A little complaint. Portugal has not heard of tempur-pedic mattresses. Honestly, not all mattresses are created equally. Hostels have some things dialed in, but mattresses is not their top priority! At midnight, I took the quilt they gave me and beefed up my bed by laying on it. It helped a bit.

By 5AM, I was awake. All was not forsaken as I still needed to upload pictures for my blog and incredible thing, I was the only one on the internet. The Wi-Fi was up and running full speed and I was able to post. George woke up be 6AM, we had a light breakfast of carbs, apple, juice and roll and headed to the Bus Depot. Today we were going to Fatima.

Fátima is a central Portuguese town that’s home to the Sanctuary of Fátima, a Catholic pilgrimage site. Our Lady of Fátima is the title given to the Virgin Mary as she appeared before three shepherd children near the village of Fátima, Portugal, in 1917.

She identified herself to them as the Lady of the Rosary. The Roman Catholic Church officially recognized the Fátima events as worthy of belief in 1930. The three principles that are shared through their visions were to put God first in our lives, pray daily for peace and to share the love of God to all. What truths to standby.

While we were visiting this sacred place, there were many that came for blessings, prayers, sacrifices and some just to experience such a beautiful place. George and I were intrigued by the women who were approaching the church on their knees. Some had Rosary’s that they were praying with, while others were kneeling as they awaited their blessings. It truly is a place of healing, comfort and mystery. There is something quite special about this holy ground.

In the center of this monumental place, there is a fountain. It is said that the water that flows from it is Holy Water, and many have in fact, been healed. Being faithful servants of the Lord, George and I drank from the water, placed it on our troubled spots and prayed for supernatural healing. What a blessing to be able to visit a place that many have only heard of. Truly this was a special highlight of our Pilgrimage.

Back to the Bus Station and we returned to Tomar in time for a late bite to eat. Lunch typically is a bit later, 1-3pm being dinner doesn’t get going until 8-9pm. We eyeballed a place yesterday that the owner was super friendly. What a score. Short Ribs, fries and salad for less than $10. Afterwards we walked our lunch off and visited one of the oldest synagogues in all of Europe.

The Synagogue of Tomar was built between 1430 and 1460 by the city’s then thriving Jewish community. Tomar’s Jewish community traced its origins to the 14th century, when some individuals came to work for the Knights Templers and their successors the Order of Christ. By mid-century when the synagogue was built, Tomar’s Jewish community numbered between 150 and 200 individuals—30% to 40% of Tomar’s total population at the time—and the city center had a Jewish Quarter. The community grew even larger when Spanish Jews settled in Tomar after Spain expelled them in 1492. Within a year or so, Portugal also mandated both Jews and Muslims to leave or convert to Christianity. There were a few Jews that hid out and still to this day have a thriving community in Belmonte, Portugal.

It seems everywhere we go, each city has rich history. We returned to our room, did laundry and prepared for our exit strategy tomorrow. It will be back on the trail with many miles to walk. I know I’m getting a bit antsy and I think George is too. It’s time to get our big back-a-packs and head north, by foot!