Phew. Too much living and moving to catch up. Here’s me thinking a Camino would give time and space. In a sense it does but you still need to wash, and wash your clothes (more importantly with the weather we are having is drying them, or trying to) and eat and plan the next day. At the end of a long walk there seems so little time and then, first thing, you’re off again. The walking too takes more concentration than you might think. The arrows are there to follow but you can’t let your mind wander too far. If you do you suddenly come back to the walk and wonder when was the last arrow, have you missed a turning. You go on searching for a scrap of yellow, is that one? No just yellow moss, is that? No an old poster and then relief, an arrow appears and you can relax. Or, slowly you just know you have lost the way, it has been too long, there is always something by now. You stop, you turn, you trudge back to find the last arrow and see where your daydream led you astray.
Golega is now well in the past. We have moved, visited the city of Tomar and toured the Templar Castle high on the hill overlooking the town.
Onward then to Alvaiázere where the stamp for our pilgrim passport filled three spaces with ribbon and wax and stickers. Then Alvorge where the Albergue was left for the pilgrims to manage themselves. It was the night of a local folk music and dancing fiesta so off we went to hear and to see. Supper that night was a kebab from a stand.
Alvorge to Condiexa a Nova. By the book only 18km, but in reality the walk was more like 30km, still don’t know how. From there to Combra, a river city with impressive cathedral, university and 2.large Botanical Gardens to enjoy.
Coimbra then to Mealhada and finally then to Agueda where I now sit 214 km from Lisbon and a mere 312km from Santiago.
Just popped out to Lidle for our evening meal and so to bed.
The Way 
Keep going Hugh and Janet, we are keeping you both in our prayers here in Mirfield.
God bless, Helen x
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We have had occasional misnavigations of that sort on our bike tours. At bike pace, and at car pace, they can usually be spotted very very quickly and rectified. I do very little walking now, but convalescence has made it as much a part of my day as afternoon naps. I am duly impressed by the strenuousness of your days as you describe them. We (weekending in Reading for Valerie’s birthday) will later this afternoon walk in and around Clayfield Copse.
WordPress asks for comments, so I trust the above is not an error like the “This isn’t a question, more of a comment really…” that blights question sessions at conferences. But here is a pair of questions. Have you fallen in with any more seasoned pilgrims, and have they any thoughts on coping with the navigation and time management problems you describe?
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Hi Aidan, met with other pilgrims they just say stay alert.
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