This is going to be fun. From this day forward, I will state the kilometer’s that we are walking daily. It’s the way they do it around here, and it sounds like we’ve walked further. In reality, we are doing as good as we can. The Camino is set up in stages. The reason for that is not all towns can accommodate Pilgrims. Some places do not have Hostels or Albergues, or even Hotels or Motels. Each Stage is designed to allow you to arrive in a town that has services, such as a grocery or restaurant, along with a place to sleep. In theory, we are doing what we can based on the services and conveniences that are available. Today was going to be a longer stage.

I was up at 6:06 am. George was still sleeping soundly so I sneaked out, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Breakfast is served at 6AM which is quite early for most Hostels. I should’ve taken a picture of the Self-Serve Espresso Machine. It was awesome! You could make a straight shot of Espresso, a Cappuccino, a Latte or just plain warm milk. It was the bomb of a machine and great tasting coffee to boot. I had my espresso, meat & cheese on a croissant with plain yogurt. And I sat waiting for George to arrive. He made it down by 7AM, and had his breakfast with Cappuccino. We talked with many of the Pilgrims we’ve been walking with, and by 8AM, we were on our way. Our earliest departure to date.

The walk out of town was a bit of a route finding exercise. There are many ways to get to Santiago and it appears that the path makers are upgrading the trail without decommissioning the old route. We knew we would make a right turn after Route10 and somewhere near the factory. We followed a dirt road that took us to a dead end, and finally decided that near Route10 means different things to different Pilgrims. About a mile down the road, I found the new and improved trail, about 1/2 mile past the factory. It’s all in your interpretation.

The dirt trail was hard packed and fairly flat. We saw very few Pilgrims today. I’m not sure why that is, but I have my suspicions. It was close to 90 degrees, super exposed with no chance of cooling down. Some Pilgrims like only walking, what they consider the good parts. I wouldn’t call George and I “Purists” but so far, we have stayed true to the route, when we can find it.

We made our way around some fields and followed the high speed rail line most of the day. When that train passes by, it is loud and fast. Bicyclist were using the trail much today. Some Bike-packers, other Mountain Bikers but no one was riding E-bikes. At least, not today.

We had another big route finding exercise about half way through the day. My map said to go straight, but there was a culvert, then two irrigation ditches filled with nasty looking water. There was a dirt road that went due east but that was not the direction we were headed. So after hunting and pecking, our only option was to walk over the downed fencing, up along the train track to the bridge trusses that conveniently cross the waterway. That sounds pretty darn illegal but it was the only option to continue north. No trains were approaching so we climbed our first pile of rocks, crossed the bridge, went down the other pile of rocks, trampled over the busted fencing and we were back on the trail. I felt a bit like an illegal alien, which in a sense I guess I am.

I spotted an abandoned building that provided great shade and George and I had lunch. We packed an extra sandwich to take with us from the Hostel along with some fruit. It was just what we needed for fuel and honestly, I wanted a break! George can walk all day without a break, but I like stopping. Even if it means sitting on a dirt gravel pad leaning against a metal building. Seems quite adequate to me. We ate, then continued on.

I’m not sure if I said it was hot today! I mean really hot. Like take off your hat and pop up your umbrella kind of hot. We had a few more miles to cover and I was savoring the last bit of water I had. I saw a parked truck up ahead and when I approached, Antonio asked if I needed something to drink? Really? Are you an Angel? I followed him inside this small outhouse of a building and much to my surprise, he had refrigerated sparkling water. He filled up my bottle as George was entering. I think George was more surprised than me and was thrilled to have ice cold refreshing water. That is what I call a Trail Angel! Never expecting such an act of kindness in a parched place as we were today. We nodded farewell with our water bottles filled to the brim. As I looked at my phone, it was 1:11 PM. Anytime I see a series of triple numbers for the time, I always think of the Lord! That is my cue that He is also thinking of me. Thank you dear Jesus for blessing us with sweet Antonio when we so needed him!

Only a couple more miles and we would be in Azumbuja. It’s a good sized town with all the provisions you would need. We went under the railroad crossing and popped up like moles on the outskirts of town. The first thing we saw was Ouro Hotel serving Cheap Beer. That’s our kind of place. We walked up to the outside tables, dropped our packs and went in for refreshments. There’s something great about having an icy cold beer or frosty glass of sangria, after a long, hot day of walking. Once we finished our libations, we decided to splurge on a Private Hotel Room with our own shower and A/C. And the best part, they serve breakfast at 7AM.

George and I washed all our clothes, well almost all our clothes, then laid them on the balcony to dry. And I kid you not, they were dry in no time flat! We headed over to Aldi, which is a German Market that has made its’ presence in Portugal. It is like our Walmart in the States but much nicer quality. We bought some vegetables, bread and chocolate. It was exactly what I have been craving. We walked around town for a bit, then headed back to our Hotel.

So this is interesting. When we left the Hotel, the gal who checked us in asked for our room key. Hmm, but why? She said this way it won’t get lost? I guess Pilgrims are known for loosing keys to their rooms? Okay, as long as we get it back when we return. They do things a bit different over here. In the States, you just pay an extra $25 if you lose your key. Here they just keep your key for you. I guess it works and no one is out of their $25.

This may just be this Hotel but another interesting bit of info. When you enter the room, your keycard is inserted into a slot. This operates your lights and any other device, like A/C or TV. When you leave, you must remove the KeyCard, and everything shuts off. That’s brilliant! Talk about cost savings. These Portuguese know how to pinch a dollar. Imagine doing this with your teenagers! Exit the room, and everything is turned off. I’d like to hook up my house like this. PG&E, watch out. Maybe we will actually stay in Tier 2 after all. No chance!