Santarem

I had naively thought that Santarem station would be in Santarem. It wasn’t! I didn’t have an ounce of strength left to walk further. But lo and behold – outside the station was a taxi! As I hadn’t yet started the Camino, I said thank you to my guardian angel and hopped inside.

I had heard that the first part of the Portuguese Camino was a little solitary but hadn’t really believed it. it turns out it’s true.  At the hostel there was a delightful German girl and boyfriend – who were about to take a rest day because she was sick and he was exhausted – and a Portuguese biker who was not doing the Camino. So I had a whole dormitory to myself!  But no companions for my first day’s walk.

That evening I had fresh fish from the sea at a local family run restaurant.  Portugal’s national soccer team was playing Wales and everyone at the restaurant was watching it on TV – the fact that Portugal scored two amazing goals and won 2-0 added to the happiness quotient in the restaurant.  Back at the hostel, the game was still on and so I joined the hostel owner, the two Germans and the Portuguese biker to watch the finish and talk about politics.

This area of Portugal is known for its tiles – and Santarem is no exception.

Many of the houses are covered with tile on the outside.

This beautiful church is completely covered with tile on the inside!
In the morning I left at 6:30, soon after it was light.

1. The first photo below I took the previous evening – from the old castle walls looking down over the surrounding countryside, with today’s destination in the distance. The second photo shows the way out of the city on the  Camino. You go down the stairs, turn left behind the houses and there you find the archway known as’the gate to Santiago’. Once through the arch, the Camino to Santiago skirts the old castle walls and winds downhill. The previous evening, on my way to take the photo from the castle walls, a woman randomly ran after me to stop me and show me the way to the Santiago gate. At the time I wasn’t sure what she meant, but in the morning I realized she was telling me how to get to the Camino – and without her there was no way I would have found it.