Stage Two of inGamba’s Donkey Week rolled out of the enchanting town of Alcobaça and starting climbing almost straight away towards the holy city of Fatima and then on through the interior’s rolling landscape to Serta and a former Franciscan convent turned boutique hotel.
When it comes to ways of exploring a country, it’s pretty hard to beat a wine-fuelled luxury Randonee on race-ready Pinarello Dogma F8s. The second day of this week long extravaganza was shorter than the opening leg, but the hot weather and hotter pace meant that it was no less intense.
Which isn’t to say that there wasn’t time to enjoy a lengthy lunch – and some of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen action on TV – in the idyllic medieval centre of Tomar. And once we hit Serta, there was nothing left to do but unwind and enjoy a traditional feast and a Fado concert – Portugal’s traditional music – late into the night.
