This post recounts the eleventh, final day of my Portugal End to End cycle tour with Peak Tours in May 2023. Read Day 10: Moura to Mértola
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We were about to set off on the final leg of our marathon ride across a great European country. Today would be a hilly day, but first we had time to relax on the terrace outside the hotel before collecting our bikes.
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These colourful buildings have been such a feature of our Portuguese odyssey. They bring a vibrancy to almost every village and town. Tavira was no exception.
We were climbing most of the morning, but after ten days on the road we were ready for it. Even better, the pesky headwind that soured much of yesterday’s ride had gone. The headwind gods had taken pity on us after the massive sacrifice we gave on the road to Mértola.
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The riding was interesting too, with rivers, hills and at times open fields. I had one final Garmin moment entering the village of São Bartolomeu de Via Glória, following what I thought was the Garmin’s instruction to turn left in the village. A moment of doubt was confirmed when the others, following me, went the other way!
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After 15 miles, we had our final brew stop of the tour. Gilda had done us proud as usual, with snacks and drinks at a church in the village of São Miguel do Pinheiro.
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