Day 6, 7, 8 - Evora to Elvas

 Well, the riding has begun.  We were introduced to our bikes in Evora.  Did the fittings and adjustments to prepare, slept then at about 9 am on Monday began our first day's ride to Monserraz.  I'd tested positive for COVID on Sunday evening.  The cold I was experiencing was significant.  Personnally, I didn't really want to know as either way, the bottom line was I was not doing so well.  Saturday night had been difficult.  I was stuffed up as the virus and my body competed for space in my nostrils.  I didn't sleep well.  The combination of the cold, and jet lag, were hard.  Thankfully, Tillie had drugs.  Tylenol for colds turned out to be a lifesaver.  Despite the cold I got a decent nights sleep on Sunday and felt well enough to try riding on Monday.  After a bit of debate over whether I should isolate at the Evora hotel for a couple of days my desire to be on the road won.  The route was 60 kilometers through cork forests, fields, vineyards and small towns.  It was divided into basically three legs - about 25 km until coffee, another 20 until lunch, and the final 15 to our hotel for the night.  Our hotel was not in Monserraz and so Huw and Carolyn were offering rides up the mountain to see the community.  Sandy and I passed, having been in Monserraz before; and aware of a bit of anxiety in the group over the COVID diagnosis, it was felt better I not take the ride up the hill.  At one level that was a disappointment.  Monserraz is one of several enclaves on the Spanish/Portugal border that provided sanctuary to Jews escaping Spain during the inquisition.  It has maintained it's medieval flavor making it seem like a step into the past.  I'm always anxious to have those opportunities.  On the other hand, I was tired.  It had been awhile since I've ridden 60 kilometers in a days ride.  The temperatures were high - about 30 degrees - and we'd battled headwinds pretty much the whole way from Evora.  Rest was more important to me on this particular evening.  Dinner was in a great restaurant that had converted a former Olive Oil factory.  Around us were the artifacts of that work.  A small railway through the middle of the room where the horses would have delivered the olives to be pressed.  Four large presses, or the skeletons of the presses divided the main room in two.  It was a popular restaurant with quite a number of groups dining in a place that felt isolated.  We enjoyed a salad with fresh tomatos, lettuce, olive oil and more; then a wonderful tomato soup with eggs cooked in, followed by a dinner of pork cheeks.  Sandy and I left a little ahead of the group.  Monserraz was lit on the hillside above us.  The region is part of the "dark skies" movement and the stars were incredible to see as we walked the short distance back to our hotel.  I was sensing that the worst of the cold was passed - breathing easily with a bit of a sore throat.  Some medicine to help and another good night's sleep followed the end of a long day.

Day 7, the second day of riding, was another 60 kilometer route taking us to a place called Vila Vicosa.  The wind had died down, and the riding was divided more evenly into distances of about 20 kilometers - first for coffee, then lunch, then arrival at the hotel.  The riding was a little more difficult - the countryside is rolling hills - this days ride saw the second highest elevation gain as we road - roughly 680 meters.  Perhaps because of the covid I'm having a difficult time recalling the riding for the day.  More cork trees, olive orchards, herds of sheep, goats and in a couple of places cattle.  The Alentejo is sparcely populated and Huw, true to his nature, finds small roads with little traffic.  As we came closer to Vila Vicosa the areas industry shifted.  Suddenly there was a granite factory and a large quarry to our right.  I believe we rode a bit of a large loop around the quarry to reach Vila Vicosa.  With the rocks off to our right we had a lengthy climb up the mountainside to come into town.  As we arrived there were marble and granite works all around us.  Large blocks of marble stacked for cutting into tiles, counters, works of art.  The entry into town was on cobbles and a little bumpy.  We reached the towns main square dominated by a building with blue marble fronting, a large statue and a seminary to our right.  Guided around the corner into our hotel where we again enjoyed the marble surroundings of this basic and very complicated network of rooms.  The swimming pool looked enticing but I settled for a shower.  Then wanted to go in search of the bar Huw had mentioned offering craft beers, and Gin and Tonic on tap.  We went out into the street only to discover the signs of the Camino del Santiago along the way.  Villa Vicosa, apparently, is on one of the routes to Santiago.  It was fitting my socks identified us as pilgrims; perhaps the people at the tourist information booth noticed as I asked for directions to the bar (it wasn't quite as straightforward as Huw had suggested.)  We arrived at the bar to find about 1/2 the group already enjoying their drinks.  We compared notes and I began with a G&T with lemon; followed quickly by another with ginger and lemon.  Sandy had one of the craft beers and then the purple of the hibiscus G&T called out to her.  There were fresh oranges on the streets trees; and one member of the group picked a couple for us to try much to the entertainment of the locals watching.  A few moments later the waiter informed us that picking the oranges was, in fact, illegal and shouldn't be done.  He took and disposed of the evidence.  The oranges had been deliciously sweet.  It was time for dinner.  This evenings meal was of two different types of kabobs.  Brought to the table on long skewers the meat would be pushed off the skewers and divided between pairs of people along the table.  Sandy and I had some to ourselves with the isolation we were trying to keep because of the COVID.  Plates of rice filled out the meal, and then chocolate mousse for desert.  Another day was complete.

Sandy awoke the following morning to signs she had picked up my COVID.  Huw texted a message shortly after that he had tested positive.  We were beginning to repeat last years experience when Carolyn and I were the only ones in the group not to be affected.  Thankfully the ride from Vila Vicosa to Elvas would be considerable less challenging than either of the first two days.  The ride followed a very quiet country road through pastoral countryside.  It was a beautiful day and we delayed departure knowing with only 40 kilometers to ride it would pass quickly.  It was, I think, one of the nicest days of riding we've experienced in Portugal.  There were a couple of relatively short hills but the ride began with 10 kilometers of coasting down the mountainside from Vila Vicosa needing only to be alert for signs of approaching traffic.  Coffee stop at 10 kilometers; then lunch in the courtyard of the hotel where we are spending our first rest day.  We rode in the van to see the fortifications looking over the countryside about a kilometer away from the hotel.  The hotel is part of the city walls.  Thick stone and cement making it a quiet place to rest.  The fortifications, build in the 18th century have seen military action during the wars of the 1800's when Napoleon, Wellington and others were battling for control of the continent.  At it's height almost 1800 soldiers occupied the fort that can see miles into Spain from the hilltop.  A line of fortifications - Fort Graca, Elvas and another installation to the south (the military museum?) - make one aware of the strategic importance of the region to Portugal.

I'm writing this from the balcony outside our room on a beautiful morning.  My view looks southeast over the plains stretching into Spain.  It seems my encounter with COVID is mostly at an end - a bit of a cough, and a very mild stuffiness in my head are the indications I'm mostly through the worst.  Sandy is feeling a little better today - the cold medicine provided early this week as worked wonders at managing the symptoms.  Hopefully we are past the worst.  We're going to explore the town - the historic center, the jewish district, the castle.  I'll share more pictures in a post later today.