We planned an early start today…for we were not quite sure how much climbing there might be! But…the gods were against us! Or against John’s batteries to be precise. He had plugged them into a wall socket, intended to house a table light….in turn controlled by the light switch!! So when we went to bed…and turned out the light…we also turned off his charger!!
Thankfully John had woken at four…and had checked his battery (they are always a source of worry!)…so had discovered the problem and one completely drained battery! So we delayed our departure a few hours hoping that we might just have enough power for our big day!
It turned into great day of riding today!
For much of the day we were riding alongside and just to the South of the Tagus River.
Lush farmland….
…..lovely up and down riding with nice views…
Then across the river…
….and up into the hills!
Passed the 4,000km mark right here…
More hills…
John’s battery was on its last legs…
but we just made it! To Fratel, a tiny place…and our overnight stop in what can best be described as a road house. A small utilitarian hotel sitting beside the motorway…run by a squabbling Fawlty Towers-esque couple. Her doing all the work. Him manning the bar.
Clean sheets, cheap beer and good food. What more does one need?
