Living local, living free.

Breakfast is a pastry and coffee from the baker on the edge of the village.  From there we take the road to Rabaçal. Yesterday we saw a fire in the distance, towards where we are heading. On the tv at the bakery we see it is near Coimbra. There is still some smoke on the horizon which makes for a very red sunrise but no sign of an active fire like yesterday. There is even some fog as we walk through the next little village.  We reach Rabaçal and take a break. This area is known for it's cheese and we see several types for sale. As we continue through the town we have to stop to let a small herd of goats pass on their way to be milked.

We lose the arrows as we are leaving town and have to backtrack and ask for directions. The next section takes us through farm lanes to Zambujal, where we eventually find it's shop and stop for something to eat. We see some cheese in the display and ask for some local cheese. After sorting out that we want about half a block the woman sends her daughter off. After a few minutes she returns with some cheese. It is home made by the woman, and it seems that we are buying blackmarket. It is not officially for sale as it is not 'stamped'.  We ask for some bread and again the daughter disappears for several minutes before returning with several types. We pick a big round loaf and she goes off once more to slice it for us.  The woman suggests a place further along the way where there is a font as a good place to stop and eat. She says it is 15 minutes away. We decide to sit on the benches in the town square. The bread and cheese are amazing. The cheese is slightly crumbly and has a sharp smell. As we pass the font 45 minutes later we are glad we didn't wait till we got there. That woman is either very fit or used to having someone else do all her walking. I suspect the later.

The day is getting hotter and we slow our place. We reach a Roman ruin at 3pm and have a little look around before heading on. At 4pm we cross a roundabout. It is the first piece of grass we have encountered in a public place that we can remember for the whole trip. We lie down and make ourselves very comfortable under the shade of a chestnut tree.

We still have 6.5kms to reach our destination, a Jesuit college we were told yesterday accepts pilgrims. As we enter a more suburban area the arrow system seems to change. After a while we come to a fork in the road and one way is suggested by a yellow arrow and the other by the new system. As my guide says there are some temporary routes through here due to some construction we decide to go with the new. After 200 metres and old man greets us and starts pointing is back towards the old way. We are not sure whether to go back, but he is quickly backed up by two more people so we go with local knowledge, which turns out to be a good choice.

We pass a fig tree with a ripe fig on it. There have been many so far on the side of the road. I pick it and break it open. It looks good. Carlos has never had one so I get him to try it. I had him try blackberries earlier. You could almost survive off the road pickings if you timed it well.

As we pass through our final village before our destination we meet a pilgrim coming the other way. He is Italian and has walked the Camino Francis, is now walking to Fatima, then Lisbon, Madrid and then back to Santiago! He says it is a circus in and around Santiago, but the coast at Finisterre and Muxia is better. It will be interesting to see how I find it.

We reach the college at 6:45 and find it shut. Carlos asks at a shop while I see what our alternatives are. They are 7 to 10kms away. News from the shop is better. There is another gate and they do take pilgrims. We walk around and find a gate that isn't locked. It's a big place with a school on one side, big houses on the other, and a lake in the middle. It is also empty. At the second house we try a woman answers and then tells us to wait. Eventually a priest comes and we are told that yes we can stay tonight. We are fortunate,  Lorenzo tells he has only returned today and is going camping tomorrow. The place we have tonight is a beautiful little house in front of the lake. We shower and go out to eat. Tomorrow we have only a short walk and we will enter Coimbra.

Day 9 is done.

Today's photos: 1. Giving way to goats. 2. Lunchtime view back over our morning walk.