Camino Day 4 - Azumbaja to Santarem

The route today, Sunday August 28th, was a bear (I could use a lot more colorful words but will keep my language PG). The physical route was relatively flat (until the last steep climb into Santarem, but more about that later.) The difficulty lay in the temperature (90+ degrees), the dearth of any appreciable shade, and the lack of any facilities whatsoever for the last 12 miles of a 20+ mile trek.

Wearing headlamps, we left our hotel @ 6:30, carrying 2.5 liters of water, bananas, fresh squeezed orange juice, pb&j croissant sandwiches and a host of other snacks. (I also had a 16 oz. bottle filled with an electrolyte drink.) There was a nice cloud cover until @ 10:00, keeping us relatively cool as we made our way from Azumbaja to Valada (@ 8 miles). From Valada onward, the sun broke through the clouds and soon became very intense. It didn’t take long for the six of us to walk at our own pace, with each couple staying together, but walking different speeds. 

Fields of tomatoes waiting to be harvested

Initially, Rich and I walked together, but as the temperature increased and Rich’s pace decreased, I started walking ahead to the next bit of shade and would then wait for him before setting out to find the next bit of shade. He could then rest as long as he needed before setting out after me. Along the way I met Miguel, a fellow pilgrim, resting in what little shade there was available, clearly struggling with the heat also. We walked together to the next bit of shade where I stopped to wait for Rich and he continued on his way. 

Our paths continued to cross like this for a mile or two until at one point he said he was spent and out of water and suggested we get an Uber once we reached the A-13 highway, which was @ 2.5 miles from Santarem and @ 1.5 miles from where we were. I had little water left in my hydration pack, but when Rich reached us we were able to share some of our water with Miguel and we walked from there toward the A-13.

View of the road we traversed during the late afternoon.
If you look closely, you can see the highway in the far distance.

When we were @ .25 miles from the highway, Jerry called to tell us he and Becky had just gotten to the hotel and that the hotel was another 1.5 uphill miles from the Camino. By this time it was 4:00 and, given the speed we were walking and the difficult terrain ahead, we wouldn’t reach the hotel until after 6:00. He and Becky had called a taxi and Becky was going to come pick us and Theresa and Dave up (who were @ a mile ahead of us and out of water). The three of us waited in the shade by the highway for our Camino ‘angel’ to rescue us, sucking the last bit of water in our backpacks as we did so. I can’t reiterate enough what a welcome sight they were, with Becky bearing ice cold bottles of water for the five of us.

I did a lot of praying those last few miles, asking God to watch over us and keep us safe. I felt his presence each time there was a slight breeze to cool us or when I found a patch of shade where we could rest. Although this was a very physically demanding day, it was also a very spiritual one for me. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue our journey.

Camino Day 3 - Vila Franca de Xira to Azumbaja

 Saturday, August 27th, took us to the small town of Azumbaja, a distance of @ 12 miles. A portion of our journey was along a gravel path that ran alongside a small stream. Again, we crossed a couple of railway tracks today and the busy A-10 and N-3 highways. We also passed a nuclear power plant and, before entering Azumbaja, a sewage treatment plant where we had to wear our N95 masks because the smell was overwhelming!

Walkway alongside busy A-10 highway

                                                  View of the nuclear power plant

Bull fighting seems to be a popular pastime in this area of Portugal. We've seen lots of posters announcing upcoming bull fights. Vila Franca is known for its breeding of fighting bulls and Vila Franca and Azumbaja have their own versions of the 'running of the bulls'.

Bull ring in Azumbaja

Today was the last of our 'short' days as the next three days we'll be averaging @ 20 miles per day. Then, a well-earned rest day in Tomar, home of the Knights Templar. Please keep us in your prayers during the days ahead.

Camino Day 2 - Santa Iria de Azoia to Vila Franco de Xira

On the second day of our Camino journey, Friday, August 26th, we continued our trek through the industrial areas outside Lisbon. To get back onto the Camino we had to walk @ 2.5 miles north on a busy highway (thankfully, rush hour traffic was flowing in the other direction). We encountered our first Camino "angel" this morning as we were navigating our way off the busy highway and onto the Camino. We were about to stay straight until a cyclist across the street gestured that we should turn right. We turned toward the river and had a delightful walk on the Camino along the boardwalk by the river Tejo.

A view of the boardwalk along the river Tejo

Me, Becky, Theresa and Dave

We had to cross over a couple of railway tracks and the busy N-10 highway before coming to the Alhandra Marina where we picked up a riverside path that took us all the way into Vila Franca. It was along this path that we met our first Camino pilgrim. (We had seen one pilgrim in Lisbon but hadn't been able to strike up a conversation.) The lack of other pilgrims on the trail is one of the most striking differences between the French and Portuguese Caminos (at least this section between Lisbon and Porto). The other striking difference is the lack of bars/cafes where the weary pilgrim can stop and rest one's feet and have a bite to eat.

          Five of our six pilgrims "love" Alhandra

Our first pilgrim friend Nena from Atlanta

All in all, it was a very pleasant day of walking. Total distance was @ 14 miles.

Camino Day 1 - Lisbon to Santa Iria de Azoia

After planning for our Portuguese Camino walk since 2019 and having to postpone it twice, we officially started our trek to Santiago on Thursday, August 25th. Can't believe we're actually doing this! We took a taxi to the Cathedral this morning since it was our first day of really long walking and we were concerned about how we would hold up. Today's route was supposed to be @ 14.5 miles, but ended up being much longer (more about that later). 

Six pilgrims setting out on our 450 mile journey

We started our walk through the industrial section of Lisbon, past railway lines and shipping industries, until we finally came to a lovely path along the river Tejo, which we followed  through the Parque das Naçόes, the site of the 1998 World Expo.

Parque das Naçόes

The three amigas in front of a statue of
Catarina de Bragança, the Portuguese 
bride of Charles II of England

Although hot, our route was relatively uneventful until we reached the small town of Granja and realized that the hotel we were staying at that night was almost 4 miles OFF the Camino! Thank goodness Rich was able to use Google maps and get us to our hotel, although it was not always the easiest route. At one point we were scrambling through brush, climbing over downed chain link fences, and scaling a hill that rivaled the Pyrenees in steepness. Hot and  bedraggled, we staggered into our hotel at 6:15 pm, after 18 miles and 9.5 hours on the road. So glad this was supposed to be one of our easier days!

Kebab lunch spot

Lisbon Sightseeing

We started our Lisbon sightseeing day (Wednesday, August 24th) by walking to the Church of Santiago, which was the original medieval starting point for the Camino Portugués. Today, the Camino actually starts at the Lisboa Cathedral, so we made our way there, had our pilgrim passports stamped (since we didn't think the church would be open early Thursday morning), and walked a few blocks on the Camino to make sure we could recognize the way markers. We also hiked to the Sao Jorge castle, the highest point in the city.

In the afternoon, we took a ferry across the Rio Tejo to see the statue of the Cristo Rei (a replica of Rio de Janeiro's iconic statue), with his arms stretched wide to symbolically bless the city below. Because buses to the top of the hill run hourly (and we had just missed the bus as we exited the ferry), we opted to take a tuk-tuk up and down the hill. These are Indian-style three-wheel motorcycles, typically seating 4 adults, but the 6 of us crammed into one. As the driver sped around the corners we all hung on for dear life, while he assured us the tuk-tuk was very stable and wouldn't turn over. It was an interesting adventure, to say the least!

We also had a chance to do our laundry, sample some of Lisbon's gelato (before dinner, no less), and have a healthy dinner at an organic restaurant near the laundromat. All in all, a very full day!

Church of Santiago (St., James)

Becky getting her pilgrim passport stamped

Lisboa Cathedral

                                                                                                    Cristo Rei Statue

Lisbon/Belém Sightseeing

 We spent the majority of the day sightseeing in the Lisbon suburb of Belém, visiting the Monastery of Jerόnimos, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the Belém Tower. When we arrived in Belém the line for the Monastery was at least an hour long (Rich compared it to the lines for Splash Mountain at Disneyland on an extremely hot afternoon). So...we decided to visit the Monument to the Discoveries first and wait until a little later in the day to see the Monastery.

This monument is shaped like a caravel, an easily maneuverable ship the Portuguese explorers used during the 1400s and 1500s . It depicts the famous explorers Vasco da Gama and Magellan, along with Prince Henry the Navigator, King Manuel I, soldiers and religious (who traveled to the new world to convert the 'heathens'). 

                 Monument to the Discoveries

From there we walked along the water to the Belém Tower, which protected Lisbon's harbor and was the last thing sailors saw when leaving their homeland and the first thing they saw upon their return.

Belém Tower

We then walked back toward the center of town, intending to stop for lunch, buy tickets for the monastery and wait in line. Much to our surprise, the line was now significantly shorter so we decided to postpone lunch until after seeing the monastery and cloisters.  They were so worth the wait!  

Monastery Exterior

Courtyard of Cloister

Interior Courtyard Frieze Work

Theresa, Becky and Me

Me and Rich

                                           

Travel Day - San Francisco/Portland to Lisbon

Rich and I had a relatively uneventful day of travel from San Francisco, where we had spent a long weekend attending our nephew's wedding, to Lisbon. We lost each other for a time in the Lisbon airport (I got impatient waiting for him) but did finally reconnect at baggage claim. Got to our hotel @ noon and spent the early afternoon at a self-service laundromat. The proprietress insisted I should dry our clothes on the lowest setting because her dryers were very hot and she was worried we would burn any clothes that weren't 100% cotton. Needless to say, our clothes are now damp dry and I have them hanging all over our hotel room hoping they'll dry fairly quickly.

Dave and Theresa (Schierman) and Becky and Jerry (Karver) arrived later in the afternoon. Their only major mishap was packing their petroleum jelly (a blister prevention technique for our feet) in their carry-on luggage and having it confiscated at security. We'll definitely need to hit a pharmacy in the next day or two so they can restock, as this is an essential item for the long walk ahead.

We're staying at a lovely, older hotel that's centrally located and within walking distance of many of Lisbon's must-see sights. Besides visiting the Sao Jorge castle in the Alfama district and the Monastery of Jerόnimos in Belém, I hope we have time to do some leisurely wandering through much of Lisbon's old town, savoring the history of each unique area.

No matter how often or where we've traveled in Europe, it's like stepping back in time each time we walk the narrow, uneven cobblestone streets and alleys, which to me are reminiscent of times long past. I know that feeling will intensify as we make our way from Lisbon to the much smaller rural towns along our Camino path. 

           Photo op outside our hotel 

Dave and Theresa enjoying an after dinner gelato