the mechanism and for that to work.

Good trip sailor.”

[…]

Update:

September 12th, 2012: Life is good here in Matosinhos. I’m doing some unusual stuff like:

– swimming to the beach and spending a lazy day with my Portuguese and Senegalese friends

– having my six-week-out-of-the-box-and-already-rusty Chinese bike repaired,

– walking two kilometres through the city with all my dirty clothes on my back

– explaining the female lifeguards on the beach that the proper dress code should be like this: arms and legs covered 🙂

Portuguese people are extremely friendly, open minded and helpful. The guy that repaired my bike did not want my money, even after I insisted I wanted to pay him for his service, he was happy with the smile, coffee and boat visit I offered him. Surely, this kind of social interaction is not liked by our capitalist leaders, they must hate it when people in the streets practice other than their capitalistic system.