It's HOT!

The last few days have been very pretty, and fairly easy walking, except for the heat.  This means that things in the albergue start moving anywhere from just after 5am - even though the sun doesn't rise till around 7.30.  
Just on sunrise
About to hit the sun!

Because I pulled the plug on my original plan of walking from Fátima I have ended up with about 5 spare days.  This has meant that I have had the luxury of walking small distances of 10 - 15 kms each day.  That is the upside.  The downside is that I am unlikely  to see the people I meet each day, as they are travelling considerably further than me at present.  The other part of this that is a bonus is that with less distance to travel, and leaving about sunrise, I get to walk in the cool of the morning, when the shadows are long, and before the real heat of the day begins after lunch.  What, for me, makes the heat more pronounced is the humidity.   From about 10.30 / 11.00, we all arrive at the rest stop, the Cafe, etc, dripping!
Some shade, but the higher the sun, the less shade thrown by Olive trees. 
A windmill (now a place of accomodation), on the way to Rabaçal. 
The church at Zambujal (above and below),  with its beautiful tiles.  Managed to sing for two of my companions here .
The church at Rabaçal,  also with tiles.  There quite a few cracks, and couldn't help but think of an earthquake!  I have been lucky this journey as I have been able to sing in quite a few churches, including this one.  Wooden ceilings are common.

Having said the humidity is high, I have to say the countryside is VERY dry.  The vines look parched, the land is certainly dry, and even in the cities, the gardens look as if they are calling out for a good drenching.  Every creek, river, and pond that I cross or pass is bone dry, except for the town I had to detour to tonight to find a bed.  This town is Condeixa-a-Nova.  I have walked past what look like drains, where water is flowing strongly.  I can hear water running in drains under the road, and even the river itself has a small amount of water flowing.   I guess the fact that I am commenting on it indicates how unusual it is, so far, to hear running water.  Having said that, some of the fountains etc in the town are not looking as healthy as they might.
Condeixa-a-Nova. This is obviously, with its sloping stone, a washing place.  The few places like this I have seen elsewhere have had either no water, or only a few inches of stagnate water in them.
Condeixa-a-Nova (above, below)

This is limestone territory, probably explaining the dry nature of the land, as water would filter through very quickly.  It is also olive territory,  and some vines.  The villages are small,  and getting smaller with the passing years.  A man I spoke to on the bus several days ago told  me that in Rabaçal, famous for its cheese, the population has dwindled from around 600 a few years ago to just 200.

Making an early start this morning, even before sunrise, but just light, I was feeling the heat by about 10.30, lining up each patch of shade to make the best of it.  At about the halfway point blue strips of plastic started to appear, followed shortly after by red-faced trail runners leaping along the path.  Their trail took them uphill and down hill, on smooth tracks, narrow tracks, and rocky tracks.  I was a tortoise  - slow and steady - many of them were much faster.  I wasn't enjoying myself as I slogged up a hill in the sun, and I couldn't for the life of me see how running in those conditions would give them pleasure.  
trail runners - on a flat bit.
On the outskirts of the village of Fonte Coberta there was a lovely rest stop for pilgrims.
These beads would be a bit tricky to carry!

Conimbriga, the town where I wanted to stop, but which had no beds available, is the site of a massive Roman settlement.   The site is huge, and quite impressive.  Because I had to go on a sideways detour I wandered around the site in the heat of the day - there was no way I was coming back 2kms to see it!  I will let the photos tell the story.
Ancient, and more modern.
Restored fountains

I find the cost of accomodation interesting.  In Ansião I had a huge room with my own ensuite for €25.  In Alvorge I was in a dormitory for €15, and Rabaçal I had my own room, but with a shared bathroom for €40.  Tonight, I have my own (hot) room, with half an ensuite (shower and basin), with a shared toilet for €20.
€25
€15
€20

An interesting postscript, that I am still chucking over.  Three times in the last three days I have been asked if I was a nun!  I guess it makes a change from people assuming I am allemagne (German)!  Have to be careful or else I might be mistaken for the singing nun of the 60's - though she is a few years my senior.



Comments

  1. B&I Step By Step3 October 2023 at 00:20

    We're once again enjoying a great adventure from afar. Wishing you continued safe, if not cooler travels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet3 October 2023 at 13:27

      If only ..... 36° on Friday and Saturday. Cool change on Sunday 35°! You know the deal - early starts, early finishes. The trouble is that with the heat here, also comes humidity.

      Delete

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