Jolien and I woke early, ish. Having checked out accommodation, we had found that the next stage, Odeceixe, was really pricey, starting at 40 euros a night, so we decided to take the bus from here to Odeceixe and then walk to the next stage, Sao Teotino, (17km) where we could get a 30 euro guest house, Hostel Carpe Diem.

The bus was due at 9:30, but as we waited we had a great idea. Fuck the boring, predictable bus- we would hitch! As the bus pulled up, we forged forward and sought out a more adventurous journey to Odeciexe! My theory that people love to stop for hitchers here, even if it’s just to say hi, was confirmed. A camper stopped to say hi and tell us he was just going a few more yards but we were welcome. I was tempted, just to be polite, but wise Jolien gently pointed out that that would be very stupid. The next guys to stop were some happy Italian tourists. We piled in to the car and headed to our destination. After all that travelling (18km) we were ready for a coffee and found a cool little bar on the village square.

It was a gorgeous day and soon the fleeces were off and we were strolling contentedly through the Portuguese campo. After an hour or so we came to a sign that told us we had walked 6km and Jolene turned to me and said, in her whiniest, saddest voice, oh no, we walked 6km! I assumed she was complaining that that was all we had done, daunted by the further 11km, but no! She was sad that those 6km were done and we only had 11km left. That is sooooo sweet! She was grieving for her 6km passed. It reminded me of something I wrote about the Camino before. About loving the walking and finding that a lot of other pilgrims didn’t so much like the walking as much as the completion of each walk….. Jolene is a rare breed. She likes the journey, the steps – if she walked  the Camino she would probably feel disappointed to reach Santiago and keep on walking through… No celebration or Compostela! Would G-d even be impressed with her efforts if she hadn’t suffered, if she had just experienced joy and fun? I’m not sure…I’ll add the ramblings to this blog if you’re interested, I’ll call it ‘We can’t help it if we like walking…!:’

The terrain gradually turned more wild as we climbed higher and higher in to the hills, surrounded by jungle! It was a tough ascent but the views were worth it – magical!

Weary but happy, we continued on, making our way down from dizzy heights.

The path began to follow a river and we had to navigate our way round puddles of unknown depths. We came to a clearing with some handy arse sized rocks to perch on, and ate our lovingly made pasta egg salads. The sun escaped behind the clouds while we were distracted by our appetites, and the sky grew dark.

A mist of rain followed us along the forest tracks, until eventually we landed down in Sao Teotonio, a cute little town. On the advice of Jolien’s dad we looked for the church as he had assured her the best bar would always be beside God, and sure enough, it was! Rain was on it’s way, and at nearly 5pm, the temperature was dropping so we headed to the sheltered terrace and ordered two bottles of well deserved Super Bock beer. Beer tastes so amazing after a hike, it takes on a new taste dimension, sparkling, energising and meant to be… There was a general store opposite, selling mainly massive knickers, rugs and bags, but also hideous extra large raincoats. Jolien tried a couple on, deciding the white translucent number was a tad pervert, she went for the navy option (slightly less sexual predator, and also surprisingly slimmimg) For 5 euros it seemed to be pretty decent – the thick plastic oozed quality and Jolien left the store looking super slim and reassured. 

Our home for the night was a lovely surprise! It was a guest house,Hostel Carpe Diem, with a few bedrooms, a large open plan living area with TV complete with Netflix, a family kitchen and huge, welcoming terrace. The owners had left the keys for us and the place was empty except for us so we totally took over the joint. Toothbrushes left exposed on the bathroom sink, appliances plugged in all around the place, and ourselves sprawled messily on the sofas watching Netflix and eating home-made carbonara. A Christmas tree flickered festively in the corner and the tiny heater emanated just enough heat to get cosy under our woollen blankets.