Tomar to Alvaiazere Just before we entered the forest section on the midway point of today's 31kms walk, an elderly man stepped from his house as we were having a water break. He shook each of us by the hand and in Portuguese wished us well for our onward journey. A Camino gesture which means a lot. Finding the yellow way markers is fun particularly in woodland where they may be on tree trunks, stumps, branches or even made from twigs. It is very easy to miss a...

Tomar After walking 70kms in the last two days, it's right to have another rest day. The Camino teaches you to take care of your body and we are on a good schedule overall. Yesterday a walker ended up in hospital with a badly damaged knee by overdoing it. Tomar is a great historic town with a castle and convent built from the 12th to 18th centuries, overlooking the town itself. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and is a classic example of a town run by the Kn...

Golega to Tomar Off nice and early today with a few spots of rain in the cool air. The walking was gentle and relaxing as we made our way towards Tomar. Quinta Cardiga is an abandoned former Royal Palace and home to the Knights Templar which used to act as part of the defenses against the Spanish and Arab invasions. It is eerily impressive of a time gone by. Late morning brought an opportunity to walk uphill through the sweet smelling eucalyptus forests includ...

Santarem to Golega For the first time, I felt in the Camino rhythm today. The walk took us over the rich alluvial soil from the river Tejo which produces great agricultural land. We walked through cornfields, vineyards and farm tracks where farmers were collecting up peppers and melons. it was good to be away from traffic and to get into a zone listening to music and feeling the spirit of this ancient pathway. It's a long day of walking but an enjoyable one. ...

After yesterday's efforts, we decided we needed a rest day to allow our bodies to rest and recuperate . Today is also Margita's birthday and so we spent a leisurely day wandering around Santarem. It's very quiet today as it's Sunday but there are plenty of things to see including the old Roman castle and outpost, the cathedral and numerous churches and statues. The hostel where we are staying is new and the people who run it are very friendly and helpful. They...