Beja to Evora (52 miles; 60 total)

 Another poor-sleep night. I once made 10 trips to Europe in a year for work and rapidly adjusted but not this time. Couldn't be age.

My busy head thought: What have I missed on prior posts?

• A small mouse in Boston's Logan terminal repeatedly scurried out to gather crumbs but was too fast for me to take his photo.
• A large gentleman and his wife worked the flight crew on my Boston to Lisbon flight to get upgraded seats in business class. Perhaps flight attendants were convinced they would need to wedge him into the relatively narrow steerage seat, plus they had a lot of carry-on luggage. His replacement was a Delta employee, IT specialist, traveling with his wife. Nice of him to switch seats. 
• I appreciate train platforms that match the height of the rail car, but not the regional trains in Portugal. Negotiating several steps and a2-3 footlight difference with 2 panniers on one arm and a bike on the other is difficult through a narrow door that keeps closing. However the cars were clean and well maintained.
• Hordes of tourists were in Lisbon at this time, so I cannot imagine peak summer season heat and larger crowds. Tour groups in every square. Numerous guided-groups were on e-bikes for the first-time.
• Bollards (posts) at transition points of bike lanes, designed to keep out motorcycles, can easily snag panniers. My front panniers were wider than I anticipated and I snagged one for an embarrassing slow speed tumble. No damage. I will be a bit more careful and dismount in the future.
• My Bike Friday with two panniers on the front rack is riding smoothly. No need for the rear rack and more bags.

I had a tough riding day due to an 11 am start, 5 miles on a rocky road shortly after our start, multiple stops to repair John's flats, and heat building to 95 F as we approached Evora. A poor decision on my part, we skipped lunch, failed to stock up at a market, and I did not stay hydrated. We found our hotel in Evora, Portugal's 3rd largest city, then showered, washed and hung clothes. Venturing out a bit after 7 pm, we decided to follow Rick Steves. walking tour before more things closed. When dehydrated, replenish immediately. We ended up with good pizza, but I was still dragging.

We missed perhaps the most famous site in Evora, the Capeda dos Osos. The walls and columns of this chapel are lined with the bones and skulls of 5000 people. Three, 17th century Franciscan monks had overflowing graveyards at churches and monasteries, so they decided to build the bones into the walls of the chapel. No bones photos.

Ready to Ride. Beja street outside our hotel.

Off to the Fields. Gypsies? Looks like they need to feed the horse. The olive trees are loaded with green olives, but no signs yet of harvesting. Corn is unpicked and most vineyards are unharvested. The other area crop is cork.

Dog of the Day. Who could resist.

Takes Talent. John is great with the navigation apps, so we rode north out of Beja towards Evora on a small, paved road. The paved surface gradually deteriorated, then transitioned to rough gravel for 6 miles. John had a pinch flat and had to stop several times as the patch did not hold. Later, he had another rim-tape flat, about 4 miles south of Evora. 

Castelo de Viana in Alentejo. A pousada, setting up for a wedding in this small castle. 

Pousadas de Portugal is a chain of luxury, traditional or historical hotels in Portugal. Formerly run by the Portuguese State, they are now run by the Pestana Group,

Picking up his wife who worked at pousada Castelo de Viana in Alentejo.

Evora

Roman Arch. A double arch with a 4" gap between the arches, probably to insert planks to close off the entrance.

One of the stops on the walking tour was this large home of nobles, later used for Inquisition hearings, and now converted to an art gallery. As John and I peaked in the door, the gallery manager insisted that we enter and view a photography exhibition. Agne, the blond photographer, and her boyfriend, offered us a glass of wine and struck up a conversation. Another 45-minute delay in getting dinner but definitely worth it.

No denying her attractiveness, Agne had immigrated to Portugal from Latvia, learned Portuguese, got into minor TV and acting roles, then focused on photography. John conversed easily, as the subject of her photos was the sea, seabirds, and sailing, at least that's what John said. Later that evening I considered how my companions from prior tours would have reacted:

• Robin would have looked her kindly in the eye, bent forward slightly, and said: Hi, my name is Robin. What's your name?
• Michael, our "Aging Adonis", would have smiled, tried 2- or 3-languages on her, resulting in his next wife. 

Evora Church

City Inn-Ale Hop. Ale Hop is a store chain selling items to tourists. I didn't go in, but tourists pose frequently for photos with the cow. Our Evora lodging was through the door left of the cos, upstairs, with multiple rooms, en suite, with a shared lounge, kitchen, and outdoor patio.