Greg's Wanderings

Author: Greg H

  • Day 9 – Sept 19 – Alvorge to Coimbra

    Day 9 – Sept 19 – Alvorge to Coimbra

    Last night’s hostel wasn’t the quietest of accommodations. Karen, the Austrian, left at four this morning and was extremely stealthy getting out the door. I can’t say the same for others who began wrestling around sometime between 430 and five. By 530. I decided there was no more sleep to be had and got up.

    I took my belongings out to the terrace so I could pack without disturbing the few remaining sleepers. Sherry and John were out packing up at the same time as well. 

    With the aid of my headlamp, I headed out of town and down fairly steep rocky gully that was the exit from Alvorge. 

    Today is supposed to be the last day of the heat wave but like yesterday there are some scattered clouds and so far the sun has yet to really become an issue.  As I’m typing this segment, it’s nearing 10 AM and I’m stopping for my 15 km break. 

    I always carry two water bottles with me and left Alvorge with both full. I drained the first as I was entering the small village of Zambujal.  I decided to go into town to look for a Mercado or a bar where I could buy some additional water. Just, as I rounded the corner into town, there was a public fountain. The Camino provides! 

    Another 6.7 km from where I’m currently resting is an ancient Roman city called Coninbriga.  There is a museum there and ruins that you can tour. I am going to make a detour and visit them.

    My goal for today is to make it to Coimbra, where most of my friends are also planning to be tonight. At nearly 40 km from my starting point, I plan to take a bus or an Uber once I get to mid afternoon. 25K for the day is plenty for me.

    The ruins of Coninbriga were amazing.   22 Centuries old and yet mosaic tile floors were still intact in many places.  The adjacent museum had interesting displays of the various relics found on site. 

    I walked another 4km past the ruins, but my energy was simply tapped out.  I’m really looking forward to the dramatic shift in the forecast starting tomorrow.  

    Hopping into my Uber ride was a bit of a shock after moving at a walking speed for days.  We were going so FAST.  I peaked over at the speedometer but we were just doing the posted speed.  It’s funny how you adjust to a new pace. 

    With only a sliver moon and Venus for natural light, a headlamp was essential this morning.
    Energy break leaning up against an ancient olive tree.
    An old wind mill (without the sails). Likely used for pressing olives.
    Grape harvest under way. This guy was feeding buckets into a pressing machine
    An old bridge – still in use – constructed in 1636
    Besides Camino signs, I keep seeing these markers. Turns out, I’m also on Grand Route 26, one of many across Europe
    Roman house with floor tile still in good shape after 22 centuries
    Part of the bath system
    These columns are all that was left of the forum which was torn down in the middle ages.
    Exterior wall of the city
    Excavations you could climb down into
    More examples of the mosaic floor tile
    A rendering of what the forum looked like in the 1st century BC
    Wild blackberries
    After a week of high temperatures between 31-35 (88-95F). The next week is much cooler 21-27 (70-80 F)
  • Day 8 – Sept 18 – Vila Verde to ?

    Day 8 – Sept 18 – Vila Verde to ?

    I left my lovely hostel from the previous night shortly after six and well before the sun began to brighten the sky. The hostel was not on the Camino. so I hiked down the highway about 1.5 km until the Camino intercepted my road. 

    The temperature today so far has been moderate although it is again expected to get into the low 30s which translates to low 90s  

    I’m trying to stop every 5 km to rest with with stops ending in 5 being brief rests by the side of the road in the shade and on the tens with food and beverage.

    I’m traveling with some snacks, including some peanuts and a Tupperware container that I continue to toss different items in. It currently contains some dried apricots, grapes, and some trail mix. 

    As I write this, I’m taking my 15 km break just outside the hamlet of Vendas at the highest point between Lisbon & Porto (450 meters).

    I have not yet decided how far to go today. There were really only two options within reasonable walking distance. The town of Ansiao is about 27 km from my start point and the town of Alvorge is another 8 beyond that. The reason I may have been considering Alvorge is that if I can make it there, I might be able to catch back up with the people I’ve been walking with for the majority of my pilgrimage.

    Of the four communities in between the two towns, only one even has a café and none has overnight accommodations.

    I will see how my feet feel and how hot it is when I reach Ansaio and we’ll make a decision then as to whether to go on.

    I reached Ansaio around 1 pm and had yet to see another pilgrim.  In fact, I went a couple hours without seeing another human.  

    Shortly after entering Ansaio, I found a mercado and bought a couple bananas and an ice cold can of 7-up.  One banana was consumed practically on the threshold of the store.  Then I opened the soda and started walking down the street.  

    As I rounded the next corner, there was a restaurant with outdoor seating and sitting there was John & Sherry (Idaho), Jennifer (Tennessee) and Charlie from Germany, whom I had not yet met 

    I joined them and we started discussing where to end the day.   Jennifer decided to press on to Riberia – 15 km away – but hired a bag service to take her backpack.

    The rest of us decided to shoot for Alvorge since the weather was overcast and not nearly as oppressively hot as the prior few days.  

    I arrived at the O Lagarerio Hostel in time to claim the last of the 5 lower bunks.   The one familiar face was Karen from Austria, whom I had met yesterday at a cafe.  I’m sure that I’ll get to know the others at dinner, but right now people are napping or talking to family (in what sounds like Italian).  

    As I’m writing this, John and Sherry arrive and claim two of the five upper bunks.  

    We have a nice pilgrim dinner with new friends from Italy & Spain, as well as those met earlier on the trail.

    In this section of the Camino, directions to pilgrims heading to Fatima point the other way. Follow yellow arrows to Santiago.
    Cork oak with recently harvested bark
    The local municipality does a great job with signage and history
    The alberge where my friends stayed last night have the most amazing pilgrim stamps
    How the trail must have looked to pilgrims centuries ago
    34 kilometers. My longest day yet. And that’s before the walk to the grocery store
    Typical hostel & alberge bunk setups.
    Pilgrim dinner
  • Dinner on the Farm

    Dinner on the Farm

    I meant to post this last night, so this is my Wednesday dinner…

    Part of the reason I chose to stay in Vila Verde were the rave reviews of the dinners they served.  

    When I arrived and discovered Andrus’ wife, Lea was in Lisbon for the day and that I was the only guest arriving in time for dinner, I was concerned dinner might not live up to my expectations.  Boy was I wrong.  

    First course was cream of pumpkin soup, with carrots and sweet potatoes.  Andrus apologized that the sweet potatoes were store bought, but said the other vegetables were from his garden.  The course was served with grilled bread – topped with olive oil – from their orchard – and Estonian rye bread.

    Second course was Estonian smoked chicken (smoked, then baked, then covered with mayonnaise and paprika); fries; riced, cooked with pepper corn and other spices; and a garden salad – literally from the garden.  Even the olive oil and lemon juice dressing were from the farm.  

    Dessert was a homemade ice cream with orange peal.  A perfect top off.  

    After fixing my meal, Andrus excused himself to go care for the animals.  The farm has sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and quail.  

    As I sit here watching the sunset, it’s hard to think of a more pleasant place to be: surrounded avocado, olive and citrus trees. 

    Just as I was heading for bed, the other two guests for the night arrived. A very pleasant couple from Israel. When I said I was from Oregon, they said “oh we love Oregon”. They spent two months in an RV traveling across the western US.  For the second time today, someone mentioned Multnomah Falls after I said I was from Oregon.

  • Day 7 – Sept. 17 – Tomar to Vila Verde

    Day 7 – Sept. 17 – Tomar to Vila Verde

    The heat wave continues. However, since I only had about 21K to go today, I didn’t get out the door until 7 AM.

    At the edge of Tomar, the Camino splits, sending walkers down a narrow path along the river. Bicyclists (and hikers in the rainy season) have a less picturesque route.

    Hikers get the pretty route

    Today’s trek went through many small villages, but most of them had little to no services to offer pilgrims. I think in part because of my rest day, I have encountered many people today that I have not seen on the trail before. I assume that they didn’t take a rest day and started the day after I did.

    I stopped for coffee and pastry in the small village of Soianda. I was soon joined by Barney, the Aussie. Barney injured his knee just prior to Santarem and decided to continue his journey via bicycle after until his knee feels better. He found a bike on Facebook marketplace for €50 and plans to ride it until he reaches Porto where he will give it away.

    Barney is an interesting cat. If you saw them on the street, you’d likely give them a wide berth. He’s got a shaved head and tattoos all the way up to below his chin, but he’s a really nice guy who is a social worker back home in Australia.  He says he is planning to take his 80 year-old mother on one of the shorter Caminos next year.

    Barney (Australia) with Jennifer (Tennessee) outside a hostel – one of the few places to stop for a beverage today.

    The list of countries of people I have met continues to grow.  Today I met my first Italian and Croatian.  I’ve now met people from 18 different countries.

    I arrived at the village of Vila Verde almost 90 minutes before my check in time. Since there hadn’t been a place to stop for lunch along the way, I found a café near my hostel and had a delicious lunch of roasted chicken, baked potatoes, rice, and salad for a fixed price meal also included a beer and pudding for dessert (€10.50).

    When I reached the hostel, I felt I had died and gone to heaven. This is the loveliest place I’ve stayed on this Camino and quite frankly in a very long time anywhere.

    Since I’m not traveling with anyone, I have a double room for just myself with a shared bath with one other room. According to Andrus, my host, he expects to have a total of three guests tonight.

    I am currently sitting under the shaded courtyard with a bar and a salted swimming pool. I’m waiting for the sun’s rays to be a little less direct before I hop in.

    I’ve hand-washed my clothes and they are drying in the hot Portugal sun. I expect they will be drying fast faster than if I was putting them in the dryer at home.

    The walk along the river Trail was the most stereotypical trail I’ve been on so far.
    Where the Rio Nabao Splits. The near bank feeds a canal that runs the watermill in Tomar.
    Ancient bridge
    Simple chapel
    “Main Street”
    Fortunately, fountains with non-portable water or well marked
    Lunch: €10.50 inclusive of beer & dessert
    My home for the night: Herdade di Luce
    Guest kitchen
    Dining & common room (air conditioned)
    Salt water pool
    Courtyard bar
    Covered area to relaxed adjacent to the bar