The first half of our ride today was on a highway, and although it had a shoulder, it was not the most scenic and pleasant. The drivers in Portugal, are not that courteous to cyclists, probably because there are very few people who cycle here, and in fact, we have not seen one female on a bike, other than within our group. I was told by a local that it is extremely rare.

The second half of the ride was on small country roads, and much more pleasant . We cycled alongside vineyards, cork trees, and eucalyptus trees. We also stopped at another pottery shop, where the ladies were hand carving and painting bowls, etc.

Today's ascent was 550 metres, with the last kilometre up to the convent a 12% grade climb. The rumour is we are only about 1/3 of the way up this hill, so our start tomorrow morning is to continue to the top. I may have nightmares about this.

Our convent hotel is Hotel Convento de S Paulo, and it quite stunning. Probably the most unique lodging we have had. It has an impressive collection of 18th century Portuguese tile work. It also has a great display of modern artwork, which is a fun contrast.

Before dinner in the elaborate dining room, we had a very interesting guided walk on the property and inside the convent. The property has a forest of cork trees, and we learned about their harvest.

I am so tired so hopefully I will sleep and not have nightmares about hills!