Camino Portugués // day 2 // Alpriate - Azambuja

Camino Portugués, day 2.
Distance: 39.1km (61.4km), time spent: 10:19.
Weather: Hot, clear blue sky.

On the second day on the Camino Portugués, I had decided to go to Azambuja, which is about 40k from Alpriate. The other pilgrims here will walk to Vila Franca de Xira today, which is about halfway to Azambuja and the usual place to go to after Alpriate. Only one day, and I would be ahead of the other pilgrims that I have met so far. That is one of the downsides of combining these two stages.

In the morning dawn after leaving Alpriate, walking past farmers out herding their sheep in the fields.

I did not sleep well during the night, it was hot and the unmistakable sound of snoring filled the small dormitory. None of the cafés here in Alpriate is open in the morning, so bring with you food or visit the nearby supermarket if you want to have breakfast.

Rio Tejo.

Starting early in the morning, just before dawn, has always been something I have enjoyed while being on a Camino. Walking a little bit in the dark, and then see the world come to life as the sun rises. It is a serene walk in the morning, going through fields past local farmers out herding their sheep in the dawn. With going through tunnels of vegetation adding to the atmosphere. However, the serenity does not last, after a little while I find myself walking on a trafficked road. A café (Estrela do Tejo) in Póvoa de Santa Iria provides both breakfast and an escape from the road.

Boardwalk in the Tagus Estuary Riverside Park.

After Póvoa de Santa Iria, the Camino goes on a beautiful boardwalk next to the Rio Tejo. Far back, I can make out Parque das Nações and the Ponte Vasco da Gama in Lisboa. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining above me and I can hear birds chirping in the air. The river flows quietly next to me and a pleasant path next to a small creek replaces the boardwalk.

Looking back towards Lisboa and the Ponte Vasco da Gama.

The Camino going on a pleasant path on the way towards Alverca.

I find it hard to believe that this was supposed to be such a bad day on the walk, but I soon find out why. Leaving a small path after Alverca, I emerge out to something that almost could be explained as pilgrim-hell. Even on the small gravel track I walk on, large trailers and trucks pounders past me, sending off large clouds of dust in their wake. Then I am without mercy sent off on a extremely busy road with cars speeding by me within inches of my arms. When I arrive at Alhandra, some four kilometres later, I am so forlorn that I make a quick escape to the town square for a timeout (meaning a café com leite). The Camino went from bliss to misery in a second.

The red Ribeirinho pedestrian path between Alhandra and Vila Franca de Xira, complete with murals depicting a pilgrim on the way to Santiago walking on the same path.

Fortunately, things get a lot better after Alhandra. Here, I follow another nice promenade next to river and I have got company in Noell, whom I met yesterday. Alongside the promenade are various small murals, probably made by different artists, depicting various images such as a pilgrim with a scallop, people running, meta pictures of painters painting what you see, and my favorite, the bullring in Vila Franca de Xira framed inside a smartphone as if you are taking a picture of it. The murals are pretty nicely done. My mood has improved significantly again.

The bullring in Vila Franca de Xira.

Vila Franca de Xira is actually a very pleasant small town. Like Barcelona, the town is known for its festival with bulls running through the streets. Me and Noell sit down on a café in the town square for lunch. Enjoying what I have seen so far of the town, I wonder if I should spend the night here instead as it would make for a great place to stay, but I am here way too early for that, arriving before noon. Before I continue on my pilgrimage, I visit the old market (mercado), which is in a wonderful building adorned with tiles. I can see the group of Americans arriving at the town square, when I leave. As the market is beautifully covered in tiles, so is the train station. Although I does not stay here, I would recommend doing so, but at the time of writing this there are no albergues here.

Street art.

Despite being spared of walking next to busy roads, with a few short exceptions, the next twentyish kilometres to Azambuja is really not that interesting. The heat is also picking up, and with walking between several large open fields, there are few places offering shade from the sun. There are some few cafés available though, when the Camino makes short visits to small villages on the way. Also, the Camino seems to follow the railroad tracks, crossing over them several times.

At the bullfighting monument in Vila Franca de Xira.

As expected, I no longer walk among pilgrims. Those who spent the night in Vila Franca de Xira has either arrived in Azambuja or continued further. No one is coming from behind. The most interesting I see, is actually the 100km-marker of the Caminho de Fátima, reminding me that I am sharing the Way with the pilgrimage to Fátima. These two Caminos will stay on the same path until Santarém.

Tiles on the corner of the old market in Vila Franca de Xira.

Getting tired, I enter the final stage of my walk today. This section is marred by walking next to some water filtering ponds. The smell is horrible. With my mouth dry and my shoes almost white from all the dust, I arrive in Azambuja next to the Ouro Hotel. The albergue in Azambuja is at the other end of the town, and as with Alpriate it does not have more than 12 beds. When I talked to the hospitalero in Alpriate yesterday, he told me that the albergue also was full the day before. As I can expect that the pilgrims staying there went to Vila Franca de Xira yesterday and here today, it is a big probability that the albergue is full. I make two phonecalls to the albergue, but no one answers my calls. Deeming it busy, I end up taking a room at the hotel. I do not want to walk over to the albergue, only having to walk back again if it is full, too tired at this point.

Mercado municipal, Vila Franca de Xira.

After I have taken a shower and rested for a bit, I do however walk over to the albergue. It is only half-full, and appear nice enough. Outside the albergue, I meet Ciaran from Ireland. He had taken a train here from Lisboa, as he also had heard that the first days was not really interesting. Also, he wants to walk to Finisterre after arriving in Santiago, but his time schedule does not hold enough time to do that if he would start from Lisboa.

A thinker...I guess.

Fragment of the Vila Franca de Xira train station.

Going for a beer, we instead end up in the 'garage' of a local couple. Seeing a motorbike, a beertap and a couch, we got curious about the garage and soon found ourselves invited in for a beer. The couple were living in the second floor of the house, and used the garage as a gathering place for friends. Each year, during the annual bullrunning festival here, they invite friends and relatives to their home. In a nearby bar, the people are busy trying to watch a football game without paying for it.

The Camino going to Azambuja.

There are several places to eat in Azambuja, but we still spend some time trying find a place. We end up where everybody else apparently ended up, but socialising with other pilgrims is not a bad thing to do. And the food is ok.

Praça do Município, Azambuja.

Today was a true roller-coaster of a day, constantly changing between ups and downs. Thankfully, the day was not without its highlights. The boardwalk next to the Rio Tejo was great, as was the promenade between Alhandra and Vila Franca de Xira, and the latter a beautiful little town well worth the visit.

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