Staying cool in Portugal

The temperature today is predicted to reach 40 degrees so both Carlos and I are keen to try to do a lot of our walking early so we can then take it slow in the afternoon. Since we have stayed in separate places we meet up at 6:30am and find a coffee on the way out of town. We walk through the hills till 11am when we reach Ansião. We have walked 14km and it is definitely time for breakfast. I introduce Carlos to the word 'brunch'. It is now getting really hot and so on our way out of the town we find a shop that sells ice creams and we both enjoy a lime ice block. It's hard not to walk back and get another once I am done, but we keep going north. Definitely north. We are both grateful that the way is well marked today. As we reach the next village we see that a parked truck is a fruit and fish seller. I'm not so interested in the fish but buy some oranges to eat through the day. Walking on a day like this gives space to appreciate some very simple things.

As we are walking through a forest section we are met by two pilgrims heading the other way. They have start in Coimbra and are walking to Fatima. Ten minutes later we greet two more. It's a pilgrim rush hour, but it ends quickly. We are yet to see anyone else going our direction. Both of us are glad we had been able to walk together over the last few days. Even something as simple as eating is far more enjoyable with company. I have certainly found out more about local food and customs and of course I am now expecting so much more from the Spanish part of my walk. I may have also given Carlos the impression that Australia is full of things that can kill you, so perhaps we should expect a drop in Spanish tourists in the coming years.

We arrive at our lunch stop, 6kms later, at 2pm. We have definitely slowed down and taken a lot of little breaks, mainly to let our feet cool down. We still have 13kms to go.

We reach the next town, Alvorge, at 5pm. We are still 10km from our goal of Rabaçal. We go into the local snack bar and find that the woman there can speak both Spanish and English. She asks us if we are staying at the church as it has pilgrim accomadation, which we don't know about. It's new and it's free. After a coke and another ice block we both decide to stop here for the night. She makes a phone call and tells us that someone is there to let us in. And so we find the easiest way to stay cool on a 40 degree day; stop walking in the sun.

It's a new hall next to the church with the 8 beds and showers and toilet around the back and underneath. For Carlos, who has been staying in halls all the way, this is luxury. I think it's the best shower I have had in Portugal.

We go back to the shop for dinner. This is a beautiful little town. Earlier we talked to an English couple that had moved here to retire and I can see the attraction, it's not just that the weather is better for them. People keep appearing through the evening and everyone says 'boa tarde' as they acknowledge each other's existence. It is so much nicer than the bigger towns where people will walk past without looking. The husband and wife who own the shop are incredibly helpful. They also keep a guest book with greetings from pilgrims. It gives us a chance to see that there have been some others passing through recently, but again it is mostly towards Fatima.

Eventually we head to bed, after the shop husband has walked us to the bakery to show us where we can get breakfast and knocked on his door to ask him when he will be open.

Alvorge is the nicest village in Portugal. Day 8 is done.

Today's pictures: Walking through an olive grove. A disappointingly dry well.