As my husband Rick and I posed for our bon voyage picture at SeaTac airport, my sister in law called out teasingly, “You two look like you’re in an ad for AARP magazine!”

Here we were, heading out for a 1,500-mile bicycling adventure, and somehow it slipped my mind that Rick and I are, well, mature. Mostly, I forget this in the morning when I’m laying in bed thinking about the day’s possibilities. But as soon as I put my feet on the ground, I am quickly reminded that I’m gonna need to warm up and get the ol’ body ready for the day.

So when we overslept, and the hotel breakfast buffet was packed with French pilgrims on their way to Fatima, and getting our gear ready felt awkward and bumbling, it wasn’t the start I anticipated for the first day of our epic ride from Lisbon to Amsterdam.

Once on our bikes, I felt like a clumsy seal getting back in the water. Navigation synced, we rode through Lisbon with little trouble. Cycling through the busy pedestrian areas brought back memories of riding through a Bangkok open market: One foot ready to step down, two-finger breaking for quick stops, razor focus for anything unexpected.

So when an older lady dressed in black walked very slowly into our path, looking neither left nor right, I was able to avoid an embarrassing, if not injurious, collision.

We had surprisingly smooth roads for the first 25 miles. Gorgeous water views and cute beach front towns. A lovely lunch and we had just a couple hours, tops, to our hotel in Sintra.

Sintra is a World Heritage site buried in the hills north of Lisbon. Filled with grand old homes, it snuggles around a ridge-top castle … fairy tale-like beauty.

But did I mention the hills?

As a cyclist, I’m not against hills. They offer a change of pace, a good view at the top and a rewarding downhill. So when we hit the first long ascent, it was fine. About five miles at 5 percent — no problem.

But then we turned right while the cars turned left. I should have known. We were going on the “old” road.

A quick primer about old roads in Europe. Wonderfully, they tend to be very low traffic. That’s because old roads don’t meet modern standards. They are very narrow and, rather than climbing hills with switchbacks to lower the slope grade, they just go up. And up.

Which is what this road did. For miles. So steep that when I stopped, I had to go down before going back up to get some momentum. At one point, on a 15 percent hill, I tried to think of a way of quitting. At that instance I knew I was in a “Full Karma Moment.”

Let me explain. When my kids were little, we would sometimes end up on ski slopes that were really hard. They would complain, cry or in one infamous instance, hurl a ski pole, javelin style, into a nearby snow bank. I would get angry, and yell, “There’s no airlift out of here! You’ve got to just do it!”

Well, there was no airlift. I had to just do it.

And that was day one. What was I thinking?

About the presenter

A life-long Pacific Northwest native, Melissa Rosaaen currently lives in Mats Mats, Port Ludlow, with her husband, Rick. She is a former school counselor turned adventurist and writer. Her three-month cycling adventure across Europe perked her interest in this mode of travel. Having lived in Thailand for two years, she is now planning a return next winter — this time, a bicycle journey.

About the series

Traveler’s Journal, a presentation of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, raises funds to buy project supplies and food for volunteers working on Olympic Discovery Trail projects. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.

Admission is a suggested donation of $5 for adults. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks. For more information, email Arvo Johnson at amjcgj@gmail.com.

2023 Traveler’s Journal Series

When: 7 p.m., Thursday, March 2 (door opens at 6:30 p.m.)

Presenter: Melissa Rosaaen

Presentation: “Shifting Gears: Cycling Lisbon to Amsterdam on Roads Less Traveled”

Where: Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road

Cost: Suggested $5 donation (adults)

Coming up: “On the way to the Pandemic: Africa/South Pacific and Pacific Northwest” with Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock, March 9

Photo courtesy of Melissa Rosaaen / Modern and traditional scenes blend in Germany.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Rosaaen / “Off the beaten path” takes on a whole new meaning for Melissa Rosaaen.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Rosaaen / Cows offer a “bonjour” to Melissa Rosaaen in France.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Rosaaen / Melissa Rosaaen gets a shoreline view in Portgual.