Santiago de Compostela: 574.2 km
Walked today: 23.6 km
Total walked: 58.8 km
You can see we walk a lot more than what the map says (we have our Vivofit pedometers). Walks to take pictures, to the restaurant, the supermarket, add up very fast.
We left the hotel at 7 am and within an hour we had arrived to Povoa de Santa Iria. This was an interesting adventure. We had to walk on the shoulder of N10 highway. Lots of fast traffic. That was 3 or 4 km of high blood pressure.
From Povoa, we crossed the rail tracks and ended on a trail that crosses wetlands between the train and the river. Good part of the walk is on a boardwalk. Beautiful, lots of birds, cranes, fowl, a all kinds of little guys. That was almost 4 km to Alberca do Ribatejo.
By now, the sun was up in all its glory and heat and no shade. Very hot day we thought, up to 25C. I really started to slow down.
There were dozens and dozens of Portuguese pilgrims passing us. Single or in small groups or in really large crowds. They are going to Fatima to the feast of Our Lady in May 13. Very friendly, very smiley, we managed to talk with some of them.
At Alberca there is an air force base and they have a small air museum. There was an officer there. He said the museum was closed but since he had to stay there waiting for someone we could go in and have a look. He also gave a carimba (stamp) for our pilgrim credential.
Then we had to go back to the shoulders of N10 for a couple of kilometres but after that we go back to the shore of the river on a beautiful walkway. Great views of the river and lots of flowers. Though this meant more walk under a full mid day sun and on concrete.
We stopped at a small picnic area to catch our breath and cool off for a bit and finally we met a couple of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Richard and Carolyn from the US. We would see them again later on in town.
We walked a bit more and suddenly we were there. Very tired, very hot bit we found our hotel only 4 or 5 blocks away.
We took pur showers right away and while wonder woman did the laundry (she spoils me to death) I lied down. An hour later, around 4pm, I waked up and tried to walk. Did I say how hard are the first days? My feet hurt, my thighss hurt, my back my neck, everything.
Anyway, I forced myself to move motivated by hunger. I was looking forward to a meal like yesterday. We walked from restaurant to restaurant and all of them were closed. The mid day meal time was past and supper is after 7 pm. A kind Portuguese soul directed us to the only open place with food. A burger joint. While I normally loved burgers this was a letdown, but I ate burger and fries for dinner.
We did manage to get to 7 pm mass but while we know what was going on we just could not understand a word. It is a funny feeling to be home (church) but feel a bit left out.
The town is interesting, llike other vilafrancas or villafrancas in Spain, was founded by French people. In this case followers of Alfonso the first. The king who took won Portugal back from the Moors around the XIII century. They have a run of the bulls twice a year, just like in Pamplona. They also have here the Lusitanian horses.
The pictures below Wonder Woman walking by the wetlands, in the air museum, Portuguese pilgrims, a design in the cobblestoness in Vilafranca and the church.
Tomorrow is getting hotter, up to 29 C and we have to walk farther so we are getting up at 5 am.
Mother Mary, pray for us and for all the pilgrims walking to your shrine. Pray for us.
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