Tuesday May 28th, we left Tomar early (we had only 54 km to ride with 950m ascent but the forecast was for sun). Not very far into the ride we rounded a corner at the top of the hill and saw a gorgeous aqueduct. It was the Aqueduct of Pegoes, built to supply Tomar’s Convent of Christ with water. It took 21 years to build the six kilometre long aqueduct: when you see how high it is, that seems about right. 1593-1614.
We rode on and found ourselves on one of the Portuguese caminos -“Fatima” – for a while. It was hot and dusty, not half as well-supported as the caminos we saw in Spain (but faith is faith…)
Another unusual feature we’ve been noticing is the Portuguese windmills, these ones had sails that were furled up, but could be opened to increase power. The windmills – “moinhos” – were used to grind corn and wheat. There would be one in every village at one time.
A little further on we noticed a sign for a treat we hadn’t counted on: the “Grutas da Moeda”. A GROTTO?!?!?! I LOVE A GROTTO!!! When we realized it was only three kilometres out of our way, it was obvious that we needed to visit it. (Also, luckily, it was a short ride day. We could afford the extra time and energy.) A really helpful young man helped us find a secure place to stow the bikes AND PANNIERS – who wants to carry all of that gear and walk up and down pathways in the dark? – and we had a fabulous tour of a beautiful cave system that was only discovered by accident in 1971 by two older men who were actually out foxhunting. It was beautifully excavated, signage was really good, lighting tasteful (we’ve seen some pretty garish caves over the years); our visit was relaxed (we were the only ones in the grotto for most of our visit), and it was a great way to cool off. (18 dg. C. Above around it was about 24.) The visitable distance is 350 metres with some really large rooms. Impressive. We may have missed the huge Fatima shrine just up the road but for a couple of heathens like us, this grotto was a pretty religious experience.
Re-energized, we pushed on to Batalha, stowed the bikes (locked them to one another just outside reception), carved off some hunks of the cheese we’d bought (the Portuguese cheeses are rated for intensity, this one was rated “intense” – LOL), and then headed across the parking lot to the massive UNESCO site Batalha Monastery (Mostairo da Batalha). IF YOU ARE IN THIS REGION IN PORTUGAL, VISIT THIS SITE.
The changing of the guard. (Look out, John…)
Mid-tour, out of desperation to avoid a busload of German tourists, we stopped in at a souvenir that specialized in everything cork. It was there that we realized that the trees with stripped-bark in the forests that we had been riding past were cork trees. They even had a dress made of the shockingly pliable cork fabric that the owner of the store had worn for her wedding. John bought a snazzy turquoise cork belt.
It was pretty quiet in the town, so John googled and found a fantastic restaurant – ENIGMA – where we enjoyed fabulous hamburgers. Like, seriously fabulous burgers. We asked our Portuguese hipster (read “tattooed”) waitperson why the only cyclists we were seeing were men. NO women. His answer? “The women are going to the gym. To work on their ass.” OMG. Hilarious. (Also, I’ll bet you they’re working on their arms and abs. But whatever. It explained why we weren’t seeing women on the road.)
And then, bed.
Photos are out of order, but I’m sure you’ll figure it all out!
P.S. You know what else we’ve figured out by this point – week four – of the trip? What to do when you have to, well, you know, stop on the road. It happens, but it’s not like there’s a conveniently placed EnRoute you can visit. Guides on some of our guided cycling trips refer to these stops in the forest or in secluded areas as “Green Doors” and so we do too. We tend to be more discreet about where and when at the beginning of each trip, but by this point, we’re not so modest. If a car happens to come along while you’re, er, peeing, you just continue on, don’t stop, it’s all part of the human condition. Take your time. Some of these “loo with a view” opportunities have been spectacular. (Like, for example, that aqueduct I mentioned, above.) A.K.A. “Pee with a see”. Not advisable while cycling in cities. Obviously. We’ve never had to address what to do if a more ‘intense’ stop was required. That’s what Imodium is for. I hope it never happens. But we’re prepared for that too.
The ride to Batalha was a really great day full of surprises. I loved it.
