Tomar Rest Day

Wednesday, August 31st was our ‘rest’ day. We have four of them scheduled during our Camino walk and, with so many long days of walking, they will be much needed. Since Fátima is only a 30-minute taxi ride away we decided to visit Fátima in the morning and spend the afternoon exploring the Templar fortress and its Convento de Cristo. Not being Catholic, Rich wasn’t particularly interested in visiting Fátima, so he offered to do our laundry while we were gone, which was much appreciated, as this is usually one of our primary tasks on ‘rest’ days.

The High Cross

Our first glimpse of Fátima was breathtaking: a clean, wide-open esplanade with the High Cross dominating the scene at one end flanked by the modern Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. At the other end of the esplanade stood the more traditional Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima. In between the two churches was the Little Chapel of the Apparitions, built on the spot where Mary appeared to the three peasant children: Francisco, Jacinto and Lucia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary

We were able to attend Mass in the Little Chapel of the Apparitions and then wandered through the rest of the complex. There was a long line of people snaking their way toward one end of the Little Chapel, each carrying one or more candles, some of which were at least six feet tall. The purpose is similar to our lighting of votive candles, although much more dramatic. There is an inferno below where they light and leave their candles (this melts the wax so it can be re-formed into new candles).

              Little Chapel of the Apparitions

Lighting votive candles with the inferno behind      

I hadn’t mentioned this before, but there is a very popular Camino route to Fatima. Pilgrims on their way to Fatima travel a lot of the same roads we’ve been traveling. As I watched the crowds today, I wondered how many of them had just completed their Camino journey and what an emotional high it must have been for them.

In the afternoon, we walked up the hill above town to the convent first and then explored the fortress. Contrary to our use of the word ‘convent’, the Convento de Cristo housed male religious, and is quite large. Explorers such as Columbus and Vancouver da Gama were almost certainly received in these buildings, as were pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

                          Convent courtyard

Example of some of the beautiful tile work in the convent

Altar piece                     

   

                  

View of the Templar fortress

All in all, it was a fascinating day, but I can’t say it was really a day of rest, unless one considers a nine-mile walk restful.