Day 20: Adios, Espana. Ola, Portugal.

Badajoz, Spain to Evora, Portugal Miles: 63 // Ascent: 3818

Knowing there would be a time change when we entered Portugal, we lingered a bit over breakfast this morning, sharing memories about our ride across the US. When we finally left, we rode together and the route to get out of town was easy. At 3.1 miles James shouted “stopping”, and we all followed suit. Then he announced, “You are now in Portugal”. No passport check, no border patrol, not even a “Welcome to Pure Portugal” sign to alert travelers they had entered a different country. On the shoulder of the road, someone had drawn a white chalk line with the word “Espana“ and a heart on the east side of the line and the word ”Portugal” with what appeared to be a face with its tongue sticking out on the west side of the line. That’s as official as it gets.

We rode together for the first 15 miles, and it became apparent quickly that Portugal is a very hilly country. We had long, rolling climbs the entire day. We are in a very rural area. The fields are large and the grass is golden brown. Cattle, goats, sheep and pigs greeted us along the route. The iconic white, terracotta roofed villages on the hilltops could be seen from miles away, as if they were challenging us to make the climb. We rode through olive groves and by vineyards as we went from village to village. From time to time I caught a whiff of thyme. Portugal is a beautiful country.

Because we each climb at a different pace, after the first SAG stop I rode the rest of the day alone. Our destination was Evora, and the song “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys keep going through my head to the rhythm of my cadence. The heat and hills took a toll on my legs. The last 15 miles were hard. By the time I reached Elvira (Evora) the temperature was 97. Evora has very narrow, winding cobblestone streets that are not as wide as an alley. My Garmin (and I) got confused and we couldn’t locate the hotel. I stopped to use Google maps on my phone, but as soon as I stopped sweat streamed into my eyes. If the Portuguese people on the street knew English, I am certain I added some new words to their vocabulary today. Thanks to Google, I did finally locate the hotel. James was already there, and handed me a bottle of chilled, sparkling water. It was a gorgeous ride, but I was glad to be done for the day. We are in the south of Portugal, about 70 miles east of Lisbon. We continue heading south and west tomorrow. The forecast is for sunny, very hot weather. Just two more days to our goal!