Ansião to Conimbriga (21.10 miles/33.98 km)

It turned out to be a very long and hot day today, but I really did not have much choice. It

started out with a great breakfast at the hotel, which made the stay well worth it. Fresh eggs, turkey bacon, fresh whole wheat breads, fresh cut mango and pineapple, and lots more just to name a few things. I wanted it all but found that I just can’t eat very much. You would think that because the calories I am burning I’d eat a lot. With the heat I haven’t had much of an appetite during the day and have not eating much.

I hit the Camino at 7:30 with an optimistic outlook because what I thought would be an easier day due to the cooler weather and fewer climbs. It was cooler, but it still hit 100 degrees (38c) by 1:00.

I met an American couple, Bart and Lisa, from New Orleans and walked with them part of the today.

As usual on the Camino Portuguese, the distance you trek every day is dependent on where you can find lodging. I had stopped at Zambuzal, where there was an albergue but it was too early in the day at 1:00 to stop, so I went further. I ran into Bart and Lisa again at a house where they were renting a room, and the owner had nothing else available except a tent. I don’t actually mind a tent, but one set up in the sun when it is 100 degrees is not what I wanted.

At that point I had no other choice but to trek another six miles in the heat to Conimbriga, and an albergue, the only lodging available. Interesting, I passed a large open field where some volunteers supporting for the Camino Fátima had set up four various size tents for pilgrims. It was free, or a donation, but there was no water or an actual bathroom, other than toilet set up in a tent. Again, I would have considered using them, but it was still hot and they were in the direct sunshine.

It was still in the nineties the whole time trekking to Conimbriga and I did not get there until 5:30. I was hesitant staying in another albergue, especially since it was the only one in a great distance so I thought it would be full. I had called the owner and he sounded very nice, so I had my hopes up, and it turned out to be a very nice place.

The albergue was on a residential street and behind the owner’s new modern house. His wife, a kindergarten teacher, was very warm and friendly, something I needed as I was pretty tired. Surprisingly, I was the only one there and had the pick of beds, until a French woman, Marie, walked in a few minutes later.

I had planned to walk to the store, about a half mile away, after I finished my usual chores. Before I had a chance to start waking, the owner came out and offered to drive me to the super mercado since I didn’t have any food. I was pretty tired and those were sweet words to my ears. I was back within a half hour with dinner and supplies for tomorrow.

Mariam, the French Pilgrim, was very friendly yet speaks no English, so it didn’t seem like she was even there. So it turned out to be a good albergue experience.

Tomorrow I will reach Coimbra, the third largest city in Portugal. It is only about eleven miles and I will have that same decision again as to whether to stay at Coimbra or go an extra six miles to the only other lodging for twenty miles. I will see how I feel tomorrow?

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.

If you would like to see the Alzheimer’s Association website, see our team page, and donated, please go to:

act.alz.org/goto/tedstrek

Leaving Ansião

The Camino outside of town

Beautiful scenery today

Commuter traffic was pretty busy today

A little friend came up to say hello to me. This guy I really liked! Now let’s see, two cats, and now this little guy (Camino), I could fit into the Wheelie and take home with me?

Walking through a little different pine forest

Its a steep uphill that does not show in this photo!

Walling through a small village. Even the smallest village has a church

Scenery was nice, but hard to appreciate when it’s 100 degrees

Fig trees grow wild here and they are such a quick sweet energy food

Are we there yet? Not another uphill!

Through one more small village before Conimbriga

Finally at the albergue

The owner’s beautiful house

Kitchen

My bed, far lower right. Marie’s was the near single one on the left

Bath

Nuno, the wonderful owner who drove me to the super mercado

Look at that elevation gain! My my absolute most hated roller coaster ups and downs!

My trek today

My trek today

My long trek today