Trepidatious traveller – camino blog | Camino de Santiago de Compostela – before, during and after

day 16, Albergaria a Velha to Oliveira de Azeméis, 22 km

Posted on 17/05/2014 by magwood

Albergaria rose in my estimation when wandering around the town in the evening we discovered it was hosting a national bread festival. The “Festival pão de Portugal” consisted of many stalls of artisan bread, and of course cakes, and some meat products – not forgetting the wine, oh, and the cheese. We were offered samples of some delicious sheep’s cheese made in the Azores, and I bought some smoked pork loin and a couple of rolls for supper and mid morning, although by the time it was possible to eat it, I was no longer hungry. it was a very well organised event and very well attended.

I would also like to mention that we were served a delicious salad for lunch in the cafe Ponto Final.

The cafe was rammed (or as Elly would say, chockers) with locals at lunch time, and when we returned for a drink on the way back to the hotel after the bread-fest, they were still busy serving diners. The cook, who is probably the owner, was a lovely lady who spoke excellent English and was obviously very keen to please, and the guy behind the bar in the evening I would imagine is her husband and was equally charming. If you are staying in Albergaria or just passing through at meal time, stop at the Ponto Final for a meal – you won’t regret it.

Elly thinks I am too hard when assessing some of the towns and accommodations I haven’t been impressed with. She has travelled far and wide and has experienced all sorts of poor facilities, so has a low intolerance threshold, whereas I, as the title of my blog indicates, am much less experienced of the big wide world, and have higher hopes of receiving higher standards.

Today’s walk was again mostly on roads, with some forest tracks thrown in for good luck. Once again the small towns and villages were a delight to walk through. It is incredible the amount of once grand buildings that abound here. The Portuguese were obviously once a very wealthy nation.

I am now struggling to find wild flowers to photograph. Although we seem to be walking through similar terrain, the flowers have all but disappeared.

I saw my first horreo today (grain store, as seen throughout Galicia, and much admired by me in all its forms, ancient and modern. And I thought this building showing three stages of development over the ages was very interesting?.

Our walk today is to another ‘off-stage’ stop. As we entered Oliveira de Azeméis we walked into another world. Our luck has changed, and rather than missing the events as we walk through towns, we have obviously now come ‘into the loop’ and have caught two in a row. This town is hosting its annual historic street fayre, with hundreds of stalls with food and fancy goods galore. What a treat.

As we came across the accommodation we were looking for and were wondering how we could get to the entrance behind one of the many food stalls, a lovely lady approached us and told us that it was no longer open. We asked if she knew of an alternative and she suggested we try the bombeiros voluntarios – at the exact moment that a guy walked up who just happened to have the telephone number of the chief fire fighter. A call was made and we were escorted to the now unused sleeping quarters for the voluntary fire brigade. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t by any stretch of the imagination clean but it is a bed for the night – in this fabulous town with a wonderful party vibe.

The beds seemed clean enough and I showered in the communal showers with my eyes shut so that I couldn’t see the state of the floor, and in no time at all we were out and about amongst the food stalls, where Elly’s eyes were popping over the cakes and I couldn’t wait to sample the local vinho verde.

We found a shady area where I ordered a hog roast roll with the most delicious rustic bread, and Elly thought she ordered a tapas portion of chorizo, which arrived as a whole ring of what seemed to be a mix between chorizo and morcilla – very spicy and a huge portion. It was all washed down with sparkling vinho verde served in rustic mugs, ice cold and totally refreshing – so much so that we found it necessary to repeat the experience – twice!

For my neighbours in Cómpeta, think Noche del Vino, and expand the experience four-fold. For those reading this who have not experienced the ability of the Spanish and obviously the Portuguese to throw a party, check out the links in this paragraph.

There are wandering musicians, a wonderful children’s roundabout from days gone by, with a guy hand turning a wheel to rotate the ride of home made sheep – so wonderfully innocent of modern technology! the lovely lady Margaret who, when I told her I was a pilgrim, sold me a handful of cherries rather than the kilo measures she was dealing in and then chucked in a few oranges from her garden for free.

This day was meant to be – we deserve the fabulous reception we have received here and it will stay in my memory as the highlight of this camino (unless some other event can top it – which I very much doubt!)

The party will go on, but as wifi facilities are, not surprisingly, lacking in the disused fire bridge accommodation, I will post now and possibly update tomorrow.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Albergaria a Velha, artisan bread, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, food stalls, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal, Portuguese route, travel | 20 Comments

day 15, Águeda to Albergaria a Velha, 16.5 km

Posted on 16/05/2014 by magwood

The day didn’t start too well. There were eight of us staying at the albergue. When I arose I could see that the bathroom in the accommodation was in use so I went outside to use the facilities off the terrace, only to find them locked. Now, one loo and eight pilgrims all wanting to make an early start is not a good equation. And the washbasin was in the same room as the loo so people were doing their morning ablutions whilst the rest of us were trying to distract our needs with frustrated jiggling.

The problem is that we all get very uptight about these things when they happen, and then set off on our next day’s walk without being able to tell the operators what the problems are, so perhaps they don’t really know. There are 12 beds in this place so heaven only knows what will happen when they are full. I shall make it my business to write them an email to say they should at least keep the terrace facilities open at all times, and consider installing further loos and basins.

One good thing about distracting myself this morning – I took this pic of the sunrise!

Oh, and whilst I am at it (moaning that is), the Danish couple that we met a couple of nights ago told us that they had stayed at the church albergue in Alvorge and they asked if they could remove the plastic covers. They were told that they could remove them, but that they must replace them after use. What is the point in that???

Ok, that’s the morning rant over!

We are having a virtual day off today. There isn’t any other accommodation for a further twenty km’s beyond where we have stopped. We shall then split the next two long 30+ km stages into three! which will give us a relatively short day into Porto so that we can have a good look around. I prefer taking these shorter days rather than have a complete day off to rest and sight-see.

It means we will arriving into Porto on day 18, rather than 14 as suggested in the guidebook. Maybe if it had been cooler we would have been inclined to walk longer days. But my feet are continuing to hold up. I still have my original blister behind the second toe on my left foot, but I am managing it ok. I also have one on the outside of my right heel. So far neither of these are much of a problem. I realised today that I have not taken a single painkiller this year, whereas last year I was popping them all day long for the first couple of weeks.

Although the walking was mostly on roads again today, it was much more interesting, walking through towns and villages with fabulous old properties, almost all abandoned and in disrepair, but with the former glory shining out. This must have been a wealthy area in days gone by.

These guys seemed as interested in me as I was in them. And the structure in the bottom picture seems to be for drying hay – or do you know better?

We stopped off for a breakfast picnic halfway over an ancient bridge – some say medieval, others say Roman. Whatever period it is from it provided a very welcome shady ledge for us to perch on. We had read that we could get to a small island in the middle of the river, but whatever means of access had existed in the past, was no longer in evidence , so we enjoyed the view of it, rather than from it.

We got off the roads for a while and set foot on what must be very walker’s perfect path – through a forest, flat and even with a sandy surface, shaded by the trees. By the time we had finished extolling its virtues it had changed to a rough and rutted track – but we enjoyed it whilst we could. After a moment of searching for the direction I spied this innovative and welcome sign.

We came to the outskirts of our destination before mid day and as we were looking around for an arrow, a local couple approached and after studying the map for a while they did an about turn and escorted us to find the albergue the guide mentioned. Unfortunately it is not operating so we continued until we found the Residencial where we are staying. The Alameda is a huge property, once very grand, now rather sad and in need of repair. However we have a very adequate twin room with shared shower and loo for 12.50 euros each. There are also rooms with ensuite for 35 euros. The bathroom facilities leave something to be desired but are clean-ish and functional. I can’t say I would recommend it, but it is cheap and adequate.

Arriving early into a destination can be a very different experience depending on the town. For example, into Tomar or Coimbra or some of the smaller villages, it is a delight to explore and find a cafe to while way the time. But today for example is a bit depressing. Albergaria was obviously once a prosperous town with some very grand buildings, but now, despite a very pretty garden in the main square, it looks and feels like a place lacking a heart. All the streets have been dug up to make way for a new sewerage system, almost all the impressive buildings are in complete ruin, leaving just the concrete boxes in use, and a lot of those could do with some maintenance.

It was another very hot day, with a fierce heat to the sun from before 9:00 am, but the weather is due to cool down over the next few days, so that should make the going easier.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Albergaria a Velha, Águeda, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago de compostela, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Portugal, travel | 21 Comments

day 14, Mealhada to Águeda, 26.75 km

Posted on 15/05/2014 by magwood

15 May 2014

Today was a hot one. When we left the albergue at 6:30 am it was warm, with little breeze. And it just got hotter and hotter throughout the day, until I guess it reached mid thirties.

We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, and after that it just continued to rise.

We started on a track but it didn’t last for long, we were soon pounding the roads. Mostly quiet side roads through virtually deserted villages that were rather more attractive today. It makes a huge difference if your surroundings are pleasant.

It seems that the Portuguese architects and town planners completely lost the plot from the sixties (I would guess) onwards. There are some hideous houses in the towns we have passed through, ugly boxes. But today we pass through some delightful ancient villages with buildings full of character with attractive features, showing signs of past grandeur, but sadly almost exclusively in ruinous condition with little sign of life in the villages, the only people to be seen are the older generation (and I mean even older than me).

I have only one flower offering for you today, the humble morning glory.

I saw some new planting of oak trees today. And I have discovered (courtesy of last night’s barman) that cork trees can be harvested every seven years, and that there is a difference between wine corks – some are natural and others are reconstituted from the waste. I bet not many people know that!

The olive trees, which must be very old considering their girth, are hacked back very severely, but seem to respond with strong new branches.

This guy was wriggling its way along the pavement – it was probably about a meter long and was very anxious to get away from the attention I was giving it, and dived down a hole as soon as it could.

At some point during the morning I spied a fountain and soaked my scarf (buff infinity) in cool water and then wrapped it around my neck and head. That helped a lot, and I didn’t care if I looked a bit silly (or even a lot silly) a cold neck brings your temperature down immediately.

The last long stretch was through industrial areas and was just a matter of traipsing along the road. The roads haven’t been busy today, but there were a couple of dodgy roads to cross.

We finally made it into Águeda after 25.5 km and called into the information office situated at the side of the bridge over the river (Rio Águeda). The woman there was very helpful and told us that a new albergue has opened alongside the Residencial Celeste. We were told that it was 500 metres up the road (yeah, right!) 1.25 km later we arrived at the very pleasant albergue. There are four rooms, two with two bunks (four birth) and two that we haven’t seen because they are occupied. There is only one bathroom, with really nice shower, loo and basin. Not really sufficient for 12+ pilgrims! But there is another bathroom off the courtyard that has been opened up for us. There is also a kitchen (could do with a fridge) and a sitting room, and lovely terraces overlooking the garden. Albergue St Antonio 00351 234 602 871, email albergueperegrinosdeagueda@hotmail.com

The town of Águeda (population 12,000) looked quite pretty, but after slogging up the hill to the albergue, there was no way I was going back into town to discover its delights.

Elly and I have one room, another room has a spanish guy and an Italian couple, there is Spanish couple in one room, and Nicole the French woman who fell in the fourth room. She caught the bus today but plans to walk tomorrow.

There is a Lidl supermarket down the road, and we have bought ourselves ingredients for a healthy salad (and a bar of my favourite chocolate – white chocolate with dried strawberries). I just hope it doesn’t melt before I can eat it?

Busy at work writing the blog (and thinking about when I can start eating the chocolate – great thing about all this walking is that it uses so many calories!)

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Águeda, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, cork, cork trees, Mealhada, morning glory, Portugal, Portuguese route, Sunrise, travel | 27 Comments

day 13, Coimbra to Mealhada 28.8 km

Posted on 14/05/2014 by magwood

14 May 2014

I reported yesterday that our room was in a great situation with views out over the river and the lively street below. I think I also mentioned that Coimbra is a university town, the students’ attire is very eye-catching and smart, including a long black cloak and most of them were wearing a business type black suit under the gown.

This is an image I found on the internet

All along the camino thus far we have passed through towns either just after or just before a special event was taking place – bull fighting, fiestas – you name it and we have missed it! But it was just our luck to arrive in Coimbra at the very time of an annual event – the student festival. Alarm bells should have been ringing as we returned to the hostel last night and we saw that pop-up bars had been erected all along the street below our balcony, but all was calm at that point. But oh, how that was to change! By the time I had sent my latest post into the ether (having been sitting at the top of the stairs for an hour as there wasn’t a good internet reception in our room) it was apparent that we were not about to have a peaceful night.

It started with raucous voices drifting up together with loud music from various venues, and continued to include an ear battering of whatever you call music that young people like, from an organised stage event just across the river, but may just as well have been in our room. The music finished at about 6:30 this morning, just as we were getting up but there then ensued a steady stream of very drunken students kicking bottles around and shouting out. In the event, we were walking alongside the dregs of the tide as we left the hostel at the start of today’s walk.

And that’s the most exciting thing that happened today. I found today’s walk very uninspiring, although Elly thought just the opposite. Our heads were obviously in very different places, and we actually hardly walked together at all today. Elly is a bit grumpy in the morning if she doesn’t get a fix of breakfast, whereas it doesn’t bother me whether or not I eat in the morning.

A lot of the walk was on roads today, major ones, minor ones, village ones, fast ones, roads with shoulders and roads without. I just plugged in and caught up with eleven episodes of ‘The Archers‘ as I walked along, and at twenty minutes per episode, that is a lot of ‘everyday tales of country folk‘ – even for a fan!

The second most interesting thing I saw today was a woman walking towards me with a big sack of something balanced on her head. I took a good look as I drew level and saw that the contents were potato peelings – I guessed she was taking them to feed some chickens, perhaps.

There was a stretch of eucalyptus forest and then a track through some pasture land, and we passed through several villages but they were not very attractive and largely built in a modern style, probably dating from around the sixties in the style of ugly boxes. Not even many pretty gardens to distract me today. Just an off-day I guess – the first one so far, so I’m not doing too badly.

I only took two photos today, so I can catch up with a few pics taken previously and not displayed.

I have now seen something a bit more interesting today. A guy has just arrived at the albergue, which is also a motel, in a google maps street view car with a huge camera in top. He has been filming the local area. I told him that he should get out of his car and carry the camera along the camino. I’m not sure that he was very amused!

The albergue Hilario is situated directly on the camino, a couple of km’s out of Mealhada. It has been open for a couple of years and has eight bunks for 16 people, with plenty of shower and wc facilities. The staff are really helpful and charming and the facilities are excellent. Highly recommended. 10 euros in the dormitory, and lots of other options for individual accommodation. We are sharing tonight with a Danish couple, a spanish guy and a French woman. The Danes and the French woman are all suffering injuries. The French woman fell today when a car passed her at extremely close quarters and she has grazes and bruises to her knees and elbows.

The culinary speciality of this area is suckling pig. It is served by the weight not by the whole tiny carcass as I have had it before. The pigs are slaughtered when they weigh less than 5 kilos. I had to order in advance, then had a crisis of conscience when I thought that perhaps the poor little piglet had been slaughtered especially for my benefit. But thankfully not the case. It has now arrived, already prepared and cooked, and is being cut up before my eyes. We get 300 grams (including bones) for a cost of 16 euros, which will make it my indulgence of the camino.

The restaurant attached to the albergue is full, mostly with locals and I guess guys travelling and staying over night. The poor little piggy was demolished in no time at all!
Turn away now if you are at all squeamish………

So, for me at least, the day finally redeemed itself!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Coimbra, google maps street view, Mealhada, Portugal, Portuguese route, suckling pig, travel | 18 Comments

day 12, Condeixa a Nova to Coimbra 21.5 km

Posted on 13/05/2014 by magwood

It was a lot milder this morning, with little wind and a clear-ish sky. Getting out of Condeixa was a bit of a chore because we left by a different route to that by which we had entered, and it was off the camino route so there were no arrows to follow. We had to think hard about what direction to take and ended up walking along a very fast road, although it was only one lane in each direction the cars were going at a great speed. Fortunately there was a very wide shoulder to walk on and after about 1.5 km we found ourselves back at a spot that we recognised from yesterday.

We walked on paved roads for many km’s, but they were quiet country lanes passing through various villages and it was quite pleasant.

The sun became warm and then hot quite early and we continued walking until around 11:00am (from a 6:20 am start) before we found a cafe to rest in and take a cold drink and a boots-off break.

And then we weren’t far from our destination and as we rounded a bend we had an impressive view over the ancient city of Coimbra.

And as we got closer I could see the great aqueduct that had been sliced in two in order to run a major road through it. What sacrilege! As we were passing alongside it I could see that the waterway had been enclosed, I would have assummed that there would be an open channel of water (not any more, of course, because it would now just flow directly onto the traffic below!

There is a very steep descent into the city, which was quite hard on the feet and knees. Still high above the the town centre we passed the convent of Santa Clara. It is an impressive building and we went inside to take a look. The church was very decorative, with the remains of the first queen of Portugal, Santa Isabel who died in 1336 (if I remember correctly) encased in a crystal and silver tomb. But it was the cloister that took my breath away – a beautiful and peaceful area where I could happily have stayed in the cool of the arched walkways for the rest of the day.

There is a very newly opened albergue within the convent, with 8 beds for 8 euros per night. We had decided we would rather stay in the city so that we could explore without having to worry about the steep climb back to the convent and the early lock up.

We called into the tourist information office to enquire about available inexpensive accommodation and settled upon the ‘Residencial Larbelo’. A twin room cost us 35 euros, and it is a lovely room right in the heart of the city. We have a balcony overlooking the mighty Mondego river and down onto the lively street below. Excellent value for such a very good position.

That balcony on the top floor is ours!

The views from our bedroom window

After showering we set out to discover the streets of this university city, and found that we were once again in cake heaven, although I resisted the temptation for the time being. We strolled around the narrow cobbled streets, climbing steep hills, and came across the cathedral where we were offered a carimbo for our credencials. There are lovely carvings and magnificent doorways and artworks wherever you look.

An innovative way to recycle jeans into flower pots.

We took the advice of the receptionist and had an excellent meal for next to nothing and then watched a Fado show, consisting of a guitarist, a lute player and three singers – all male. Most entertaining, except that finally late nights and early mornings are catching up with me and I felt myself nodding off during the performance. Definitely time for bed!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Carimbo, Coimbra, Condeixa a Nova, fado, Mondego river, Portugal, Santa Clara convent, travel | 15 Comments

Day 11, Alvorge to Condeixa a Nova, 26.5 km

Posted on 12/05/2014 by magwood

12 May 2014

After my early rise this morning, we were off by 6:30 am, into very misty and quite cold wether. I put on my thin gloves for the first time and had my full compliment of fleece with sleeves well and truly zipped in. We decided to take the road for the first few km’s as the track did a lot of zig-zagging and we saved ourselves a bit of distance on the road. But once we changed to the track there were more photo opportunities.

There was much excitement in the magwood vicinity this morning. I have spent the first ten days of this camino cursing my camera. First, because the on/off button is in a counter-intuitive position and every time I went to take a snap, I pressed the off button. Very frustrating – and I never remembered from one time to the next, although I have virtually mastered the finger position at last. Secondly, as my new camera is an upgrade to a similar model as my last one, I assumed that all would be the same (apart from the new wifi facility I now have) and didn’t RTFM. Consequently I have been totally frustrated by not being able to work out how to get it to use a macro focus, all my close up shots have been pot luck with lots of failed attempts at a crisp close focus (added to the on/off button fiasco, you can imagine that on occasion I got a little annoyed).

Joy of joys, today all that has changed. This morning I (accidentally) worked out what I need to do to get a macro shot. I was very happy and progress along the dew filled hedgerows as very slow, as I stopped every couple of yards when I spied a new photo-op.

Here are some I am most proud of – no grid for these – they deserve to shine in their individual glory.

Ok, enough bragging. At least I can say ‘a fall comes before pride’.

This morning’s breakfast was slightly more healthy – I added a tiny melon to my morning indulgence of pastry, and after a break at 8km we continued on as the sun burned away the mist and the day became quite hot.

Not so much road walking today, and a variety of paths, mostly through farmland with some woods thrown in for good measure. For quite a while we were walking on a very narrow track, just wide enough for one foot in front of the other and that is quite a strain – I felt as though I had been accused of being drunk (who, me?) and I was walking the white line to prove I was sober!

We reached the roman ruins at Conimbriga and spent an hour or so wandering around, marvelling at the astonishing mosaics (eat your hearts out Divas!) and the vastness of the site (having dumped our packs behind the counter at reception).

We then continued to the medium sized town of Condeixa a Nova where we have ensconced ourselves at Residencial Ruinas. I have to say that the name is quite apt (and not because of its proximity to the roman ruins!) 30 euros for a twin room with dingy ensuite. The place is extremely dated and if I am to be honest (and use another good old West Country word) a bit minging. Sorry, but I can’t lie, if it was 20 euros I might forgive the place, but we have a bed and that is about as positive as I can be. We also have a parrot who repeatedly squarks ‘hola’ in a very high pitch, followed immediately by another ‘hola’ in a deeper tone. At least the parrot got us giggling after about the thirtieth performance. Hopefully someone will put a cloth over his cage tonight and he won’t keep us entertained into the wee small hours.

Dinner has been very good, at a restaurant called el Cabrita (I think). I ate goat meat (cabra) which was cooked to perfection and served with a very palatable half litre jug of wine. And then another half litre (who, me?). A most pleasant evening spent with a very good new best friend!

Our distance today includes the sightseeing stop at Conimbriga.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Alvorge, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Condeixa a Nova, Conimbriga, dew drops, Mosaic, Portugal, roman ruins, travel | 30 Comments

Day 10, extra

Posted on 12/05/2014 by magwood

I forgot to mention that the church albergue In Alvorge is ‘donativo’ whereby you donate a sum if you wish. It is very generous of the church to give over the basement of this building to pilgrims and I am very appreciative. However I have just spent the most uncomfortable night I can remember. The mattresses are wrapped in very heavy gauge plastic – so thick that it suppresses flexibility, and every time you move a muscle it makes a lot of noise. I couldn’t remain in bed beyond 5am and I am now sitting in a side room, wrapped in my silk liner and fleece sleeves writing this. Hopefully the others will wake by 6am and I can get my stuff packed up.

I hate to be negative in the face of such generosity, but they need to do something about the mattresses, hopefully if more people use this new facility then they will have the funds to provide proper mattress covers. If no-one in control of the albergue has slept on the beds, they wouldn’t realise there was a problem – or maybe it is only I who have the problem and others haven’t found it to be uncomfortable. I shall check with Elly and the Scottish woman who is also here for their opinions……….

……OK, after consultation between the three of us, we have decided that the plastic covers are the packaging with which the mattresses arrived on purchase (it’s only been open since November 2013). I think the caretaker didn’t bother to take them off, and no pilgrim has taken the initiative to do so – including us! They are probably taking bets with each new pilgrim as to whether or not this one will have the gumption to remove the plastic!

Writing my blog last night was a slight challenge because I had the constant assistance of the distracting but delightful Leonor (Vitor’s adorable six year old daughter) who did not move from my side and her little finger was hovering at all times, ready to tap the button on my ipad to make the photo grids and insert them in the post. She is quite the brightest little girl I have ever met (apart from my own daughters, of course).

Alvorge is a very pretty town (population including several outlying hamlets 1,300) that hasn’t been spoilt by ugly modern buildings. The photo of Vitor in the previous post was taken outside the original albergue. I paid just 6 euros for my delicious meal including probably half a bottle of wine, and a huge complimentary glass of local herb liquor. The dinner was served with a couple of slices of local sheep’s cheese, which was very mild and wet. Vitor is obviously very proud of his area and kept popping over to the table to tell us about the cheese, and the olive oil produced by his sister. He is quite the nicest man.

I was still in the process of publishing my blog when the cafe was locked up last night, but I was able to get a wifi signal outside, so I stood on the doorstep for 20 minutes or so until all was done. When I walked the 300 metres back to the albergue at about 9:30pm there was absolutely no sign of life either on the streets or any lights inside the houses, and luckily I returned to find my washing (every item of walking clothes) was more or less dry.

As I was a bit distracted with Leonor yesterday evening, I forgot to include a few photos, so here goes…..

In the pine woods we walked through yesterday there were many trees that had been tapped to collect the sap. After a quick google, it seems there are many uses, including glue, sealant, fuel, it’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. I have no idea if this is true, but I do know that if you get it on your clothes they will be ruined.

We have also seen a few properties with what I presume is a Star of David etched into the render or painted. Can anyone enlighten me about this?

I have been asked in a comment about washroom facilities on the way. Luckily I am blessed (and long may it last) with a strong bladder and can go long stretches without the need for a pee. I obviously take advantage of the wc at any cafe we stop in, but other than that I have not (so far) had to use the ‘off trail’ facilities. I think I ‘glow’ so much (glow – as in ladies glow, gentlemen perspire and horses sweat) that I don’t have much excess fluid. But there are plenty of opportunities to go behind a bush if necessary. It is not a crowded route and there is not likely to be anyone passing by.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Alvorge, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, pine sap, Portugal, Star of david, travel | 13 Comments

day 10, Alvaiazere to Alvorge 25.5 km

Posted on 11/05/2014 by magwood

Our host in Alvaiazere, Carlos tells us that by next year he hopes to have opened a restaurant below the albergue. He is extremely kind and it would be great if he was supported in his venture. The albergue, which is easy to find alongside the church, has been opened in a property that was a home and is a series of sleeping rooms with a shower room and a kitchen. Our room was twin bedded and very comfortable, if a little dated. I guess they will update as finance allows, but I would commend using this albergue in order to support his efforts.

We left the rather uninteresting town of Alvaiazere at about 6:45 am and as usual at this time, the place was deserted. We set off on a minor road and after a couple of km’s we were on a quiet path. There was heavy cloud and again a cool gusty wind, and these conditions remained until about 11 am, when the sun broke through and warmed us up.

I am finding my system of wearing just the sleeves from my zip-off fleece tucked into my T-shirt sleeves is working well for me again this year. I don’t want to wear a full jacket as I get too hot when walking, but with just the sleeves I can pull them up and down (just like the tart’s knickers!) until it is time to dispense with them for the day. Then if I need some warmth in the evening, I zip the sleeves back in and I have a cosy jacket.

Today has been totally fabulous. The walking has been almost entirely on beautiful countryside and forest paths, and the roads that we have walked on have been pretty much traffic free (I guess because it is Sunday) with lots of beautiful flowers and mostly through oak woods, which is so much nicer than eucalyptus. There were small farms amongst the trees with olive groves and vineyards

To make it even more special we stopped for a hot drink after 14 km at Ansião, where we found cake heaven on the corner of the main square. We were concerned that any cafés might be closed on a Sunday morning, but this place (Pasteleria Diogo) was buzzing. I ordered four, yes four, pastries, but I hasten to add that they were tiny, and when I finished them I ordered four more, yes, you read that correctly – four more, exactly the same selection as previously – two extra thin Florentines made of cornflakes, flaked almonds and bound with sticky toffee stuff, and two cherry topped coconut delights. I can assure you that all four only added up to the equivalent of one pastel de nata (honestly – you have to believe me, I am a pilgrim!). To save arguing with the lovely young woman behind the counter I even ordered a coffee with plenty of milk and almost enjoyed it.

We sat outside in the square watching the children from the town entering the church for Sunday school, and it was one of those perfect moments.

We eventually tore ourselves away from our haven of sweetness and set off again on even more delightful paths. The signage has been brilliant today, even a very short sighted person without specs would have found it difficult to get lost on this section. I took so many photos of the paths and flowers that I don’t know where to start with uploading.

However, I have vowed to never again coupie down (coupie down is apparently West Country slang for crouching – and I always thought it was best queen’s english!) to take a photo of a ground level plant after having a rather ungainly experience when attempting to get back up. It’s hard enough to get up from such a position even when unencumbered by an 8 kilo pack. I attempted to use my poles to give me some leverage, but alas I was doomed and suddenly found myself in the middle of the track, on my back with my arms and legs flailing helplessly in the air. I felt like an upturned turtle trying to right itself. The path was rough gravel and I didn’t want to hurt my hands in my ridiculous manoeuvring, so put my poles on the ground alongside me and rested my hands on them to get the necessary leverage – which was quite considerable. Luckily Elly was too far behind me to catch any of this on camera, but it will stay fresh in my mind for some time to come!

The rest of the walk was just as delightful and we received a few ‘bom viajes’ from locals and even some ‘bom caminhos’ from some cyclists. After a short sit down on a strategically placed rock, we sauntered the last 5 km into Alvorge. We were looking for the Cafe da Sua Vida where we were instructed we could ask for a key to the church-run albergue. For your information, the cafe is situated to your right immediately you enter the town square. We managed not to see it and the next thing we knew, a man was running after us asking if we wanted a carimbo for our credentials, whereby we followed him back to the cafe. His wife speaks good English and after establishing that we wanted to stay at the albergue, she phoned the key holder who said she would be about 30 minutes. In the time we were waiting (and drinking a glass or two of wine) – about an hour, the cafe had gone from empty to full of smiling villagers.

The owners’ 6 year old daughter Leonor showed us the guest book which was full of appreciative comments and when the key lady turned up Vitor and I piled into her car to be driven the couple of hundred metres to the albergue and given a guided tour. The accommodation is in the basement of the church hall which is an imposing building behind the pretty church. There are 8 beds, two showers and a loo, with use of kitchen facilities on an upper floor. I was handed the key and asked to leave it on the table when we left.

Then Vitor and I walked back to the cafe during which time I was given an excellent guided tour of the pretty and very peaceful town.

Everything here seems delightful and we have ordered dinner in the cafe for 7pm. We are very lucky to be so well cared for by such charming and friendly people. Thank you to the residents of Alvorge!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese | 25 Comments

day 9, Tomar to Alvaiazere, 34.75 km

Posted on 10/05/2014 by magwood

10 May 2014

The hostel in Tomar is quite new, and we stayed in a pilgrims’ dormitory with four sets of bunks. The beds are very stable (not rickety and creaky like so many, with new orthopaedic mattresses, and we were provided with crisp bed linen. It is located directly in the centre of the town and I would highly recommend it. Hostel 2300 Tomar, +351 927 444 144

We were joined in the dormitory by a Dutch woman, a Swedish woman who lives in Australia, a Spanish and a French man, and another woman who I didn’t speak to and I don’t know where she is from, and the two German guys we have met from time to time were staying in the hostel but not in our room. They had made a diversion to Fatima the day before. Three of the guys in our room are seriously considering taking a hop and skip by public transport to Porto to rest for a few days and hopefully revive sufficiently to continue from there. Problems include badly swollen feet, tendinitis, and a fall that caused a badly bruised knee and a dislodged big toenail.

I was last to bed (as usual) and was pleased to see that the two sets of French windows had been left open to give plenty of fresh air. There is often a bit of a tussle over windows, but all seemed to be in harmony last night. Before I managed to drop off there were loud voices and much giggling drifting up from the street, and for some reason the group responsible had decided to plant themselves directly below our window. It went on for a long time, during which I considered getting up and chucking a bottle of water over them. I discovered this morning that Elly (and probably everyone else in the room) was harbouring the same thoughts.

This morning we had options at the beginning of tody’s walk – by road (recommended in wet weather) or by riverside track (for the summer months).

We opted for the riverside walk through a forested area, which was beautiful. Lots more lovely flowers today, including an orchid(?) that I have not seen before, foxgloves which are always a delight and remind me of (UK) home, and a tiny-flowered wild honeysuckle. Lots of people report getting lost in the eucalyptus forest, but the signage has been improved, except for a stretch when I was not at all sure if we were going the right way, but eventually we came across an arrow at an intersection of tracks, so all was well.

I have been considering the significance of the yellow arrows in relation to other walks of life, and have come up with the following analogy. As a parent, when out at what you consider to be a secure place, you sometimes relax and don’t keep a constant eye on the children. Suddenly you remember your parental role and glance up to reassure yourself that they are where they should be, but you can’t see them and a minor panic sets in. You know they must be safely around somewhere close by and keep calm, but a definite concern is bubbling under the surface. Just when you are really starting to worry, they suddenly appear in front of you, where you knew they were all the time. Well, that feeling of relief is how it feels when an arrow appears where you knew it should be but were not 100% confident that you were on the right track.

We walked a short way on quiet country roads and stopped after 9 km for a hot drink, and I joined Elly and ordered a pastel de nata to set me up for the morning. We had passed some walkers going in the opposite direction and there was a group of 6 or 7 in the cafe. It didn’t occur to us until later that these were pilgrims on their way to Fatima, where there is a special celebration in the next couple of days.

The Portuguese love their gardens and it is an absolute delight to wander through the tiny villages and bigger towns and peer over their walls. However it is not usually necessary to look over the wall as the abundance of flowers, especially roses, are not contained in the garden but flow over the wall in a riot of colour. They also tend their allotments with regimental precision, all the veggies in neat rows and standing to attention.

Although we walked on some roads today, perhaps 50:50 road to track, all were quiet with very little traffic. We stopped in a forest after 17 km for a boots off and foot inspection break. I was a little concerned that I had a bit of a ‘hotspot’ on my heel and applied a bit of tape. Whoever said the Portuguese route was flat, has been lying. Today we encountered many hills and were up and down more often than a tart’s knickers!

We found a lovely meadow to sit down and eat our lunch, but by the time we had passed through the long grass to a shady tree, I looked down and saw what I am sure was a tick on my trousers, so I hot footed it back out again and made a thorough inspection to ensure I wasn’t carrying any passengers. 500 metres further on, we found a tiny hamlet with a tiny church and we sat on the steps in the shade and ate our provisions.

We then had an interminable slog along the road with absolutely no shade and we were getting concerned at our diminishing water levels. It had been cool and cloudy when we set off, but by 10:30 the sun had burned the cloud away and it was hot, albeit tempered by a gusty breeze. By mid afternoon it was very hot and we were both on the last dregs of our water supply with at least another 5 km to walk. There were no bars to top up and no fountains, and no one around to ask, until we eventually saw a couple of elderly ladies sitting in their garden and we asked them for a top up. We were given cold water from the fridge by the lady of the house which tasted like nectar, and we attempted to chat for a few minutes with her mother and aunt, both in their mid eighties. They were happy to pose for this photo.

The last section went on forever, and we were definitely flagging. Just when we thought our destination should be coming into sight, the camino was cut in half by major roadworks – literally. There was a traffic diversion indicated but we didn’t fancy how many unknown km’s that might entail, so we scrambled over the bank and down onto the red clay below and picked our way to the road, from where it was just a kilometre or so to the albergue. We are staying at Albergaria Pinheiros where the accommodation is in separate rooms – we have a twin room with bedding and towels for 10 euros each. Our host and his mother are very helpful and kind – to the extent that when I asked where I could get a glass of wine, he sent his mother to fetch me one from his own supply. How’s that for service!

Just to give some appreciation that not all tiled buildings are equal, this has to be one of the worst examples of the many very ugly square boxes of houses that are tiled in hideous patterns.

Today was a hard walk, even though a lot of it was through beautiful countryside and charming villages. We have no major problems. My blister is well on the mend and I didn’t get any new ones today. There seem to be more people falling by the wayside on this route than I experienced on the Frances route. Maybe because it is flatter people are walking harder and putting too much strain on their feet. I am glad I have Elly to pace me and keep me out of trouble. We are getting on really well, and we even laugh at each other’s jokes – what more could you ask of a friend?

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Alvaiazere, Blisters, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Portugal, Portuguese gardens, Tomar, travel, Ugly tiles | 20 Comments

Day 8, Atalaia to Tomar, 21 km

Posted on 09/05/2014 by magwood

We didn’t go out to supper last night, but ate provisions we had bought earlier. Señora – Luiza, came to talk to us and it was discovered that one of Elly’s relations had the same (Croatian) surname as some of our host’s family. There was great excitement and Elly is now invited to a family get together to be held here at the beginning of June. How amazing!

It is also amazing that members of Luiza’s extended family own the Quinta da Cardiga. And if we had gone out for supper, we probably wouldn’t have learned that fascinating information. I asked about the palm tree in the garden that was possibly hundreds of years old. She told us that there had been five other palms planted around the towering central one, but that as they grew they cut out all light from the upper floor of the house. She gifted them to the local authority who came and dug them up and re-sited them in the town. They are all thriving, whilst her magnificent example has been wiped out by the palm beetle. She said that she and her husband cried when they realised what had happened, but that they have since come to terms with it – all living thigs have to die sometime!

It occurs to me that I haven’t come across any other English pilgrims yet. We have met with Germans (3), Irish (4), American (3), Australian (5 including Elly), Dutch (2), spanish (1), Portuguese (4, but they may have been going to Fatima), French (1). I wonder how much longer that will last.

Today’s walk started at 6:45am through a eucalyptus plantation. I have just looked up on Wikipedia what the wood is used for –

In continental Portugal, the Azores and the North of Spain (especially in the provinces of Cantabria, Vizcaya, Asturias, andGalicia) numerous oak forests have been replaced with eucalyptus, which are farmed for pulpwood, with severe effects on wildlife and the regional environments. Most of the wildfires that have raged the Iberian Peninsula in recent years have taken place in plantations of eucalyptus rather than in the more humid indigenous woods that are left.

There were terrible fires in this area last year and some firefighters lost their lives in trying to control them (I have researched, but could not find the number involved). It seems that arson was the cause. The results are here to be seen, including a burned out fire engine abandoned in the forest.

This part of the camino has been difficult to negotiate in the past because the nature of the eucalyptus is to shed its bark, so any markings painted onto tree trunks eventually disappear. However thanks to the guardians of the Portuguese route, an organisation called ‘Via Lusitania’ a new programme of permanent marking has been undertaken and it is now difficult to go wrong.

The walk was very pleasant, if a little windy, with strong gusts keeping us cool. There is an abundance of beautiful wild flowers in the forest, most of which are familiar, but some are new to me. It was quite difficult to take photos in such gusty weather, but I managed a few.

Some pine trees had also been burned and showed no sign of life, but the eucalyptus were sprouting new shoots from the base. Some of the land had been felled and there were piles of thin logs dotted around the area.

I came cross a dog in the forest, sleeping in a pile of dumped rubbish on a foam mattress. It ran off when it saw me approach, but I stopped and tore my breakfast roll in half and left it for his return.

After about 9 km we reached the small village of Asseiceira where we stopped for a hot drink, and once I persuaded the barman that I did actually want just hot water, no tea bag, no lemon…… I got it free of charge.

There followed a variety of tracks and minor roads and a stretch on a very fast through road with heavy speeding traffic, and then we peeled off along a very narrow track which was quite hard work to walk on, and then alongside a railway line, until we eventually rejoined the main road into Tomar. We realised that we had been taken around three sides of a rectangle in order to get us off the highway, although we would probably have preferred the highway to the extra km’s!

We are both looking forward to exploring Tomar, which is a major Templar town, with magnificent castle and beautiful streets of ancient properties.

We first visited the 500 year old synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Portugal with a really interesting history, and then made our way up high above the town to the castle. Unfortunately we were too late to gain entry inside the doors of the castle, but we were free to roam around the grounds for a while until all were ushered out by the bell-ringing attendant. It was worth the steep climb on weary feet to see such a marvel.

Back down in the town we stopped by the main square where we looked inside the 13th century church and I caught a timely photo of the founder of Tomar, Don Gualdim Pais, with the sun behind his head, making him look rather holy.

Then we bought supplies for the long slog tomorrow and found a restaurant for dinner. When my first hot meal in two days arrived at the table I thought that I would never get through it, but the only thing left after twenty minutes was a bit of raw onion. I hadn’t realised how hungry I was.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Atalaia, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, eucalyptus plantation, Gualdim Pais, Portugal, Portuguese forest fires, Templar castle, Templar knights, Tomar, Tomar synagogue, travel | 18 Comments

Day 7, Golegã to Atalaia, 13 km

Posted on 08/05/2014 by magwood

8 May 2014

Golegã seemed a slightly strange town. Full of very grand houses within the centre of the town, mostly with large plots containing lots of outbuildings and beautiful gardens, but with virtually no sign of life, either last evening or at 7-ish this morning. I think we only saw two people as we walked more than a kilometre out of town. It is an area famous for horse breeding, but I have seen almost no sign of horses, although there are many street signs and house plaques alluding to them.

I had a simple meal of chicken and chips last night at the Cafe Central, situated on the main square, washed down with a bottle of sparkling wine – most acceptable!

We made a leisurely start this morning because today is equivalent to a day off. Only 13 km because we have decided to split the next stage into two legs, so that we have time tomorrow to look around the Templar city of Tomar.

More road walking to begin the day. No shoulder to walk on, but a quiet road. But the problem with quiet roads is that the traffic zooms past at terrific speed. It’s not so bad when the vehicles are approaching only from one direction because there is sufficient room for them to pull out round you, but on the odd occasion when vehicles pass from both directions at the same time, then get ready to head for the hedges. There isn’t much room for miscalculation.

This morning was quite chilly, overcast with a strong, cool wind. Good walking weather (slightly better with a blue sky and less wind – but who’s complaining?)

Road walking without a shoulder is uncomfortable as well as potentially dangerous. Where the road cambers (slopes) towards the edge, it puts a strain on the outside tendons of the foot because of the downward angle it is forced to take. And it is necessary always to walk facing the traffic, so it is always the same foot that suffers.

It would also help to put a spring in the step if I could listen to music during road walking, but it is so important to hear when traffic is approaching from behind, that I don’t dare plug in.

After about 5km we came, to a small village and I found a bench to sit on so that I could check on an odd feeling on my right heel. Couldn’t see anything, but put some tape on just in case!

A short distance further and we came to the amazing virtually abandoned Quinta da Cardiga. Back in 1169 the first king of Portugal donated the land to the Templar Knights. The buildings, many in complete ruin, cover a huge area and are fascinating in their dilapidated state. The main house seems to be maintained and the surrounding plantings are kept in order. It is built on the banks of the river Tejo and there is a sandy beach to the side of the house. We saw an elderly man wondering in the grounds and chatted to him for a while, he asked us where we came from and was very impressed when Elly told him she was from Australia. I asked if he lived in the house and he said yes, but I can’t be sure he understood the question. He walked towards the main door, and just as I had decided to ask him if we might be able to have a peek inside, the door closed behind him, and our chance was gone.

We spent quite some time drinking in the calm and beauty of the place – a little piece of heaven!

On our way once again, we walked on farm tracks for a while. The sun had come out and the sky had cleared to a bright blue. I saw these egrets hitching a ride with some sheep who were too busy munching grass to take any notice.

Just one flower offering for you again today, this tiny wild rose bud that I spotted in the hedgerow at ground level. There are lots of wild roses growing here and they are beautiful, sometimes a complete wall of roses rising to 3 or 4 metres and sometimes a lonely bud like this one, but all of them absolutely beautiful.

I stopped to take a photo of the clearing sky but didn’t realise that I had caught some birds in the pic. Looking at the photo I first thought they were storks because they are so big, but on closer inspection they are obviously not – more like some large bird of prey – any offers??

So after 13 short kilometres we arrived at the village of Atalaia and are staying in a mansion house which has special pilgrims’ rates of 20 euros per person for a twin room with ensuite, beautiful garden with small swimming pool. The property is 500 years old and is the family home of señora who welcomed us when we arrived. The windows all have beautiful curtains with handmade lace edgings and there is much interesting period furniture and knick-knacks. Unfortunately a busy road runs immediately in front of the property, the once towering and glorious palm tree at the entrance has been seen off by the palm beetle, there is a monstrosity of a building erected in the garden which seems to be used for functions and probably weddings, and there is some building work taking place at the moment, erecting a new covered terrace. The room is very comfortable and we have use of communal areas.

Check out this link if you want to see photos
http://www.casadopatriarca.com/en/galeria/

I made the most of the sunshine this afternoon and laid out on the lawn to see if I couldn’t do something about diminishing the sleeve lines I have developed on my upper arms.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Atalaia, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Goléga, long distance hiking, Portuguese route, Quinta da Cardiga, travel, wild roses | 23 Comments

day 6, Santarém to Golegã, 36 km

Posted on 07/05/2014 by magwood

Yesterday evening we took the advice of Aurélio, our new friend from Lisbon, and ordered for dinner sopa do osso, a soup consisting of pork bones, sausage, (and unidentifiable bits of meat), with cabbage, potatoes and some beans. It was lovely but came in a huge tureen that we could only half finish, but it was delicious – certainly walkers’ food. Aurelio had also recommended some almond cakes that Elly scoured the town to procure – and returned triumphant – excellent advice from one who knows.

We bade the lovely Mario at Santarém Hostel a fond farewell as we were planning an early start, and we were actually on our way at 6:02 am. It was fairly dark, but luckily we knew where the first arrow was located and we walked through this lovely town to the ‘Portas do Sol’ and made our way down a steep and uneven track to be greeted at the bottom by the lovely sight of the sun rising over the Rio Tejo.

It was a lovely fresh morning with a cool breeze and and a good covering of cloud.

We were soon walking on farm tracks, wandering through vineyards and then we had a few km’s on a quiet road. We have seen a few more pilgrims walking today and were passed by the American couple who we met in Lisbon who started a day after us (I was rather taken aback when he stopped in the outskirts of a village only a few metres in front of me and peed against a wall, not really what I would expect from a mature civilised pilgrim).

We had our first break on reaching the village of Vale de Figueira after 14 km and 2.5 hours, where we popped into the first cafe for a hot drink. After walking through the village we turned towards more farmland and a plantation of young eucalyptus trees which were so pretty with their new pinkish grey leaves.

The tracks varied from nice soft sand, to uncomfortable stoney ground, to dried mud that had been deeply rutted by tractor wheels.

We have now passed through tomato territory, walked by cabbage county and the borough of broccoli and come across many new plantings of beans, of the runner or French variety, all interspersed with fields of vines. There were also vast areas of what I think were cereal crops, probably corn or maybe even sweet corn. I love to see the geometric patterns of the ploughed furrows.

We also came across two different watering systems in use, which was a surprise for the time of day, I would have expected watering to be done either very early or in the evening not at 9:00 am when the sun would soon be getting strong and evaporate the water and burn the wet leaves. Maybe someone set the timer wrongly!

Not so many flowers today, but this beautiful corn flower (I think) caught my eye.

We stopped for boots-off and a bite to eat after 20 km and I shared my breakfast roll with Elly, and lightened my load by devouring my satsumas and a delicious little sheep’s cheese that I had bought in Santarém.

There were loads of tractors out on the land and buzzing back and forth along the tracks, kicking up the dust in our faces. The ploughing attracted a lot of attention from these birds (are they egrets?) who were competing for first place in the queue to be the early birds who get the worms!

Back onto the road where we pass through Azinhaga, a very pretty town with some interesting architecture. We fancy a cold drink but don’t stop at the first cafe (as we did earlier) expecting to find a nicer one further through the town. But, you guessed it – there was none and we couldn’t be bothered to go back, so trudged on for a few more km’s until we found a place to sit off the road and watch the farmers at work whilst we took a drink and wriggled our toes. We have now covered 30 km and force ourselves to set off for the final stretch, reaching Golegã at around 4pm.

We are staying in another charming accommodation with a mixture of rooms and albergue type accommodation across the courtyard, where we have opted to take a twin room rather than the bunk bed (6) accommodation. Bunks are 10 euros, and we pay 15 euros for our room with a bathroom shared by all.

The main house is very grand with beautiful furniture and we can use the lounge if we wish. There is a lovely courtyard with a couple of dogs demanding attention. Very nice and peaceful. Hostel Solo Duro 935 640 550. I feel I am spoiling myself with the accommodation where we are staying, but then again it is still very basic, inexpensive accommodation compared to normal travel.

I have picked up a small blister today, at the base of my big toe on the ball of my left foot. I taped it early on and it doesn’t hurt much, so I hope it won’t develop into a problem.

We are planning another short day tomorrow so that we can explore some of the lovely countryside. I am glad to be with Elly who is taking the lead with these plans. If I had been walking on my own I would most likely plough on with the long 30+ km days and wear myself out. She is keeping us well-paced and it is rather nice! (And I don’t have to think too hard about any plans, which is always good as far as I am concerned.) it is good to have a travel companion, but we both know that if one of us wants to go our own way, then that will be absolutely fine.

And finally, it seems that Mr B has short changed us again. He (John Brierly that is, author of the most used English language guides for the various caminos) has stated that this stage is 31.2 km, whereas my gps states 36 km. I shall be keeping an eye on him in future!

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, Goléga, John brierly, long distance hiking, Portuguese route, Santarem, tractors, travel | 28 Comments

Day 5, Morgado to Santarém, 17 km

Posted on 06/05/2014 by magwood

After a good night’s sleep in our lovely room, we had a leisurely start when we met with Mario at 7:30 for him to deposit us back where he had collected us yesterday. And off we went, in much cooler weather – 14 degrees when we set off.

We were walking on a sandy dirt track that meandered between vast fields. After a short while we came across this Quinta, which was still in use and well maintained. Most of these properties are deserted and in danger of tumbling down.

Unfortunately I have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of dead Phoenix palms on this trip. I presume that, as in Spain, they are being attacked by the palm beetle which bores into the tree and kills it. It is such a shame to see these majestic trees completely massacred by these horrible pests, leaving a trail of destruction behind them. If you look at the palm in this photo, you can see a mechanism for spraying the crown of the tree against infestation.

We are still passing field after field of tomato plants and I can now give you the full story from delivery van to fully performing growing fields. We have seen some fields being planted by hand, but I was sure that the planting must mostly be mechanised. And today we saw how it is done. A tractor pulls a trailer that has seats for three workers to pop the baby plants into a shute. The trailer is loaded with thousands of plants in polystyrene trays and it moves very slowly along the ploughed furrows on automatic pilot, as the driver starts the engine and then jumps out and works as a quality control supervisor behind. At the same time irrigation pipe is laid down alongside the plants. The guy(s) behind check all is well, popping in an occasional missing plant and every so often covering the pipe with soil to keep it stabilised. The photos show two different gangs, the second lot of ladies gave me a cheer and a wave when they saw I was taking a photo.

I do like to know how things work!

We also passed by many fields of vines today, and had our break in a vineyard, leaning against an old finca in the shade. No boots off today though – it was all too dusty for my bare feet!

As we are returning to the same hostel this afternoon, I left some of my stuff on the bed and so had a lighter pack for a change, but still had to carry plenty of water, as there is no chance of a refill on this section. I have to say, it didn’t feel right to be travelling in a car yesterday and today. I remember last year when I got on the bus back to Santiago from Finisterre that it was the first time I had been transported by anything other than my own feet for five weeks. I shall only be able to boast of three weeks this year.

As usual, the flowers were stunning. We passed a poppy field the like of which I have never seen before. An incredible pop of colour. Absolutely fabulous.

When we were not too far from Santarém I noticed an open gate and peeped inside, and discovered a lovely cool courtyard with the most amazing wisteria growing against the wall. It was huge and obviously ancient and provided a wonderful canopy of shade. We cheekily snuk in and sat down to have a quick break. People were working in the enclosed garden beyond, but they didn’t seem to mind the intrusion.

After this it was just another half an hour or so back to the hostal, albeit a steady climb uphill. Although I shouldn’t complain, there is almost no elevation to this walk.

It was a pleasant, easy day, but I am glad we split the stage into two, it would have been very hard going to do this at the end of a long day in the very hot sun of the afternoon.

Tomorrow we are getting back to normal with a 30+ km walk to Goléga. We are planning a pre dawn departure, so not too much wine for me this evening!

Since using my gps tracker (although I have yet to remember to turn it on at the very beginning of the walk) I can see that it tells me different distances from the guide book. I am using the John Brierly guide and he seems to consistently calculate the distance short by a couple of km’s. Can gps systems lie? I am using ‘MayMyWalk’ – any feedback appreciated.

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, long distance hiking, Morgado, palm beetle, Phoenix palm, poppy fields, Portuguese route, Quinta, Santarem, tomato planting, travel | 33 Comments

day 4, Azambuja to Morgado, 19.25 km

Posted on 05/05/2014 by magwood

5 May 2014

Last evening we wandered around the pretty little town of Azambuja, where there were piles of heavy duty fences awaiting erection, which we worked out must be for a forthcoming bull run through the streets. We found an adequate restaurant and I ate what may well become my staple meal, thinly sliced loin of pork fried, with rice and a fried egg. Luckily I’m using plenty of calories to counter the intake.

We set off this morning at 6:30, with a short stop for a hot drink and for Elly to have her mandatory two pasteis de nata for breakfast, and were on the trail by 6:45. After crossing the railway line we were directed along a pretty country road with the sun rising to the left

After crossing a river we left the road for a dirt track along side the river bank.

Another forward and backward facing view from the bridge, inspired by Marianne’s “East of Málaga” blog photo challenge – take a look, it’s a really informative and interesting read http://www.eastofmalaga.net

The guide book told us to look out for the cobbles of the original Roman road, and here they are.

It was a beautiful walk, with the dew drops dripping from the cane leaves. I have to thank Elly for inspiring me to take these photos

After a few km’s the path widened and curved around vast ploughed fields and after about 5km it emerged onto a country road.

And we are now walking through tomato-land, where tiny plants have been put into the ground over what must be scores of acres, and tractors are racing up and down the road transporting yet more plants. They are planted very close together and I assume that they will have to be thinned out in a few weeks. I remember reading a blog by a guy walking at harvest time and he said the smell was amazing. We walked by what at first sight looked like a lush lawn, but on closer inspection turned out to be trays of baby tomato plants.

A little further on we came across the unexpected sight of a pen of ostriches (or could have been emus – I’m no expert on the matter). I have to say they looked a lot healthier than the poor pair that have been living beside the goat track in Cómpeta for many years – do any locals know how long they have been there?

Once again there was an abundance of pretty hedgerow flowers that I couldn’t resist snapping, and I did literally snap a piece of strongly perfumed broom and popped it under my pack strap to counteract the effects of walking in the very hot sun.

We then came to a long, long stretch of flood barrier going on for many km’s. It varied from stone built bank, sometimes patterned concrete, sometimes natural earth with pretty flowers and most of the time it was possible to walk along the top of the barrier, some 4 metres high, with a lovely view over the river Tejo on one side and a great vantage point to look out over the fields on the other.

We had a boots-off break after 10 km and sat down in the shade provided by the flood barrier and ate the roll that I had bought in the cafe before we set off. The rustic bread had tomato and pepperoni baked inside it – very tasty!

There were so many interesting sights today. The river, the guys harvesting cabbages, a stork with its chick (or possibly it’s mate) on top of a dead palm tree, the majestic gates to the quintas.

But it was very hot, with almost no opportunity for shade and we were glad that we had arranged with the owner of the hostel in Santarem to collect us from Morgado, where he will return us in the morning to finish this stage of the walk. We didn’t want to trek this last stretch into the town in the feirce heat of the afternoon, and we arrived to the beautifully presented hostel at about 1pm.

As I’ve probably already mentioned, the first part of the camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Porto has very long stages without options for accommodation between. Several of the hostel operators along the way have set up a ‘pick and drop’ service, whereby pilgrims can arrange to be collected mid stage and taken to a hostel, and then dropped back where they left off the next day. In this way the long stages become more manageable and pilgrims can walk every step of the way without over stretching themselves. A few good people have worked hard to set this service up, and Laurie Reynolds has produced a useful document to explain the options. You can see it here. This service will make the first part of the CP accessible to many more people.

I have discovered this evening, from a pilgrim who is sharing our room, that there is actually an option to stay overnight in the middle of this current stage, in a Quinta for a cost of 20 euros. If we had known this we would have stayed here. I will endeavour to get details and post later.

Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying at Hostel Santarem, hosted by Mario who collected us this afternoon. It is a beautiful place with really comfortable and stylish rooms. There is a great deal of communal space with lounge, kitchen and extensive courtyard with hand or machine washing facilities, and all areas are decorated with thought provoking original art work. I would highly recommend a stay here, you won’t be disappointed, and Santarem is a characterful town, population 50,000, with pedestrianised old quarter. Take a look at Mario’s website here. Mario and his wife often drive the last portion of this stage to check for flagging pilgrims and to offer water on this otherwise completely dry journey. Don’t hesitate to telephone if you have a problem (+351) 965 832 702.

I am surprised to say there are many pilgrims walking at the moment. We are sharing a room with a Swiss woman who lives in the USA, also here are a Dutch and Australian woman walking together who met a couple of years’ ago on the Frances route, and Martin from Ireland. There are four spanish or Portuguese guys from last night and we came across a couple of German guys today, and the American couple we met on our first day – so not nearly as lonesome as I anticipated. Excellent news for the hostel owners en-Route.

Just shared a lovely dinner with the Dutch/Aussie girls. It’s a shame they will be walking ahead tomorrow whilst we will be going back. But that is the way with the camino – friendships made, company enjoyed, and move on to the next experience.

Gosh, these posts are getting longer and longer. There is so much to show and tell. I have found it a bit quicker to upload photos on the grid, so will probably do more of this in future. How does it work for you?

Posted in Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Camino Portuguese | Tagged Azambuja, Camino blog, Camino de Santiago blog, Camino de Santiago., camino Portuguese, emus, Flood defences, long distance hiking, Ostriches, Portuguese route, Santarem, Tejo river, tomatoes, travel | 58 Comments

day 2, Parque Nações, Lisbon to Vilafranca de Xira 31.7 km

Posted on 03/05/2014 by magwood

3 May 2014

Not a good night for sleeping. Preacher lady was rustling around searching for something at odd times during the night and lovely Portuguese girl wasn’t quite so lovely when she returned to the room at 3am. I was up at 6am and found that Elly was more or less ready to leave. By the time I had sorted myself out, we left at 6:45 and headed for the Vasco da Gama tower, built for the Expo 98 exhibition, and then along the riverside and under the Vasco da Gama bridge, which at 17.2 km is the longest bridge in Europe. The sun was rising and the effect was quite lovely.

Vasco de Gama tower

Vasco de Gama bridge

After this pleasant riverside walk for about 4km we arrived at the town of Sacavém and spied a cafe for some breakfast. We were very well looked after by Odete the proprietor, who produced the best toast ever and insisted I have a tea bag in my hot water. It was easier to submit to the tea bag than try to convince her that I actually prefer just hot water. I always have problems getting hot water, and am always offered tea or lemon or sugar. I just want the simple option but every cafe owner thinks I am mad. Anyway I took a photo of Odete and told her I would tell other pilgrims about her lovely service. The cafe is ‘Gruta do Trancão, tel 219 416 572, and is situated about 50 meters along the left side of the river at Sacavém

After our pitstop we crossed to the other side of the river and followed a delightful path bordered with lovely wild spring flowers. In places the path turned into a muddy bog and we had to negotiate our way around or through it, but generally it was dry and fairly easy under foot.

The camino Portuguese shares the route from Lisbon with the Fatima pilgrimage as far as Santarem, so there are double signs along the way, yellow for us and blue for Fatima.

We took a ‘boots-off’ break after about 13 km and phoned ahead to book accommodation in Vilafranca de Xira. The next section of walk was varied between country paths and minor roads, mostly very pleasant. We then joined another riverside path, this time on a raised boardwalk through lush green marshland. It was very hot by now and this long walk had no shade whatsoever and nowhere to take a rest, but we soldiered on (didn’t have much choice really) until we reached the town of Alverca do Ribatejo where we had to enter the station, take the elevator over the railway lines and back down the other side. We stopped for lunch here and discretely removed our boots and socks under the table.

After lunch was a bit of a slog. It was very hot and we now had to walk through some industrial areas (that were deserted, it being Saturday) and then out onto the busy N10 main road. No pavements, just a narrow hard shoulder, but I didn’t feel under threat from the passing traffic. Elly and I are walking at different paces. I am faster, which is ok because I can have a rest every now and then to let her catch up. When we saw a small patch of grass shaded by a palm tree just off the road, we decided to take a break and rested our heads on our packs for 20 minutes’ shut-eye. The trouble is, you don’t really feel refreshed after resting, just stiff when you set off again because your muscles have tightened up. I was feeling very tired by now but the last 4 km of today’s walk were once again alongside the river on a paved path which was very well used by locals who were out walking, cycling and roller skating.

We arrived at our accommodation at about 6pm. Pensáo Ribatejana, tel 263 272 991, email hotel.xira@live.com is set in a large period property above a restaurant of the same name and has a variety of accommodation including small mixed dorms and twin bedrooms. Our charming host Mariano has recently bought the business and is doing his utmost to please his guests. He couldn’t be more helpful, escorting us to a restaurant and explaining the menu and showing me where the supermarket is.

As there was already a pilgrim in the dorm, Elly opted to go for a twin room because she wanted to ensure a peaceful night to catch up on sleep. I just hope I don’t let myself down by snoring louder than the pilgrim in the dorm! The shared dorm is 10 euros, a twin room is 25 euros and we get a special rate of 6 euros for dinner at the restaurant across the road. And Mariano has put our laundry in the machine so that I can have some clean clothes for tomorrow.

We are planning to break up the next few days’ long stages and will take a short stroll of about 18 km tomorrow.

Our special priced restaurant closed early so we ended up at a different one and had a meal of grilled cuttlefish (complete with the cuttle!)