Camino Portugues from Lisbon

[anniethenurse]

Four days en route - now in Santarem feeling good

 

[amorfati1]

Four days en route - now in Santarem feeling good

swoon - thanks for sharing!!
and happy trails! bom caminho!

 

[Gil A]

Walking out of Santarem with Annie today

 

[peregrina2000]

Annie, so happy to hear it´s going well. You've got great company with Brenda and Gil. Hugs to all of you.

Based on Karen and Dayton's experience a few days ago, you may have some problems with Santarem to Golega, hope you can take good notes so we can revise the guide -- if you can figure it out, that is! This is the section where Pombalinho and Azinhaga are at odds over the marking, and Karen's description sounds like it was a frustrating day. Sandy is a day ahead, I think, so maybe you will run into her. Bom caminho to you all, Laurie

 

[petitewalker]

Four days en route - now in Santarem feeling good

That looks like Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa. yum yum!!!!!!!!

 

[anniethenurse]

Annie, so happy to hear it´s going well. You've got great company with Brenda and Gil. Hugs to all of you.

Based on Karen and Dayton's experience a few days ago, you may have some problems with Santarem to Golega, hope you can take good notes so we can revise the guide -- if you can figure it out, that is! This is the section where Pombalinho and Azinhaga are at odds over the marking, and Karen's description sounds like it was a frustrating day. Sandy is a day ahead, I think, so maybe you will run into her. Bom caminho to you all, Laurie

Thank you for your comments.
Actually I walked today from Santarem to Pombalinho without no problem when it comes to the way marking.

Quite soon after you cross the rail tracks in Santarem you take to the right and walk your Camino over the cultivated land till just a few km before Vale de Figueira. The last kms are road walking. A local man from Santarem walked with us quite a bit and maybe that is why we do not think it was hard to find the arrows.

The first bar after Santarem is in Vale de F.
Then continue the yellow arrows through more cultivated land almost to Pombalinho. The last kms before P are road walking.
The next bar is in Pompalinho.
The Brierley guide 2014 is quite accurate concerning this etapa before Pombalinho.

The only problem right now is the heat because there are no other bars than those two I mentioned and there is nowhere to rest unless you want to lie down on the ground! Very little shade. Not many trees giving shade. But all is ok if you carry lots of water. It is off-season and all the bars are not open every day. The sun is burning hot so I am wearing long sleeves and SPF 50. I walked to Pombalinho and took the train back to Santarem and I am enjoying my time on the Camino right now at the Santarem Hostel for the second night in a row. Wonderful!

I don't think I will walk the 10 km before Golega tomorrow but it should not be a problem - follow the road.

The problem between Golega and Tomar are the missing yellow arrows and therefore poor way marking because eucalyptus forrest which has been cut down and the way marking has disappeared. That is what I have heard - I don't know if it is true!

Bon caminho
Annie

 

[anniethenurse]

That looks like Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa. yum yum!!!!!!!!

Yes, yesterday we were having delicious bacalhau with onion, garlic, egg, parsley, potatoes, olives and lots of olive oil. Bread, vino, coffee. And all that in good company of @Gil A and Brenda, Mario and his wife.

 

[anniethenurse]

@peregrina2000

http://gilcamino2.blogspot.pt/2015/05/day-10-to-vale-de-figueira.html?m=1

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh, thank you Annie, your comments have gone straight into my files for next year´s edition!

In that eucalyptus forest, if you can find the high voltage electricity transformer after crossing over the highway, you will be fine. Just look straight down, and the village you see below you is Grou. It´s a steep descent, but that´s where you want to go. Good luck amiga!

 

[maurice]

Bom caminho Annie!!!

 

[anniethenurse]

Look who has been in Tomar
@SandyLeone
Tonight Tomar

 

[peregrina2000]

Look who has been in Tomar
@SandyLeone
Tonight Tomar

So maybe you two will meet up, but Sandy is walking a long day today, probably to Alvaiazere. How was that eucalyptus forest, Annie? Did you get up to the convent? Are there other pilgrims with you now? Bom caminho, Laurie

 

[anniethenurse]

I walked today from Malo de Miraido (Pompalinho) where I stopped walking yesterday. And stopped walking in Atalaia.
So tomorrow morning back to Atalaia and walk from there to Tomar.
We have heard from several pilgrims that the way marking through the eucalyptus forest is good.

Will meet up tonight in Tomar with Lee Ray and Annemarie who are tonight staying at the Casa Patriarca and tomorrow walking to Tomar to the same hostel than me ( I have booked 3 nights).

I don't know where Sandy is right now.

Saturday evening planning for dinner with Gil and Brenda inTomar.

I am walking with Kirsten from Holland the three coming days and using the pick up service and cutting down the etapa after Tomar in two shorter days.

Today's walk from Pombalinho was ok.
See the pictures.
The weather is cooling down- only 27 today. Definitely not much shade.

Before Golega I walkedtheBrierley's alternative green route which is not way marked at all. Walking on Tarmac most of the time but through farm land and I traffic at all. Used google maps to see that I was walking in the right direction.
Recommend this route as a very good alternative for road walking along a busy arrow road to Golega.

 

[anniethenurse]

Ok - I walked through the eucalyptus forrest today. Kirsten and I started walking at 0820 this morning from Atalaia.
You walk down from the church, follow the yellow arrows up the hill and down across the highway.

Problems are here - somehow it is to see when to turn right steep uphill - there is an arrow formed of stones and painted yellow but you have to go real close to understand that you have to turn right uphill! And not continue straight ahead.

Continue as Brierley says till you come to a crossroads. Brierley tells us to take the central path - there are actually only two paths going forward. No yellow arrows at all. We continued straight ahead (this is what JB calls central path) and after a pretty long while there is a sign to the left and immediately right down into valley.

So the hardest part is from the big yellow arrow made of painted stones to the Quinta. After the Quinta everything is clear.

I was walking with Kirsten and two pairs of eyes were necessary to find to way.

It is a lovely walk with lots of shade and refreshing breeze in the heat way.

We met the two Virginians and Gil and Brenda en route today.

And we have little Camino family here in Tomar now.

Abrazos,
Annie