Clouds clear for a walking day, though still open as to where after an early breakfast ... Amarante favourite, though tricky, and passing the railway station, where an option to ride back to Porto and pick up the Fatima arrows was considered ... the legs decided to stretch and we picked out an interesting route off main roads all morning ... and maybe added some kilometres to an already long day ... since the terrain is quite populated, with village after village, seeking advice from locals ... tuning in to the language, slowly picking it up ... the halfway town, Felgueiras, arrives by noon, and just before, by a bar, Frederic smiles, asks ... Fatima? He is planning to walk the Northern Way to Santiago in April or May ... existential crisis ... 40, French national, born of Portuguese parents, fluent in English as well as French and Portuguese ... Portugal calling, specifically Fuseta, on the Algarve, where the family have a holiday home .. a warm connection over coffee ... blog shared ... plenty of Camino inspiration there ... he goes off for lunch with the school friend he is visiting ... and approaching the long awaited Felgueiras, a lunch stop, bacalhau declined, cheese omelette with potatoes and rice negotiated ... and chocolate cake ... on through town at 3pm , with 17 km to Amarante, sun shining, legs willing and hotels not appearing ... plenty in Amarante and arriving there before dark unlikely, so head down and hit the main road ... mostly safe enough, though the last hour as sun set, on twisting road and thin hard shoulder a little hairy, even with fluorescent arm band and head torch to preserve the walker territory ...
Amarente looks a handsome town, even in the dark ... the hotel in the centre, with a small room overlooking the river is a bargain €20 ... the cheese roll stashed from breakfast enough to save leaving the comfortable bed ... no idea about the morning, though a little time exploring Amarante seems a good idea ... the mountain beyond, towards Viseu, has snow on it and anyway looks too long for one day ... some research required ... and there is wifi ...
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