For me, the beautiful and delightful walk started AFTER Azambuja....and I stopped at the Quinta Marchanta in Ponte de Muge for two nights which I very much enjoyed and treasured. then walked to Santarem and stayed at marvelous Hostel ....thanks to Mario and what he has created there. Highly to recommend.
The Quinta is not mentioned in the
Brierley book.... But it does exist. The owner, Graca, has a website on facebook i believe. It is a lovely midpoint stop-over between Azambuja and Santarem.
Brierly is NOT the "bible" . often I called it the mis-guide-book and actually by now stopped using it (am in Tui right now).
In Porto i took the bus#500 , leaving from praca liberdade, costs 1.80 euro, and drives along the Douro river, offering beautiful views...( we preferred that to the metro ride). Bus ends at Mercado... And From there, matasinhos , we walked...mostly delightful..often on wooden boards...which my feet loved.
After Vila Cha, some local pranksters perhaps, painted yellow arrows to misguide. We walked in circles...also...the kilometers provided in the book very often don't match the kilometers one actually has to walk to get from A to B.
It is an approximation...not just my experience but of very many people i have spoken to. Either at the albergues or during the day, walking...
I would either way recommend not to walk out of Lisboa nor Porto but get some transport to avoid the worst bits.
( in porto a young czech woman told me in dismay and somewhat in tears about her ordeal leaving porto weeks earlier, and how she was frightened by the very fast and massive traffic. " how can they recommend this to pilgrims???"
She had no guidebook and just followed the arrows, not knowing what to expect.
Get info, make informed decisions, and get going on YOUR caminho.
You know yourself best/better....
I knew i do not appreciate fast and lots of traffic while walking on noisy streets...so i decided to skip that part, regardless of how many guidebooks deem it as ok or part of the caminho.
I have been in portugal and lisbon several times and seen the industrial bits before...was not keen on exploring those on foot myself.
Have a most wonderful time.... Hope you will still get to see all those amazing wildflowers when you start your caminho...
Bom caminho....
