Hiking – Page 8 – Following your feet

Rest Day: 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 10: 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…

Rest Day: 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 9: 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 8: 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 7: 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…

Transport: 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,…

Day 1: Sagres to Vila do Bispo

As I write the first part of this post, it is lunch time and I am sitting in Sagres, where I slept last night and left this morning, instead of walking towards Vila do Bispo. Not exactly what I had imagined. I had a good night’s sleep, 10 hours all told, waking every now and…

Copenhagen to Sagres

The alarm went off at 3.45 – I felt that I’d barely fallen asleep, but was still a relief, as I was dreaming that I’d overslept. After a quick shower and standing breakfast we were ready – my wife had “volunteered” to drive me to the airport, through the sludge and rain. The departure boards…

Day 42: Løgstør to Aars

Day 42, the last day of my Danish Pilgrimage that has taken me across much of Denmark since I started out walking from Helsingør to Hillerød nback in 2020. It’s been great to see Denmark on foot, visiting many places that I otherwise would never have come. My last day was a 28km walk following…

Day 40: Hune to Slettestrand

Today was going to be another long day – I recalled it was a 30km day, but actually it was 38km, and I didn’t get to the hotel until past 6pm. But it was a beautiful trip, as I hope the pictures below illustrate. It was also a day of a big surprise. As I…

Day 39: Bøglum to Hune

I was the only person staying at the B&B, and replenished after a nice breakfast, I set off on what would be 30 km walk, initially through the countryside and later along fairly quiet roads on my way to Hune. It was a mostly sunny throughout the day and for the first many kilometers, the…

Day 38: Hirtshals to Børglum

Seven months after the previous leg of my Danish pilgrimage, I start out on the final five legs that will take me along the west coast of Jutland from Hirtshals and back to Aars. I’d taken the Monday evening train from Copenhagen to Hirtshals, changing in Aalborg, arriving just before midnight. I managed to get…

Day 37: Byrsted to Aars

Theoretically I would today complete my walk along the Ox road, Hærvejen, as with the 22km from Bysted to Aars, I will have walked from Frederikshavn in the north, to Padborg in the south. However, there is an arm of the Ox road to the west, from Hirtshals to Aars, which I need to walk…

Day 36: Aalborg to Byrsted

Yet another 30km day, as I left Aalborg and walked south towards Aars. I left Aalborg passing the hospital and Zoo as well as the suburbs of Hasseris and Sofiendal, with great views towards Limfjorden. I passed Drastrup forest, which was fairly hilly, and also with nice views. I continued onwards to Svenstrup church and…

Day 35: Aalborg to Klokkerholm

It was a beautiful sunny day when I left the hotel at 7.30 to walk across Aalborg to Vesterbro (West bridge) to catch bus 73 at 8.00. It didn’t come. I waited 20 minutes, slightly frustrated, and had no choice but to walk from Aalborg to Klokkerholm, rather than Klokkerholm to Aalborg. Seen as walking…