Not far inside the border the scenery changed a little. There were more trees — olive trees that look withered and dead even when they’re healthy, mighty cork trees that are planted everywhere and stripped of bark every ten years with the year of the last harvest painted on the trunk. And fragrant eucalyptus trees that are planted in groves beside the road offering a nice shady spot to drink some water, and a sweet smell to take your mind off the heat. It’s still extremely dry and Susana has nearly lost her voice from either the dry air or pronouncing too many Portuguese “R”s too quickly.

We’re handling the heat much better than expected, and as long as we have cold water every so often to bring our body temperature back down, we’ve been cycling through the afternoon. Drinking hot water from your water bottles that have been in the sun too long just makes you hotter, and often sick to your stomach. We’ve also been taking Lava Salts, salt pills for endurance athletes who drink huge amounts of water to replenish electrolytes. When you’re drinking and sweating 12 or more bottles of water per day, you need a little replenishing. The apparent wind that you create from moving through the air helps a lot, and when it’s this hot a tailwind is almost a curse. Today one thermometer read 43 (110 F), and I believed it.

In addition to the changing landscape, there are more and more villages, and people have been waving, honking, and giving us thumbs up at a rate approaching the French. At one cafe water stop there was a small crowd watching the Volta a Portugal on TV, a week-long cycling race. Even though I didn’t recognize any riders or teams, it was good to know we’re not the only idiots riding out here in August.

In Nisa we stopped outside a supermarket that had closed for the day, but the owner came out and asked if I needed anything. When I explained that my wife was already getting some water across the street, he offered some “cheaper colder water”, so I flagged Susana and he let us in. He then went around the store with us as we shopped in the dark aisles, making suggestions for the regional cheese, telling us to buy the cheaper yogurt since it tastes the same, and making us buy the spectacular, sweet peaches. As he was ringing up our purchase, he was noting how cheap everything was, “37 cents for these tomatoes!” and then threw in two “souvenirs” which were t-shirts the employees wear that say “Supermercado Amoreiras Nisa” so we could advertise his store in the U.S.

The biggest thorn in our sides, as expected, are the Portuguese drivers. They’re the fastest and most dangerous that we’ve encountered, and will slow down for nothing. We’ve stayed off the busy roads for the most part, but one stretch had several incidents where oncoming traffic passes other oncoming traffic on a narrow road with nowhere for us to go. Why do they go so fast in such a small country, I often wonder. Fortunately today was much more relaxing riding on quiet country roads in Alentejo.

After another long day we’re now outside Montargil, camping on a river with the smell of grilled sardines wafting through the air. Susana asked her parents what they’re having for dinner tomorrow night, so if we complete one more long day we might make it.