Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo

We didn't sleep as well as we should have because the fire alarm went off last night. The fire truck didn't come. One of the other guests called the owner who happened to be away in the Azores. She called an employee who eventually came over and dealt with the alarm. It's a good thing that it was a false alarm. 

After a good breakfast we walked through town and picked up the Fisherman's Trail and walked to the ocean. After that we got lots of great views as we made our way up and down the many hills. Because of the number of small streams, there were lots steep gullies to go down and back up. But the views made it all worthwhile and then some. After lunch, we got up on a plateau where the walking was very easy. Even though we had left the ocean, the scenery was pleasant with nice pine trees and wild flowers.

Since we had more than enough time, we stopped and rested in the grass. The walk all the way into town was offroad, which was nice.

When we arrived at the hotel, they didn't have a room because of their mistake. So they got us a room in a nearby hotel: but we still get our breakfast in the original hotel.

We ate dinner at a nearby restaurant where we saw others from the previous town. We sat next to a young couple from Germany who were playing a German card game. They were good fun.

Carrapateira extra

I booked a further day of accommodation in Salema a few minutes ago. So that puts us closer to Lagos, which is one end of the Fisherman's Trail.

We had a great dinner at the Microbar. Portobello and goat cheese salad with a Bistro burger. The latter comes with bacon and egg.

Carrapateira circle walk

Today they scheduled us for a circle around the point; it was labeled as 12km. We extended that by taking all the side trips possible. Gramie probably did 20km and I did less to to give my ankle some rest. We saw much more water front.

It was a treat not having to pack up for one day.

We plan to visit the same restaurant because of their goat cheese and Portobello salad.

Arrifana to Carrapateira

Today we had to make our way back to the Fisherman's Trail from our hotel, which was a few km on streets and roads. Then we were back near the ocean with its great views. After this the trail curved inland through very pleasant countryside with lots of interesting flowers and shrubs.

At one point we had to cross a small steam on a board, which resulted in Gramie stepping in the water and filling her boots. This required a brief stop to empty her boots and wring out her socks.

In the afternoon we came to the star of today's show - the beach before Carrapateira. The wind was strong, which made for beautiful waves all along the beach. At the end of the beach there was a stream to cross, which most people waded through. The water was well over their knees so we decided to walk upstream to a shallower crossing. It still meant going barefoot and then trying to get back into our boots after dealing with the sand. Then it was only a km to our hotel. But it was via sandy paths. We have walked on sand for what seemed like hundreds of km on this trip. Practically every video on the Fisherman's Trail has mentioned the sand. We brought our gaiters but a surprising number of hikers did not and had to stop periodically to empty their shoes.

Dinner tonight included a great Portobello and goat cheese salad. 

Aljazur to Arrafana

We had a nice breakfast at our hotel next to a couple from Belgium whom we have seen earlier. Knowing that I would need calories, I asked for three fried eggs rather than the usual two. This along with everything else made for a filling breakfast.

On our walk out of town, we hiked up to the castle for the views. Then it was an uneventful walk on roads to the ocean. Then the scenery improved dramatically. We were back along the Atlantic Ocean for a few hours. After that we walked inland to our hotel through trees and shrubs but away from cars. We were at our hotel early today, just after 3 pm.

Odecexe to Aljazur

Our accommodation last night was great. The unit had a bedroom, mini-kitchen, loft, sitting area and a balcony. At breakfast we talked to a German couple who identified us as the old couple who are in great condition. We asked how they knew that we are in our eighties and they said that they talked with other hikers. We also walked with three sisters and two sisters from Germany. At the end of the day we met up with the two sisters again and walked the last six km into Aljazur. They are great company; we exchanged email addresses.

The weather today was actually on the hot side - over 20C for sure. The first section on the ocean was spectacular again. We saw many storks nesting on the cliffs, how many nests can you find in the picture? The last 2/3 was not nearly as interesting but was easy walking. No sand. Just like every other day, we arrived at our destination around 4 pm.

Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe

What can I say? The weather continues to be perfect. Sunny and warm but not hot. Today was a advertised as a moderate to strenuous day of 19 km. It took us along the Atlantic Ocean for most of the day with great view after great view most of the day. We saw lots of storks in their nests, some had eggs that we could see.

We continue to meet lots of interesting people, many Germans and Dutch with a few Canadians thrown in. Our flags are working to invite conversation, which was the reason for attaching them to our packs. We walked the last half hour with two German sisters.

Walking through the shrubbery was a nice break from the sun too.

Our room today has a mini-kitchen so we ate some food from a store rather than another restaurant.