Our night at the Hostel was so peaceful. The Hosts locked up the place and George and I were the only ones at home. We had the run of the place and in the morning, Paula had breakfast laid out with lunches packed. We had our morning biscotti with juice, banana and we were off. Just as we were leaving, Paula returned to bid us farewell. What a wonderful host she was!

The morning sunrise was spectacular. The colors, the birds and the sailboats were perfectly balanced and all I could think of was how grand our God truly is! It was a perfect day filled with all sorts of promise for the miles that laid ahead.

Being neither of us had our caffeine for the morning, the hunt for a Cafe was first and foremost. In the states, this wouldn’t be a problem but in Portugal, Cafes don’t open up till 9-10am. It was a bit past 8am and everyone was still hibernating in their homes and the streets were quiet. We passed our first Cafe at 8:45am and it was locked down like a steel drum. Looks like we were not going to have any caffeine boost this morning.

As we moved along, we kept hearing blasts. I was thinking birdshot but one can never be sure. We followed a dirt trail through farmlands, with crops like kale and grapevines, while others lands had uprooted corn fields and tilled soil. Nevertheless, there were farmers and hunters mending to the fields. No Pilgrims to speak of but quite a few bikers out riding.

As I was getting ready to find us a resting place, George pointed out some hunters coming our way. Sure enough, a father and son were heading toward us. They were ready for action with their rifles. I’m sure the growers around here are happy to have people come out and take care of the birds that are eating their crops.

Sure enough, a few hundred yards down the trail, there were a couple of guys who were loading up their truck. They had three dogs, Pointers in crates, and six dead birds. Perdiz are a type of partridges that live exclusively in Portugal and Spain. From the looks of them, they are good eating birds.

We carried on and shortly after noon, George and I had our very first climb of the Camino. I was a bit ahead and evidently a driver stopped and checked on my husband. Are you alright? Do you need a ride? Would you like some water? Are you sure you’re good? George explained to the gentleman that he was, in fact, fine, he had water and his wife was up ahead. And she would not approve of him getting a ride! Now, that’s not entirely true because of course George can get a ride anytime he wants. But George wanted to finish this day on his own, making the climb to Santarem and was feeling strong. Go George! I’m so proud of him because this is tough stuff especially if you’re not usually hiking 10-15 miles a day.

We continued up our incline and I came across this living water pouring out of an old stucco wall. There were four spigots that were spouting cold water without ceasing. I’m not sure if it was palatable but it sure was good enough to cool this body of mine down! George was reluctant to stop his forward momentum heading up the hill but once he saw me all cooled off, he walked down the stairs to join me. Good choice!

Now that we were cool as cucumbers, we made our final approach to Santerem. It is a very old town that sits upon a plateau. The valley below is considered the most fertile land in all of Portugal while others claim, the world.

This city has a deep history that dates back to Julius Caesar’s reign in 61 BC. Many have claimed this City including Germanics Tribes and then, the Moorish. The period of Moorish domination was finished in 1147 by the first King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, who conquered the city on March 15. According to period chronicles, the King and a small army managed to take the city after some men climbed the walls during the night and opened the gates. The story of the conquest of Santarém is told in a heroic tone in the medieval chronicle De expugnatione Scalabis, which celebrates and justifies the power of the first Portuguese King. From a military point of view, the conquest of Santarém and, in that same year, of Lisbon were crucial steps in the Reconquista of Portugal.

So here we are, in the midst of historical events and culture. Next to Lisbon, this is the largest city we have walked through. With a population of 58,000 , this city has much to offer. After our climb today, George’s knee was giving him trouble so I made the command decision to take a day off. We checked into our Apartment, a private one bedroom that is in a great location, close to the center of town and directly on the Camino.

We hunkered down, took a shower, ate a very exquisite lunch that was way over priced, and headed out to town, without backpacks! George and I could walk for miles without our big backpacks on our shoulders. Maybe we will have to find out more about slackpacking on the Camino. We walked to the Mall which was interesting. It’s just like what we have in the States. Nice shops, overpriced clothing, fast food and gelato, and the most important commodity of all, Espresso. They also have their grocery store inside. It’s a one stop shopping place!

After eating gelato and drinking espresso, it was time to find a local hangout. I enjoy searching for places off the beaten path. On our way back to our Apartment, there was the perfect outdoor area called Taska. It’s a local bar with shared plates of food and lots of beer flowing! That’s our kind of place. The World’s Cup Rugby Championship was being televised and it was the first time Portugal made the cut. Everyone was cheering for their country, especially since they are an amateur team playing against professionals. It wasn’t a fair match but they were ahead! How exciting for Portugal!

George and I ordered our mugs of beer, olives, bread and cheese. The tables around us were lively with the locals, family and friends sharing life. When we were ordering, which was all in Portuguese, I asked the waiter to order for me being I really didn’t understand what was on the menu.

One of the guys from the other table asked if we needed help, How thoughtful. George bought his table a round of beers and before long we were sitting with the Portuguese. What a great evening we had. John, aka Briosa just returned from ten years in England. His friends at the table, he has known for over 20 years and were all catching up. Rita and Frederico are a couple and he is a World Renowned Trainer and Professional Horse Athlete. It sounds like he makes a good living at his trade and is quite passionate about it. Bernardo is the Socialite, as he knows everyone in town and always invited to the party’s. He’s a Bachelor but that is all changing this month. He finally met his match, a gal from Seville Spain.

Four hours later, we were being escorted home by Bernardo. Briosa is picking us up tomorrow and giving us a personal tour of his city and Bernardo invited us all back to his place tomorrow night for an authentic Portuguese BBQ. It just couldn’t have been planned better. Just another picture perfect day in Paradise. I think I could get used to this place called Portugal.