Camino Pilgrim

I thought the morning was hard until the afternoon hit me. Today can be described in three phases: challenging, wonderful, hell.

The problem comes from the fact that accommodations on this journey can be very far away from each other. Had to walk +20km so I would not have to settle for just fifteen.

Challenging – woke up this morning feeling like a sad old sack of bricks. Everything was sore. The first 10km was super beautiful with slight rain (seen in picture). The weather was really perfect for fast walking, but my feet were not. The constant hard surfaces made my feet extra tender. Felt like walking barefoot at some points next to highways.

Wonderful – nothing a good foot massage and some rest could not fix. My 15km walk around lunchtime felt like heaven with sunshine and beautiful countryside views. Little did I know that hell was waiting.

Hell – around 2pm I sat down in a café for an hour to let the most extreme UV sunshine pass. Without any clouds or shade, I had problems with acclimatizing again. I was sweating all over my body. There was so much friction with every movement. Every step went from uncomfortable to hurting eventually. I seriously need to avoid the sun if possible for two weeks.

Fun fact, a 70-year-old Portuguese guy, who started in the same hostel in Lisbon, I met again here. People here are like superhumans or just crazy in their own way. Either way, I am happy to continue my journey tomorrow.