October 21, 2013
Marvao
The top of the world; the edge of Portugal
This was yet another fine day. We hustled out the door a bit earlier than usual because the weather predictions have been so unsettling and inconsistent. Over breakfast it looked like the rains could arrive by midafternoon, and we wanted tho arrive in Marvao dry but also with enough favorable weather left to leave time for looking around that famously beautiful and dramatic spot.
The ride to Marvao was lovely, and the skies remained dry though it was quite cool and breezy - change is clearly in the air. We gradually gained elevation throughout the morning, into progressively rockier and greener terrain. At about 1500' we started seeing trees beginning to turn color. Between this and the changed weather, suddenly it felt like fall today.
We gained several hundred feet more climbing up and through Castel de Vide (another town I would have enjoyed staying over in), lost them back again dropping to Portagem, and then climbed steadily for a thousand feet to Marvao at 2600'.
What a spot! Seeing Marvao has been a dream of mine for over 20 years, ever since I first heard of it. It is a tiny spot, like Monsaraz occupying a ridge and overlooking the countryside on all sides. It is so precipitously high above the world below though that the views are truly vast and dramatic. To the east you can see far into Extramadura in Spain, which begins in just about 5 miles as the crow flies.
The town is little more than a village, with a single, narrow main street that serpentines its way up to the crest. Small alleys traverse these loops so that you can walk up and down between levels. Overall it is only about 5 blocks long and 4 deep. This late in the season it is almost deserted, other than a handful of tourists and the village's few residents.
At the north end is a remarkable castle, well preserved, with a complex array of staircases, ramparts and balconies. Everything is walkable in it, although unnerving - there are almost no handrails, and most walkways drop straight down off the side away from the wall. The weather didn't help - this high up and exposed there is nothing to stop the winds, which blew strongly today. We constantly reminded ourselves to watch our footing, keep a hand on the wall, and don't look down. It is a truly wonderful place to walk around though, with constantly changing, thrilling views of the castle and its walls, the village, and the countryside far below. I haven't been this awed by a castle since seeing Carcassonne in southern France 20 years ago.
As the day ebbed, the winds continued to pick up - in one memorable spot with a small patch of willow trees, the whipping branches and leaves howled and whistled. It also became quite chilly, and we were happy to make it back to our small inn to get inside and warm up until dinner.
In the evening we splurged and ate at the elegant posada, both to commemorate the end of a fantastic pass through Portugal and to comfort ourselves from the coming weather. It was a good meal, but the best part was the appetizer - a delicious bean chestnut soup. As I write this, it is howling outside, and heavy rain and thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow. Time to batten down the hatches!
Elevation log: 3,400' today, 19,700 total.
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1 year ago
1 year ago
Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 433 miles (697 km)
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