BLOG: Our daily adventures,
Week 10: Vaiqueros to Parque de Merendas
March 12th-March 18th
- Day 64: March 12th: Vaiqueros to Cachopo - 15 km
15 km done for a total of 765 + 15 km = 780 km
- Day 65: March 13th: Cachopo to Castelao - 20 km
Our campsite next to the river "Ribeira de Odeleite".
A mystical moon tonight: we've never seen such a perfect halo.
20 km done for a total of 780 + 20 km = 800 km
- Day 66: March 14th: Castelao to Barranco do Velho - 20 km
Little snack break in Parises at the only bar/restaurant of the village "O Fortes". They are selling a few things for us to do a food refill: apple, bananas, tomatoes, homemade cookies, ginger bread and...(miracle!)lindor chocolate..
3 inhabitants are trying to engage a conversation with us ..our limited Portuguese skills were apparently enough to semi-understand them..at the end of our chit-chat, they start to play cards with eachother and attempt to have us join the game. As it is impossible for us to understand the rules, we have to decline their invitation. As we are about to come back to our trail-hiking, one of them offers us a deck of cards for the road.
3 inhabitants are trying to engage a conversation with us ..our limited Portuguese skills were apparently enough to semi-understand them..at the end of our chit-chat, they start to play cards with eachother and attempt to have us join the game. As it is impossible for us to understand the rules, we have to decline their invitation. As we are about to come back to our trail-hiking, one of them offers us a deck of cards for the road.
20 km done for a total of 800 + 20 km = 820 km
- Day 67: March 15th: Barranco do Velho to Salir - 15 km
You can't see it but we are actually watching a soccer game: Lisbon against Amsterdam (Champions League)..exactly what Casey was dreaming of today...we are at Salir's football club mingling with the locals.
15 km done for a total of 820 + 15 km = 835 km
- Day 68: March 16th: Salir to somewhere past Benafim - 12 km
We start the day with a saharian sky...Fine particules of sand coming from Africa are now making their way on our clothes and gears and through our noses and eyes. Funny enough, we are in the town of "Salir" a perfectly suited name to experience this new climate-change induced phenomenon. My phone takes sepia-colored pictures without adding any filters...everything is turned into gold...
For our hungry stomach, this morning, even more gold: we have brunch at the restaurant "Janela da Serra" located just beside Salir's church. We ordered ourselves tapas: chicken samosas with tzatziki sauce, a Javali (wild bore) stew which tasted as if baked in mulled Wine...and an extra: cheese cake with yellow icing for Casey.
For our hungry stomach, this morning, even more gold: we have brunch at the restaurant "Janela da Serra" located just beside Salir's church. We ordered ourselves tapas: chicken samosas with tzatziki sauce, a Javali (wild bore) stew which tasted as if baked in mulled Wine...and an extra: cheese cake with yellow icing for Casey.
We counted... twenty...on the roof and inside the courtyard...loneliness must have really felt unbearable for this cat-owner to surround him/herself with such a clowder.
My turn to flower up my hairdo.
We arrive late afternoon in Benafim and have a well-deserved break ar Bruno's bar and its spooky live music stage. A full day of sniffing saharian sand isn't the greatest experience...our clothes and ourselves are covered with a yellow layer of dust.
The tree lady...legs sliding through the rocky wall.
12 km done for a total of 835 + 12 km = 847 km
- Day 69: March 17th: Somewhere past Benafim to somewhere past Terca - 14 km
First time seeing wild geraniums. Petite pensée pour ma grand-mère.
The Sahara's effect on our sunset tonight...the sky is on fire...a festival for our eyes.
14 km done for a total of 847 + 14 km = 861 km
- Day 70: March 18th: Somewhere past Terca to Parque de Merendas - 17 km
The inhabitants of Terca have built a little resting area for the passersby...a bench, Buddhist flags, cute little garden, a mini Library with one book only "Ensemble c'est tout" by Anna Gavalda (one of my favorite) and freshly picked oranges..a small shared Paradise.
If only this could be the hospitality and generosity spirit everywhere.
If only this could be the hospitality and generosity spirit everywhere.
Portuguese houses are always colourful. Even their water is tinted...
It seems that the people living in the house on the left were delivered suspiciously murky bottles...Hope they are not planning on drinking their content...olive oik?
It seems that the people living in the house on the left were delivered suspiciously murky bottles...Hope they are not planning on drinking their content...olive oik?
17 km done for a total of 861 + 17 km = 878 km