Walking the Camino de Santiago

August 22-

“When I wake up in the morning
After dreaming of your face
And then the sun shines down your light straight to me
It’s like you’ve never went away. I hear your voice
And it brings me to my knees
Just when I needed
You’re so close I can feel it
I hear your voice” – Loren Allred

The sun is an artist in the morning with its colors of orange, red, and purple, but boy does it turn mean with heat in the Portugal afternoon. Today is one of those days where I either had to choose to walk a long distance or a shorter one due to lack of accomodations in between. Given the weather was forecasted to reach as high as of 107 degrees today, I chose the shorter route. 🥵 Even though I was up super early this morning and on the trail by 5am, it’s the heat I’m trying to avoid, no matter how early I end up arriving at my destination for the day.

I never know when it’s going to happen, but there are times, in the stillness of the morning, where I know I’ve got a companion by my side in spirit, urging me onward and laughing about how she “would never have done something like this” or complaining about how dirty the trail is. This morning was that moment and it brought a tear and a smile to my face.

The trail this early is very quiet and still. There aren’t big freeways here like we have at home, so when you’re away from some of the major roadways, there is no white noise. It’s still.. it’s quiet.. except for the occasional rooster…It’s nice!

My host at the albergue last night left me pastries, fruit, and coffee to make myself this morning. She was a sweet woman in her 50’s who owns the place and lives on the top floor of the accommodation. I had also purchased supplies at the local store yesterday to make a sandwich. So this morning, I hurriedly made my lunch and got it all packed up in my backpack, gulped down my coffee and saved a croissant and peach for later when I stopped for a more “real” coffee. My goal today is to hurry up and get there. Once at my destination, I can enjoy the town, see the sites, and have something decent to eat. All without being worn out from the heat. Good strategy… let’s hope it works. 😉

The path this morning was primary on paved roads flanked by cornfields. As the sun started to rise, I came across the first town on todays journey, Golega. Considered the equestrian capital of Portugal, it is best known for its annual horse fair – the Feira Nacional do Cavalo – which runs for ten days at venues all over the town from early to mid November. A small but very quaint town, I was able to find a place open for a good coffee and eat my breakfast.

The masterpiece of this town is their church, Igreja Matriz da Golegã, built in the early 16th century in gothic style. Unfortunately, it was locked as I passed through this morning so I could only appreciate its exterior.

Leaving Golegã, the beautiful inlets from the river cool the path with a breeze and bring with it some amazing views. I can feel the sun starting to heat up the air around me though, so I’m focused on making it to my destination before it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

Once out of Golegã, the trail took a turn into rural farmland with a dusty dirt path. Sprinklers were on and watering the various agriculture (primarily corn fields) and you could smell the vegetation in the air as it got wet from the rotating sprinklers.

My destination for today required me to go off trail about a mile into the town of Via Nova Da Barquinha. There are no accommodations, other than in this town, for another 18 miles, so this is my stop for the day. I located a side road off the trail that led me into the main part of the town. I had arrived super early at 10:30am. So, I found the first cafe open and went inside to get a coke with ice and relax for a bit. I can’t check in at my hotel until 2pm, so I needed to find something else to keep me busy. This city is primarily modern with a lot of residential, restaurants, etc. No real cites to see per se. Since it was starting to heat up even this early in the day, the server at the cafe asked me if I’d like the Coke over ice with a lemon. Why yes I would! 😊 I didn’t even have to ask for ice! Yahoo! I savored that soda for a while, ate the ice, which helped me cool off, and then threw my back pack back on and headed further into the town square.

Still having a ton of time left, I spotted a Lavandaria (Laundry-mat) and decided I might as well wash all my dirty clothes while I waited. So in I went and washed everything I had (except what I was wearing) 2 Euro for the washer which includes soap, and 2 Euro for the dryer. Awesome!

Upon leaving the Lavandaria, the temperature outside had climbed to over 100. By the time I was able to check into my accommodations, the temp was now 107 degrees. So hot, you could smell the sun burning. I had managed to find a fully shaded park to hang out for a while prior to checking in, and it didn’t feel nearly as warm in the shade.

My thoughts: It’s funny how each day brings with it a different set of emotions. Of course, I’m always grateful to have this opportunity, but boy did this heat suck. I had many moments today where thinking on my feet and being prepared saved me from getting overheated with this weather. There were moments where I should have felt alone but didn’t. And times where I felt like throwing in the towel for a brief moment, but then realized how many people would love this opportunity and told myself to stop being such a baby.

I’m able to walk much further distances now. The only thing holding me back from doing just that is the heat. I’m looking forward to cooler days ahead. My plan is to reach Tomar tomorrow and have a rest day there as well. I’m looking forward to my first rest day. Now that I’ve showered and changed into my clean clothes, I’m off go to find me some dinner at a nearby restaurant.