Moura

Up early again, John fretting we will have to cycle in the middle of the day (which we haven't done, he is asleep on a shady bench, I am in the cool of the tourist office..), said goodbye to all the lovely people we met at campsite and off in the fresh morning. But the best plans never guarantee success.. 1) We followed faithfully the signs to Moura, but we suddenly found ourselves on a motorway (no cycles allowed of course) 2) when we eventually found the road, it was closed due to road works 8km away 3) someone encouraged us to still take it explaining we could carry the tandem around the works 4) 8km on, the road was indeed closed. We bypassed it as planned

But found an abyss: the road stopped completely over a small river! Fortunately the road workers found our arrival most amusing and carried the tandem across for us!

As we cycled on the ground became more fertile, even irrigated at times, and we passed mainly olive groves, but also sunflower and onion fields and vineyards.

Moura was a fascinating little town but despite a few signs dotted here and there we never found the tourist office! All the churches were closed as so were the museums. But we found the Moorish quarter, 3 narrow streets with typical Alentenjo chimneys