Today was a rest day. It was only forecast to be 29 degrees, which seemed like a good excuse to stay put. Not that we needed much convincing. Our camp overlooking Marvão has amazing views, plenty of shade, and we love it here.

We are both feeling a bit flat today and I thought it was just the heat. But we’re coming up to that six-week mark, which I’ve always said is the sweet spot for travel. Up until now everything has been new and exciting, but after six weeks it starts to become normal. You settle into a routine and some of the novelty wears off. Add in the heat and it can be hard to find the motivation to do much. 

Most of the day was spent trying to work out a route south through Spain using the back roads. It sounds simple enough, but it’s proving harder than expected. We have about a week before the temperatures start creeping back towards 40 degrees, so we’d quite like to make some progress before then.

We do actually have a goal, believe it or not, and that’s to reach the southernmost tip of mainland Europe. We made it to the northernmost tip last year, so it feels only right to complete the set.

This evening we walked back up through the narrow streets of Marvão to the castle and watched the sun set once again. The haze from the Sahara dust has made for incredibly orange sunsets, and the whitewashed houses glowed in the evening light. And tonight, the streets were deserted.

We wandered around the castle for a bit, had a poo in their toilets and then found a spot to watch the sun go down. 

And it didn’t disappoint. 

One minute you’re staring at maps wondering where to go next, and the next you’re watching the sun set from a castle overlooking the Portuguese countryside. It was the best way to shake off that flat feeling. Or maybe it was just having a poo.