Blogs from Central, Portugal, Europe - page 6

The sun has arisen this morning in a bright blue sky which makes it look good for a day of travel further south to a rural location inland from Nazare. We did question ourselves as to whether we were OK to be driving given how this bug had struck us but we decided that we were just going to take our time and get in plenty of stops on the way. Gretchen wasn’t really up to driving so I will take the responsibility for the day. With the worst of the bug behind us we made several trips up and down in the little two person lift in the apartment building. The lift was one of those where you manually opened the outer door to enter the lift chamber. It was a tight squeeze for the ... read more

It was just a few hours drive in the blazing sunshine over the border into Portugal. We left the highly colourful soils and found yellow as far as the eye could see. Fields after fields. A few green trees livened up the scene but not by much. Some olive trees and the odd orange or lemon grove. We saw sheep and cows with enormous horns. Ugly things they were too. We were heading for Elvas. Parking was going to be near its aqueduct. It is possible to stay overnight but we were just going to use it as a stop to give the town a once over. The parking should have been easy to find but Elvas was and is highly fortified with Vauban style walls and forts. Gateways pierce the walls and are only wide ... read more

It's always the case that the camino will re-teach you what you should already know. Sunday's on the Iberian Peninsula are quiet. Very, very quiet. Kel and I left Tomar this morning and walked on quiet roads passing through quiet hamlets. These would have been quiet in the middle of the week, but on Sunday they were positively funereal. We passed the last cafe on the route at 10 and to survive until we arrived at Alvaiazere this afternoon at 3.00 on a bag of crisps, a can of lemon ice tea and some hideous chocolate in bread thing we bought at a service station. Every cafe in town is closed. The only restaurant opening nearby tonight we thought opened at 6.30. It opens at 7.30. We are re-learning patience - and living with hunger. Cheers ... read more

hi 8.30pm here in the dinning room at the hostel Nazare . guppy is not behaving himself so am using the computer here at the hostel. have been able to catch up with the champions league games.... Manchester City is down 2 . 0 to Barcelona and that is at half time. Has been a great day here in Nazare ..... a bit cloudy and windy but good for walking so up the hill to Silio and on the sealed footpath for about three hours walking between the forest of pine an eucalptus trees..... some had recently been cut down so the smell was good there. and arrived at the village of Vale Furado small with about 20 houses and two cafe come restaurants both of which were closed..... so down about 50 steps to the ... read more

Hi. 8.30PM and in the dinning room here in Nazare hostel. Had some lasagna for tea with salad and bread. Brought a dish of it from the supermarket today and it may even last four days if I am Lucky. Up late and had a shower then breakfast..... then to the supermarket to get the lasagna and salad to put in the fridge before heading out again. Very windy day and went to the information centre to find out about buses to Lisbon on Thursday... one at 12.20PM so will probably take that one ... 120km at 11 euros... Walked south past the marina to find a spot out of the wind which I finally succeeded. Enjoyed the sights and sounds for a few hours then continued on my walk. Up the hill and through the ... read more