It’s another 30+ kilometer day and the forecast is for more hot, sunny skies. I decided to get an early start and left the hostel in the dark around 5:30.
With sidewalks and street lamps, the first couple of kilometers were easy-going. After I left the city and headed back into the countryside, I used my headlamp on low setting – more for making me visible to any oncoming vehicles than for illumination. In over 5 km of walking before dawn, I only encountered two cars.
As dawn was breaking, I arrived in the village of Sao Caetano.
About a half an hour earlier I had looked down at my watch to see how far I’d gone only to see the red lightning arrow indicating low power. Although my watch had been on the charger all night, it didn’t charge.
I ended up wrapping the band of my watch around the battery pack and placing it in a pocket of the pack to ensure the connection stayed in place.
As I walked the next several kilometers through eucalyptus forest, discovered the freedom of not having a tracker on my arm all of the time.
After several days in the flatlands of the Tagus River Valley today marked the first trek into the hillside through wooded countryside. While some appeared to be original native forest, most had been groomed as an agricultural crop, and the trees grew and neat tidy rows.
For most of the journey, I didn’t experience the unique scent of eucalyptus until near the top of the hill. I reached a section that had been planted only a few years ago with trees only a couple of meters high. The smell of sweet eucalyptus was extremely pleasant.
Eventually I descended out of the forest and into the town of Asseiceiria. As I write this, I am enjoying a beer in a café next-door to the ruins of an old hospital with a plaque dedicated to the last battle of the Portuguese Civil War of 1834.
This afternoon, I will arrive in the city of Tomar and have booked a hotel for two nights stay as I enjoy my first rest day of the trip.
Tomar is a large city (pop. 40,000ish). Coming into larger towns can be a little depressing because you pass the sign that you’ve entered, but still have several kilometers to reach the city center.
After entering the city limits, my path veered off the shoulder of a highway and continued for a few kilometers on a gravel service road along the train tracks.
As I write this section, I’m killing time in a lovely air conditioned cafe waiting for the time I can check in.
I am very ready for my rest day. I’ve done 20+ miles each of the last four days. My feet are rebelling against me. This afternoon I took off my shoes & socks and walked the last two kilometers into Tomar in my plastic sandals.
I’ve now checked into the hotel and for the first time since I arrived in Portugal, I have a private bathroom! And is a special bonus I’ve discovered that it has a tub. Well, not actually a full-size bathtub but a section of the shower that’s deeper than the rest suitable for soaking your feet. What a nice surprise!
I’ve soaked my feet, taking a shower, wash my clothes and had a short nap. My devices are all charged and I think it’s time to go out and explore till Tomar.
