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.
