Day 21: Vila Nova de Gaia to Porto I woke fairly early, showered and packed my stuff. Today is my last day in Portugal, at least for this time, and I am scheduled to fly at 16.00 from Porto, via Lisbon and home to Copenhagen. Breakfast was until 10am, so I went down around 9 am, and ate a leisurely breakfast. I have…
Day 20: Oliveira de Azemeis to Vila Nova de Gaia Today turned out to be mega stage. I hadn’t decided whether I would walk to Grijo (28km) or just short of Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia, where I was staying my last night in Portugal. Buses run regularly from Grijo to Porto, so I could walk the stage from Grijo to Porto tomorrow. I…
Day 19: Mourisca do Vouga to Oliveira De Azemeis Today was going to be a long day. I’d cut 4 -5 kms by taking the train to Mourisca do Vouga and walking back to Agueda, where I spent the night. But I still needed to walk 33 kms to Oliveira de Azemeis. I breakfasted at the hotel, checked out and bought at sandwich to…
Day 18: Sernadelo to Mourisca do Vouga I’ll remember today for how an 8 minute train journey lasted for over 2 hours. There was no breakfast at the hotel and when I left, my Camino friends had already left. I walked down to the supermarket for a coffee and croissant and bought some bread for todays stage to Agueda. It is a…
Day 17: Coimbra to Sernadelo I had a lie in until 8 o’clock showered and packed my stuff before an OK breakfast. Today’s stage to Sernadelo was relatively short, 26kms. The stages after Lisbon haven’t been great, not particularly scenic, partly because of the time of year where there is little life in the fields, so everything is a bit…
Day 16: Condeixa-a-Nova to Coimbra Despite ten hours sleep, I was tired and just as importantly my legs were tired. Today was a short stage, 18 kms to Coimbra, but it was a hard to get through them. It wasn’t helped by being the most boring stage so far, walking along roads. The stage picked up a bit towards the…
Day 15: Ansaio to Condeixa-a-Nova Another 30 kilometer plus day ahead and I woke up feeling a bit rough – not sure whether it is the wine or all the food. Breakfast didn’t live up to the high standard set by the room and I was on the road just before 9 o’clock, feet and legs not in total agreement…
Day 14: Fatima – Freixiande to Ansaio After the rest day yesterday exploring Fatima, I hoped the my feet and right calf would hold up to 26km. I skipped the first 20 km of Rota Carmelita (between Fatima and Coimbra), when I took a rest day yesterday and today I added 6 more kilometers by taking a taxi to Freixiande. After the…
Day 13: Fatima Today was supposed to be a short stage, 20 kilometers, and for the first 5 kilometers, a repetition of yesterdays stage. Following yesterday’s tough stage I decided that I would instead, stay in Fatima and visit the Sanctuary of Fátima. The city is the site of a world-renowned Catholic miracle and is visited by more…
Day 12: Tomar to Fatima I was looking forward to today, but the blister on the sole of my foot was a concern given that the stage was probably the most strenuous I would walk this time around, with lots of climbs and descents, and many rocky paths. This stage is also called the Camino Nascente, and covers 31 kms…
Day 11: Tomar Today was a planned day off from walking. Tomar was famous for it’s knights, and the Knights Templar Castle, as well as the convent, Convento de Cristo. However there were also more pressing things to do, wash my clothes and pick up something to help the blister under my foot. I slept until 8 o’clock,…
Day 10: Golega to Tomar I’m not exactly sure why, but I slept badly. I woke to see that the swelling on my ankle had subsided, and could feel that the muscle I strained yesterday was stiff but OK. I felt that there was a good chance to walk. I woke at 8 o’clock, and as there wasn’t breakfast, I…
Day 9: Santarem to Golega Today’s destination is Golega, famous for its Lucitano horses, its equestrian center and a twice annual horse show that attracts tens of thousands of people. Horse trading has taken place in Golega since the 18th century and although I was only there for a few hours, one feels that it is a wealthy town. Breakfast…
Day 8: Azambuja to Santarem It was difficult to get out of bed – the bed was nice and warm, the room cold. The hostel didn’t serve breakfast, so when I finally made it out of bed and after a quick wash, I was on my way by 8.30. As I left the hostel, I noticed a stork sitting on…
Day 7: Porto Covo to Azambuja Today I was supposed to walk the 19kms to the next town, take a bus to Lisbon and a train to Azambuja, north of Lisbon, where I would start walking towards Porto. I ended the day in Azambuja, but a combination of a train strike and my broken shoes changed my plans. Today’s pictures are…
Day 6: Almograve to Porto Covo Today was a big day. I had booked a room in Porto Covo, 36kms from where I stood this morning. Normally, 36 kms would be within my walking range, but today the big unknown is the sand, and not least how deep it is. Loose sand slows me down by ca. 1km per hour, so…
Day 5: Asseiceira to Almograve I woke up to the sound of rain for the first time during this vacation. I’d slept well, but woke up 5 or 6 times with muscle pains, but fell asleep again once l changed position. Breakfast was with a Slovenian tour guide, who was in Portugal to find new walking trips for her clients…
Day 4: Rogil to Asseiceira Breakfast was at 8am at the baker next door to the hotel – the owners own the hotel and the baker. Through a gradual dialogue with the lady behind the desk, who was putting bread and cakes in a display, I went from orange juice and a croissant, which wasn’t particularly filling, followed by a…
Day 3: Chabouco to Rogil I woke somewhat stiff after the hard walk yesterday and wondering how the 34kms today would pan out, not least whether there would be just as much sand to walk through as there was yesterday. And it was a long day, walking from 9.15 to 5pm, 6km through sand and steep descents and ascents, not…
Day 2: Vila do Bispo to Chabouco Today was “only” 27km, but perhaps the most spectacular 27 kms I have ever walked. I know I am repeating myself, but the coastline is spectacular. One beautiful view is replaced by the next, one descent, at times dangerous, is replaced by an equivalent ascent and new spectacular views. I slept well, waking up occasionally,…
