It was then time to lace up the hiking shoes again and follow the many signposts of the Rota Carmelita. My counting got sloppy after 130 signs and I stopped counting after 160. It felt good to be guided again...this time the leading color was blue.
I enjoyed the landscape and flair of Portugal's interior, but the temperatures were really hard on us. Several consecutive days exceeding 32 degrees. At the end of the day, it wasn't the feet that hurt but the head.
Nevertheless, we were mostly rewarded by meeting friendly people, eating good food and staying at lovely accommodations.
It's amazing how happy one can be simply by taking off the shoes, taking a cold shower, washing clothes, eating and laying down.
Due to the long-lasting heat, the risk of wild fires continued to be high. We checked fogos.pt each morning to make sure our path was safe. The route from Bofinho to Rio de Couros led us through burnt areas, where just a couple of days before our arrival a fire left black tree stomps and ashes on the ground.
And kind of suddenly, before we could even grasp the fact, we arrived in Fátima.
The next day, Flixbus took us to Lisbon where we finished off our trip with some sightseeing. What a contrast to be in this vibrant city of so many colors, cultures and noises after many days of walking through lonely and quiet scenery.
As always, pictures will probably say more than words:
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