2025 -Day 7 - Alvaiázere - Ansião

Scores on the doors 20.36 Miles, 32.77 KM

We hadn’t had a great nights sleep, a combination of it being to hot and the AC being on a timer that only worked for 1/2 hour and the night receptionist chattering away and the sound coming straight up the stairwell to our room.  We were up, breakfasted, and out by about 9, leaving Tomar which with such a long day we hadn’t had a chance to explore, we probably need to have a touring holiday of Portugal to visit many of these towns properly.   We had a choice of routes so went for the “summer route” which started along side a disused canalbefore walking along side a river., we stopped to strap up Lesley’s blisters, and Sonya and Elaine came by and we had a chat, before they carried on, we were then overtake by Wendy and Paul from Stockport (They live near the Hospital where my ankle was repaired after my broken ankle 20 years ago).  At one point the path had a split and Elaine and Sonya had made and arrow to show us the way (we didn’t see it but took the correct path!).  When we caught them up they had met Wendy and Paul and were chatting.  As is the way of the Camino we all went at our own pace and soon parted for a while, soon we were off the forest tracks and back onto tarmac, as it wasn’t long into the journey we didn’t stop at the first bar but continued on for another 1/2 hour or so up hill, stopping at a village water fountain, with a box of free oranges for pilgrims, we both took one and put in our rucksacks for later, eventually we came to a little bar where we had coke and coffee, and to cheer her up I bought Lesley a bag of Gummy Bears.  We said our goodbyes and plodded up the road.  Eventually we were back on forest tracks, and came to a dividing of the ways.  left (the route in our books) was straight up and the sign then said mostly on tarmac. The second route was straight on to Areias along mostly forest tracks, so obviously we chose the latter, although the sign didn’t report comparative distances.  It was a pleasant walk (fully way-marked) through woods with mixed shade and then an agricultural area before we emerged on a minor country road, where we stopped to eat our oranges and sandwich, which (along side an ibuprofen for Lesley’s feet) gave us a new lease of life.  Walking through Areias we stoped at some immaculate municipal toilets, before taking the road that lead to the Tojal cross road and the other route.  On the way a voice from a nearby garden wished us a Bom Dia, which was a bit strange as it was late afternoon an we would expect a Boa tarde, they turned out to be British, obviously at their holiday home, after some pleasantries we carried on, shortly leaving the roan and walking through woods of eucalyptus and Cork trees, eventually dropping down to the Tojal crossroads to regain the tarmac.  It was then a 3.3 Km walk to the next waypoint along the side of one of the bigger roads, to the hamlet of Cortiça, where if we were really suffering we had planed to get a taxi to Alvaiázere.  On the way we walked for a bit with two ladies from New Zealand, on reaching Cortiça it was only 5pm and we were doing OK, the guide said it was only  6.8 Km to Alvaiázere if we followed the way marked path, however, looking at Google maps if we carried on up the hill it would only be 5KM, the NZ ladies asked us about the options and decided to follow the way-marks whilst we followed Google maps (my reasoning is that a) the route of the Camino is always changing, and b) the original pilgrims would have walked our way, and the path has moved to avoid traffic and c) a Camino is a personal journey (like the coast to coast) so you can choose the route for yourself). Eventually after about 3.5 km we rejoined one of the official route, and out popped in front of us but Wendy and Paul, who seemed surprised to see us, they soon forged ahead.  Then on the outskirts of Alvaiázere I spotted a supermarket so we popped in and bought some beers for later and some Pepsi to rehydrate.  10 mins later two tired pilgrims arrived at our accommodation, of O Bras.  Then the fun started as we couldn’t find any one to check in with, there restaurant was closed and the reception area of the Accommodation was devoid of people, eventually we found a bell by a store room, and pressed it, a lad popped his head out of the store and we said we were with Santiago Ways, he shouted this back to his boss who repeated it like a mantra, I thought he said Jeremy and then beckoned us to follow him but not back to the accommodation block but up to the big house behind.  He took us in and up a wide staircase and into a bedroom with our bags in it.  We agreed a time for our evening meal and breakfast and he left us.  After he left I immediately noticed the wardrobes were filled with clothes, I opened the top draw of my bed side cabinet to be confronted with a full draw, topped with a picture of the owners wife holding their baby at its baptism, on the dressing table there were religious statues and we realised we had been accommodated in the owner’s bedroom!  

After showers and beers we headed to the restaurant, where we were asked fish or pork?  Lesley went Fish, I went Pork, but first came veg soup, then the main which had been grilled, with potatoes and Salad, washed down with a bottle of Mateus Rose, followed by Chocolate mouse and Flan and coffee, grand cost of £26.00 we then headed back to the room for a beer and bed.