Day 11 - Mertola to Tavira, Faro

On our way out of Mértola this morning, you could hear the dogs barking, the gunshots. Judging by the noise the hunting season is either well under way or off to a noisy start.

We had a lovely morning skirting the National Park along some very, very straight undulating roads.  A few climbs before a lovely lunch. A gentle (ish) 9 1/2 km climb immediately after lunch followed by an epic descent down to the coast at Tavira, it was truly amazing.   We reached a cafe just outside of Tavira, regrouped and all 24 of us cycled down to the beach - very emotional

Tavira on the Coast is approx 39/40 km outside of Faro! Today we have covered 58 miles (89 km) 4,900 feet (1,423 metres) of ascent and in Garmins world only 9 climbs, most of them "easy" with a couple of Category 2, 3 & 4's thrown in just for good measure!!

The total for the 11 days are approx. 623 miles (1000 km) 44,600 ft (13,500 m) (I do need to double check the stats when I get home ) no idea how many Garmin climbs that is, but probs quite a lot 😁.

Portugal is beautiful & has so much to offer outside of the touristy area's. Going through any country on a bike gives you a different perspective, you talk to people, taste, see & smell things you wouldn't normally experience. I've listed a few observations, (obvs these are personal so not applicable to everyone 😊) There are plenty more I have missed, but this is a blog & there is only so much you can put. 

• Each region has something unique about it & the history is amazing (for me especially the boulders) 
• The local food is very tasty & Natas are wonderful (especially warm) 🥮🥪🌭
• The Portuguese seem to eat a lot of pork & white fish (usually cod). Although I saw plenty of sheep 🐑, cows 🐄 & goats 🐐 I didn't see many pigs 🐖 🤔) 
• Restaurants in the middle of nowhere are built on reputation for the quality of their food 😋😋
• A lot of the hotels that have baths 🛁 don't supply plugs 🤷‍♀️
• The people are very friendly, especially if you shout "Bom Dia" as you bumble along the cobbles on your bike
• The wild dogs in Northern Portugal are not nice 
• Cobbled streets rattle your bike, teeth & every bone in your body, they slow you down, which is I suppose is the objective
• The olive groves and grape terraces are beautifully tended and it is obvious that people care

Thank you to PT and all the lovely people I have met this week.

Frazer, I said I would mention you 😁 , I hope you book the C2M it's a great trip and experience.  Nigel have a great trip back to Aus, Bonnie a safe trip back to Canada, & everyone else safe trips back to the UK. Francis make sure you get on the correct flight 😂.

My singing for the last 2 days has included "I want to ride my bicycle....." Queen & "Ride like the wind....." Christopher Cross. Sadly my voice will never improve, but very few people could hear it, so really doesn't matter 😂.

Thank you for reading and being on this journey, it's been a blast!  Thank you to everyone who had taken time to comment, it is much appreciated.

I've put together a photo album, it's in a random order & the photos are not all mine, most have been taken by the rest of the group, my photography skills are not great.

I'm going to have a large glass of wine this evening to celebrate 🚴‍♀️👍. Tomorrow morning I'll be on my way home, with a very strange sort of tan & a suitcase full of washing. I've jettisoned the cycle shoes (they were beyond retrieving), some very happy memories & looking forward to Christmas 😂😂

My next cycle trip (fingers crossed 🤞) is Munich to Rome at the end May 2025, so I hope to see you then 😊🚴‍♀️ stay safe xx