Évora

After a delicious breakfast, we hopped on our bikes and headed for the hilltop medieval castle of Monsaraz, one of the oldest Portuguese settlements. Over the centuries it has been occupied by the Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Jews and Christians.

 It was a beautiful 23 mile ride with perfect temperatures and sweeping countryside views. We passed through small towns with whitewashed homes and red tile roofs. The friendly residents waved and yelled "bom dia!" as we passed by. The last mile proved to be an extremely steep grade. Mark tackled it and made it all the way to the top, while I decided to give my bike a rest and walk alongside it!🤣

The castle and views from the top were amazing!

After shuttling back to our hotel we took a short break. We then took the bus to Evora, a city surrounded by magnificent walls and recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. We strolled through the narrow cobblestone streets of this once Roman stronghold and later a Moorish capital. We were able to visit the Sao Francisco Church and its erie Chapel of the Bones, constructed by 16th century Franciscan monks. 

Mark and I enjoyed a delicious dinner which included Mark's beloved traditional Portuguese linguica and a beer. We toasted to a great first full day of cycling!

On our way back to the bus, we saw matadors exiting a bullfight arena and the stock being loaded into trailers. Mark noticed that one of the participants may have been a distant relative!

It was an amazing day and we will definitely sleep well tonight!Read more