My fifth day on the Camino Portugues.
My soggy shoes stood in front of me. I was ready to go, but dreaded putting them on. It reminded me of the miserable walk yesterday. As I put my feet in, I slowly felt the water seeping into my socks, millimeter by millimeter, until my feet felt wet again. Hmmm…
At least the sun was shining and it immediately lifted my mood. As I left Golegã I entered farm land. I walked on rural roads and saw some small trucks, tractors and fields. In the middle of a field I noticed a power line that was covered in stork nests. Four storks were currently hanging out there. I had never seen as many storks as I did in this area.
I was enjoying the walk when I entered São Caetano, a very small village of about 3 short streets. They were building public toilets there. Perhaps it’s because this walk is gaining popularity? At the end of the street I entered a big property: Quinta da Cardiga. I read it used to belong to the Templar knights. Once upon a time this must have been an amazing and prosperous place. Now, it was completely abandoned and looked eery and interesting at the same time. There was a big mansion, completely overgrown with ivy, and a row of several smaller houses, perhaps for workers or servants. They’d spray painted ‘private’ on the walls, but it didn’t seem like anyone was still using the property. I’d love to have a peek inside this building.
Many of the municipalities along the way had put up signs for pilgrims. They showed the main sights in the area and some useful information like cafés or toilets. I was now at the edge of Vila Nova da Barquinha. It was the start of a long street in a residential area. After this the camino turned right into the forest again. It smelled wonderful because of all the eucalyptus trees. This is where the hills started. After I crossed the highway on an overpass, I saw a steep, muddy hill in front of me. It was full of holes and full of puddles, but I managed to get up without slipping too much.
After the nice morning and the trails through the forest, I entered a busy road with barely any space to walk. It wasn’t too long, but these busy stretches take all the fun out of the walk. Luckily the last kilometers before Tomar went over a small road alongside the railroad tracks and then through some small towns until the edge of the city. The pavement had some tiles with small knobs, meant for visually impaired people, but they were the perfect foot massage after those last kilometers on the asphalt.
I’d planned a rest day here and was eager to arrive, wash my clothes, put my feet up and spent two nights in the same place. Little did I know my plans would all change… At least I enjoyed this night, chatting till after midnight with a fellow pilgrim, thinking I had all the time in the world.
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