2025 - Day 4 - Azambuja to Santarém

scores on the doors 21.3 miles 37.18 KM, 7.04 hours walking

Last night

At around 7 we were joined by Sonya and Elaine who were also staying at Casa do Alfaro and after a chat we went in to dinner sharing a table, and were served cheese and bread, and then roast pork with rice and a green salad.  Washed down with some local wine and lots of good conversation,  and Portuguese pronounciation lessons from the lady who served us.  

We are all a bit apprehensive about our 4, 20 mile days, but tried to put a positive spin on it!  After a pleasant evening we headed up to our rooms to prepare for tomorrow. 

Day Four

We were down for breakfast for 8:30 when it was ready, and after settling up waited for our taxi, which came shortly after 9, and so we said good bye to Casa do Alfaro ,

 

and along with Sonya and Elaine, were wizzed down to the station for the start of our epic walk, 40% on tarmac and 60% on farm tracks.  After leaving the station and the outskirts of the town we followed a road on a purpose built cycle and walking track, before crossing a small river which we followed on farm tracks for a few miles past the local aerodrome, before hitting tarmac again, where we met an Australian lady trying to waterproof her trainers with sellotape, the tarmac lasted for another 15 km of road walking, where every few feet Lesley stopped to move snails off the road.  After two hours we stopped for coffee, in the hamlet of Reguengo.  In Valda we passed the church where a hearse was outside and a funeral taking place on a Sunday.  For many miles the road was overshadowed by flood defences protecting the low lying properties from the Targus, 

which, whilst sometimes over a mile away could rise many meters when in spate.  Sometimes we walked along the top of the defence for a change in the textures under our feet, 

as the constant tarmac is wreaking havoc with our feet!

Then for the first time in this trip we hit proper farmland, miles of flat open fields growing all sorts of crops from grapes, to tomatoes to brassicas, following farm tracks, much gentler under foot.  

The day was a mixture of drizzle and sudden downpour, wind and brilliant sunlight, each change happening quickly meaning we had to be quick in donning cagoules and judging when it was going to be a few spots and when it was going to be a deluge!! 

At about fifteen miles we stoped for lunch where, in he middle of nowhere was a swing for pilgrims, which of course I tried out! 

Eventually we saw Santarem in the distance, and slowly getting closer, and after a final ascent we were in town, Santarem is where the Camino to Fatama and the Camino to Santiago which had traveled together from Lisbon split, and go their separate ways 

 

After over seven hours and 21 miles we got to our hotel.

Their offering was Japanese/Peruvian fusion food, but looking at the menu and prices it dint appeal, and as our room is actually an apartment with a cooker and all the facilities, we headed to the supermarket and picked up wine, beer and pizza, and stayed in and watched two episodes of Extreme dreams before going to bed.