Sao Teotonio to Aljezur

Early and plentiful breakfast at the Sao Teotonio Hotel ... places laid for two and the other one has not appeared ... out before 8 into a misty morning ... route easy enough to pick up ... along a gully with a recently fallen tree, tricky for cyclists ... even without the tree ... a wet weather alternative route is offered and accepted and eases the way to a double stage day ... at the expense of the splendid scenic view ... and clearly slicing a few kilometres off the 17, since Sao Miguel and coffee arrives before 11 ... Jose arrives with his wife and parents ... he works for the Vicentina Way association and is on his day off ... picking medronhos for hooch ... surprised at the speed from Sao Teotonio, disappointed at the short cut reason ... and defensive about suggestions for cheaper beds ... a strand of tourism professional policy is to raise the quality of tourists and the money each one spends, rather than increase the number of cheapskates. .. you can see the point with the mass tourism of the coast ... though the pilgrim routes sustain low cost hostels in  increasing numbers ... some research required on who walks the Vicentina and its sister the Algarviana ... a very posh hotel along today's route, Enigma, along with quite expensive farm stays suggest there is a market for a better class of walker ... though whether they are backpacking the whole way is a question ... maybe supported by onward baggage and taxi rides ...

At Odeceixe is the Algarve and a steep walk up through town to pick up the irrigation canal for most of the way to Aljezur ... basking frogs and turtles leaping into the water ... cyclists warned not to ... warm again and far enough for one day ... at the Amizagh Hostel some conviviality with Sebastian from Chile, Harry from Holland ... both volunteers here ... and Guy, an Englishman much travelled around Africa and the Caribbean. ... looking for an investment safe from the coming world financial crash ... of which more tomorrow ... meanwhile, here's the photograph ...then John arrives, having been wandering lost for 36 hours in the mountains ...