Agueda – Albergaria-a-Nova 21.7km

Breaking Rules

Yesterday we broke the rule. We walked past the first open café. Not a good idea. It was almost two hours before we found an open one. Today however the rule didn’t hold. After coffee and a pastry at the first open café,  we passed open cafés and Pastelerias one after the other.

A Snapshot of Today

A beautiful home with tiles covering every external wall.

Tiled house in Portugal
Tiled Home

Another busy road on a misty morning.  At least we had a barrier between us and the traffic.

Road walking on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Protected from the busy road

More pumpkins,

Pumpkins in Rural Portugal
Pumpkin Season

heather,

Heather in Rural Portugal
Brightness in a sea of trees

growing in eucalyptus plantations,

Eucalyptus plantation in Portugal
Eucalyptus Plantation in Portugal

and the modern version of the communal washing area:

Clothes washing on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Modern Facilities for clothes washing

Problems with Accommodation

When we arrived at the promised Albergue it wasn’t all it had been made out to be. Instead of a Pensao and dormitory sleeping arrangements,  it was a home with the upstairs rented to three 15yr old girls studying at a local school.

They kindly agreed to share the spare double room and their bathroom. A room in the house downstairs also sharing a bathroom and a room in the flatlet out back where an older drama student lives.

There were nine pilgrims and not enough beds!  After much discussion and confusion five of us stayed and four got a lift to the next town.

Accommodation on the Portuguese Camino de Santiago
Where will we sleep tonight?

When you don’t book ahead you make do with what there is. Or walk a lot further. Tonight we’ll finally use our sleeping bags!

Next Post: Albergaria-a-Nova to Sao Joao de Madeira

 

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