Have I really rode 36 miles today .. It felt like 3 !
What a stupendous day - this has to be amongst my top ten rides ever - the whole day was highlight after highlight. It's been so good I have really had to struglle to get my favourite photos down to a shortlist of 55 !
I left the beautiful peninsular town of Constancia form my perfect overnight guesthouse and crossed the Zezere, 12 miles disappeared and I was in the beautiful Templar City of Tomar with ots wonderful Cathedral Square overlooked by the Castle. I visited the Old Water system which generated electricity from diverted river water a century ago. Next was the River Parkland, where multiple wiers diverted the river flow and created a wonderful riverside park - I even found a huge ancient waterwheel.
As if that was enough three miles out of town I passed the Aquedcuto de Pegoes - and ancient Aqueduct which still stood three tiers high and about half a mile long - it was stunning and I must have dallied an hour there just looking in awe and taking millions of photos.
The day continued - I was cycling through Olive groves, then Vineyards, then open fields full of poppies and roadside verges overflowing with wild flowers. OMG it was sensational - nest I was cycling up through a woodland on a quiet road with multiple hairpin bends - this was the stuff of dreams, and at the top of the days big climb of 500ft there was a beautiful old windmill, just screaming to be photographed.
I cycled 5 more flat miles into Fatima, which I never had much intention to visit, but being Mr Por2geezer, I couldn't claim those credentials without a visit !
On approach it looked how I expected ... A bit like Lourdes (the Religious Blackpool) with hundreds of hotels and Religious novelty shops, But ......
Beyond that after booking into my lovely Hotel (Santo Antonio) I visited the Basilica and was blown away, it's abit like the Vatican but felt even bigger, scale wise, room for 100s of thousands of Pilgrims and in the summer I'm sure it's overrun - but now .. it was stunning, Huge Basilica on the hill, a tasteful exhibition and below the Main hall was a gallery with Chapels - it was all gorgeous and I've taken possibly 1000 pictures today !
After the troubles of yesterday, it just goes to show no two days are the same and that's why I love touring.