2 September, Friday, Alvaiazere to Ansiao. 14.4 kilometers. This is our shortest day of the trip so far. This is only about eight and a half miles walking. We are able to have breakfast at 7 therefore start our journey at 8. In Residencia O Bras there are two women from San Francisco area who are also walking the Camino and we all leave about the same time. We go to the town square and then follow the Camino route up a slight incline into the countryside. On this road we see a gentleman washing his clothes in an open tank. He and his friend from England live down the road. We also see a lady stacking firewood in a shed while her husband loads a tractor trailer with more wood just up the road. We ... read more

31 August 2016, Wednesday A wonderful day to sleep in. August 31 Wednesday. Exploring Tomar--synagogue and Knights Templar If one is a romantic and grows up, as a child, in a little ranching town in eastern Oregon, you are prone to dreams of far-away, exotic places. Tomar is the answer with its knights and castle. However, hopefully the first picture up will be that of 'Our Lady of Fatima.' I reread the last blog and realized we had not even put in a picture of her! But first we have breakfast and meet a gentleman from Washington state who is traveling with his wife and 91 year old mother-in-law. Pretty soon the mother-in-law comes in, all ready to walk. They had planned to have a walking vacation but, since the Camino is not well marked and ... read more

Day 6. We leave the beautiful equestrian town of Golega and proceed along the road toward Tomar. In spite of Brierley's directions to head east into the sun we missed one turn which did not take us to the correct intersection so had to travel up the road about the 300 or 400 metres to find the correct intersection. Here we saw our first Rota do Calvo e do Ribatejo sign marking the Camino route through this region of Portugal. We now follow an asphalt road to the village of São Caetano, on the Rio Tejo. In the 12th Century this area was given to the care of the Templar, by H. Alfonso Henriques, as a reward for their part in the defensive system against the Spanish and Arab Invaders. For a time it became the ... read more

August 27 Saturday. Azambuja to Santarem Karen here----this is one of those 'poor me' days that just seems to bring out the worst in one!!! Unless you want to read about surly train comductors and hotel receptionists that can bring one to tears, skip on down to Harlan's section!!? Yes, I am having a different Camino experience! We are off to the train station to buy me a ticket. The station is open but there is not a ticket agent. Harlan keeps trying to purchase a ticket via a machine that will not cooperate. We eventually think this machine is for travel going south only. We are still stymied when we use a machine on the train overpass. However, Harlan buys a ticket for 6 Euros. we validate the ticket on a machine and I get ... read more

25 August, Thursday. About 16 miles. We leave our nice hotel after discussing options for travel that day. It is decided that I will take the train to the area nearest our next lodging. My wheeze and cough are still my constant companions and I want to be fit by the time we reach Oporto. Jo and Harlan will flit along the Camino. No one is attending train station in Santa Iria de Azoia. So we walk the road N-10 to the station at Povoa. We find the nearby train station, Povoa Santa Iria. It is very confusing and the hotel desk clerk has warned me there are suburban trains, regional trains and local. Not all stop at a station. A station attendant tells me I have just missed one and then just disappears. Since I ... read more