2022 Wednesday, Sept. 21

Tomar to Alvaiazere

Another very long day from Tomar to Alvaiázere. 21.23 mile hiking 8:04 am to 7:50 pm; total 22.5 miles for the day and 2,242 elevation gain. Whew!

2022  Portugal, Camino Portuguese

Click the link to watch today’s video: https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qkG2pPmKq

shaded pathway along the river out of Tomar
The pathway was shaded along the river after leaving Tomar city streets.
road out of Tomar
As we climbed away from the river, our shade was no more and the temperature rose steadily.
water font with a saint
Finally a font to replenish our water supply! There were very few services on this stage of the journey.
walking along the road
We also had to walk along the road, zigzagging to get the best roadside margin, and dodging traffic.
walking a quiet forest road in shade
Finally more shade in the late afternoon.
cobblestone road
Cobblestone roads are beautiful to see but create their own challenges for walking.
Linda from the US and Christian from France at Quinta da Cortiça (albergue)
We stopped at Quinta da Cortiça at an albergue simply to use the toilet. We were resting outside meeting Linda from the US and Christian from France.
lodging in Alvaiazere near Cafe O Bràs where meals were served
We arrived at dark but had dinner at Cafe O Bràs (connected with our lodging). Paul and Angelo from Australia and Duncan from Ontario, Canada were already in the cafe having dinner.

Comments:

Wanda Penner: I know my feet would scream walking on the cobblestone. How far back does that road date? How far did people walk in a day back in the 16th century? The original roads probably kept horses in mind. Lots of arches. 2022/09/23

Reply: I’m not crazy about the cobblestone nor tile pathways and consider them an invitation to fall. However, the worst so far have been the limestone paths as they are very uneven and usually steep. We haven’t seen any signs or information about Roman roads as we did on Camino Frances, but we always wander about the straight paths laid with stones and think of who might have laid them. There are Roman ruins nearby. 2022/09/23

Jim Constantin: Wow! Had to be a tough day with the mileage and elevation gain. Proud of you Cuz and Jan 2022/09/23

Wendy Hendry: Wow, that was some hike! Very proud of you both! 2022/09/23

Reply: Like many hikes, there were some pleasant times and some real slogs. Tough with no services! I hope places are able to come back after the COVID scourge. 2022/09/23