After a very peaceful night and a generous breakfast it was out before 8 and head down for 3 hours, along cobbled lanes, sandy tracks and occasional hard shoulder adventures ... one of which involved another of those pilgrim dogs ... small, bright, silent (unlike the house bound barkers) and trotting along fearlessly in the road, forcing traffic to swerve or wait ... no pics this time, they're not keen ... a good test for equanimity, since there was nothing to be done but trust whatever guardian angel the perrogrino had looking after him ... until finally he disappeared. ...
At the first coffee stop, Lyn and Alan, pensioner pilgrims from Australia are happy to hear the latest theories about what's going on ... keen walkers, they did the French Way two years ago and the Coast to Coast in Northern England ... this time it's Porto to Tui ... and since that's the other way, we part after photos ...
More plodding, cobbles keeping the pace down, but with more life than the dreaded tarmac ... passing a few pilgrims ... and just when the legs are calling for a break and the stomach for a refill, a restaurant appears, full of locals ... a filling meal with a risky glass of wine or two all for €5.50 ...and a very warm chat in a mixture of French, English and Portuguese ...
The mind is fixed on Porto, since it is warm and sunny and rain forecast for tomorrow ... but not walking all the way ... over 50 ... finding the metro to skip the last 10 or so through the city. .. as the day draws in, a rest and drink in a bar, checking metro location and the bar owner offers to drive me ... a long enough train journey, then an hour along the river to the Youth Hostel, which has a bed for tonight, though not tomorrow ... some big youth event ...
A-musing along the way about the many possibilities ... and the probabilities, the possibilities which are more propitious ... waiting to be brought forth ... the proximity to an international airport offering a surprise trip to neglected daughters, friends and erstwhile neighbours. .. the much improved Fatima signage ... blue arrows now with white background and Fatima written on ... plus intriguing blue spirals ... the route appeals as the default option for now ... then there are buses across to Penamacor, Jan and her friends .... south to Tavira if the weather deteriorates ... let's see what tomorrow brings ... maybe another day in Porto ... another hostel ...
For now, it's late, the Hostel has the complicated WiFi meaning a trip to a bar for your update .... though no bar appears nearby ... and my room mate turns out to be David, last seen in Flora's Bar in Mos ...
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