Monday 4th April

32.5 km (189.9 km)

Today promised the greatest elevation yet, this pleased one member of our two-man team, not so much the other! We set off expecting many coffee stops today but after the initial one at Soinda (8.6km), there was nowhere to stop. Sometimes I think I must read tomorrow’s route whilst half asleep as I was convinced we had many opportunities to stop today. We did have a lovely wee stop at a bus stop though, with a welcome snack of oranges and gummy bears! The weather was once again perfect, the route varied and the landscape is starting to change. I love this about walking; you are so much more aware of subtle changes to your environment.

Changing landscapes

We walked through forests of eucalyptus but also not cork, the undulating terrain making for quite a strenuous walk, although fragrant :). As we descended and left the forest we walked through olive groves and orchards of fruit trees, heaving with lemons, oranges and mandarins.

Time for a sharp exit

At 23km we happened upon a cafe on the busy road and Robyn decided it was time to call it a day. I must admit I felt the same after so many hours searching for coffee and food but my inner voice wouldn’t let me take the taxi! The remaining 10km were very pleasant, continuing through more olive groves and finally onto sections of the Via XVI Roman Road. The cobbled narrow alleys with high walls (and barking dogs of course) made me feel like I had stepped back in time.

Arrival at the Albergue

So we are here at the Albergaria Pinheiro. The lovely hospetalario took 4 of us to his friend’s restaurant some distance away as his recommendation nearby had shut up for the day, unexpectedly (always expect the unexpected I say). We had a great meal and chatted to our first two pilgrims over dinner – Kevin and Vikki from Virginia. Tomorrow is another long day… let’s see if I keep my resolve and keep out of Robyn’s taxi at the halfway mark!