Amazingly still walking! I left Azambuja the next morning & thought I'd see how far I could get. I did run into a woman I'd met at the hostel in Lisbon at Azambuja, maybe we'll catchup again.
The terrain was a bit less boring with lots of fields of tomatoes, again not much shade so my hat was firmly on my head. Part way along I met a Frenchman, Jake, who spoke several languages but not English. I didn't keep walking with him as he was way faster than me. Then further on I heard someone call out 'Bom Caminho', turned & saw a woman coming from a farmhouse. Turned out to be another pilgrim who'd been looking for a loo. So we chatted, her name's Betsy & she's American, & walked on together.
The day was really hot, I think around 40c, & finally in the arvo I gave up, couldn't go on. I thought if I did I'd get heatstroke. So I sat in the shade of some grapevines on my pack & Betsy went on to see if she could find anyone. We were in a 9km stretch of remote sandy tracks but Santarém was visible in the distance. I realised, after she had gone, that I could ring the next hostel as I had printed their details. So I did & asked them to send a taxi out to pick up Betsy & then me. It was only a distance of about 4 km. In the meantime Betsy had found a woman who drove out to get me. So she drove us until we met the taxi then we went on to the hostel. Manuela, the lady, wouldn't accept any money either, lovely lady. Anyway we checked in at the hostel, showered, did the washing, & went to a bar! Liquid outside, liquid inside, plus food. All is good!
I was too tired to write a thing that night!
The next day was a bit cooler thankfully as we went on our pilgrims' Way. Another lady was behind us as we left Santarém & we traded places a couple of times as we stopped for groceries, or food, etc. The terrain was more green, more interesting along the Way too. No more stubbled fields or sandy trails, yay! Anyway we stopped at Ameiro das Milhariças fairly early in the arvo, not wanting to overdo it, & there was the Frenchman! The other lady, Maria Antonette & an Italian, was able to speak with him, Jack, Jacques, each of us seemed to say it differently. He speaks several languages just not English, & has done seven Caminos. I was the only newby, drat it. There was a Mass in the village that night so the four of us attended that then went out for a meal at the local association hall. We all got on well in our various languages & decided on our next night's meet at Minde.
Jacques was first away, then Maria Antonette, then Betsy & I. We didn't see Jacques again till Minde, he is a fast walker. We stopped in a cafe for a break & Maria was there, great, & the woman I'd met in Lisbon & Azambuja, Michelle, & it turned out Betsy had met her too. So we told her where we were stopping & to join us there if she wanted.
Well, that was a challenging day, mostly because of a steep, narrow, rocky path up & down a hill just before Minde. Betsy & I started climbing & Maria was a little behind us. That was a tough climb! When we finally got to the top that was it. No way were we going down the other side. Michelle was at the top when we got there & Maria didn't stop, went on by road. So after a break did we, down the road, the longer, safer way. Jacques had climbed down the other side & fallen & hurt one knee, we learnt later.
Minde was our stop for that night & now I'm stopping for tonight. I'll write more tomorrow night.
Blessings to all! Adeus
The terrain was a bit less boring with lots of fields of tomatoes, again not much shade so my hat was firmly on my head. Part way along I met a Frenchman, Jake, who spoke several languages but not English. I didn't keep walking with him as he was way faster than me. Then further on I heard someone call out 'Bom Caminho', turned & saw a woman coming from a farmhouse. Turned out to be another pilgrim who'd been looking for a loo. So we chatted, her name's Betsy & she's American, & walked on together.
The day was really hot, I think around 40c, & finally in the arvo I gave up, couldn't go on. I thought if I did I'd get heatstroke. So I sat in the shade of some grapevines on my pack & Betsy went on to see if she could find anyone. We were in a 9km stretch of remote sandy tracks but Santarém was visible in the distance. I realised, after she had gone, that I could ring the next hostel as I had printed their details. So I did & asked them to send a taxi out to pick up Betsy & then me. It was only a distance of about 4 km. In the meantime Betsy had found a woman who drove out to get me. So she drove us until we met the taxi then we went on to the hostel. Manuela, the lady, wouldn't accept any money either, lovely lady. Anyway we checked in at the hostel, showered, did the washing, & went to a bar! Liquid outside, liquid inside, plus food. All is good!
I was too tired to write a thing that night!
The next day was a bit cooler thankfully as we went on our pilgrims' Way. Another lady was behind us as we left Santarém & we traded places a couple of times as we stopped for groceries, or food, etc. The terrain was more green, more interesting along the Way too. No more stubbled fields or sandy trails, yay! Anyway we stopped at Ameiro das Milhariças fairly early in the arvo, not wanting to overdo it, & there was the Frenchman! The other lady, Maria Antonette & an Italian, was able to speak with him, Jack, Jacques, each of us seemed to say it differently. He speaks several languages just not English, & has done seven Caminos. I was the only newby, drat it. There was a Mass in the village that night so the four of us attended that then went out for a meal at the local association hall. We all got on well in our various languages & decided on our next night's meet at Minde.
Jacques was first away, then Maria Antonette, then Betsy & I. We didn't see Jacques again till Minde, he is a fast walker. We stopped in a cafe for a break & Maria was there, great, & the woman I'd met in Lisbon & Azambuja, Michelle, & it turned out Betsy had met her too. So we told her where we were stopping & to join us there if she wanted.
Well, that was a challenging day, mostly because of a steep, narrow, rocky path up & down a hill just before Minde. Betsy & I started climbing & Maria was a little behind us. That was a tough climb! When we finally got to the top that was it. No way were we going down the other side. Michelle was at the top when we got there & Maria didn't stop, went on by road. So after a break did we, down the road, the longer, safer way. Jacques had climbed down the other side & fallen & hurt one knee, we learnt later.
Minde was our stop for that night & now I'm stopping for tonight. I'll write more tomorrow night.
Blessings to all! Adeus
