June 8: Golega

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABecause Dennis’ foot is still suffering, we decided to take the train to Santarem. It took us only 26 minutes to travel what would have taken us 8 to 10 hrs of walking. Near the plaza of the Igreja N. S. da Conceioao (Our Lade of Conception) we went to the tourist office to locate a room. There were none available. There is a week-long fair which has taken most of the rooms. After spending about an hour, we found a room in a town 30 km away, thanks to Jose Luis Sanchez who gave us the phone number when we met with him. Leonor even came to the train station to take us to her Casa da Tia Guida.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhen we arrived, we noticed that Nigel Sunman from Cambridge UK was here last night. We met him in Lisboa the day before we left. He must be an incredibly fast walker, and he is carrying half the weight we are. We are sharing the place with three other pilgrims. Nice to be having others with us.

After registering, we explored Golega, a town dedicated to horsemanship. Many signs and statues have figures of horses; in November, there is an equestrian fair and a running of the bulls.

Rain predicted again for tomorrow with temps overnight around 50 F.

About The Author

Jane V. Blanchard

I am an award-winning author of the "Woman On Her Way" book series, writing about my travel adventures. For more information on the books, please visit janevblanchard.com. I started the "Woman On Her Way" travel blog in 2013 to share my experiences as I explored 13 countries with my husband, traveling by ship, foot, bike, bus, train, and plane. Dennis and I continue to make memories and hope you will enjoy following along.