O Vermelho Passeio Ribeirinho - Day 2

The Red Riverside Path

Alpriate - Vila Franca de Xira (12.3 miles)

Last night will probably be very representative of albergue life on the Camino. We all of us left the restaurant and the start of the locals favorite soccer game at approximately the same time to get ready for bed. If I had stayed any later at the restaurant using their Wi-Fi, I would have been locked out. Our beds had very thin cotton liners on the mattresses and we had to use our clothes for pillows. We were spread out in a large room upstairs with squeaky wooden floors. I tried my best to move around quietly when going downstairs to use the bathroom, but it didn't seem to help. The windows were open and it was hot so I slept on top of my sleeping bag. I fell asleep rather quickly around 9:30 pm then woke up feeling as if I had slept for hours only to realize it was 11:30 pm. As I laid there trying to fall back asleep, all I could hear was the dogs barking in the streets outside, the snoring of other guests in the room, and the violent tossing and turning of the guy in the bed next to mine. I knew right then it was going to be a long night. Then I remembered my earplugs in my pack and after putting those in I didn't hear much until the next morning! We all woke up at 6:45 am and started gathering our belongings. I headed out the door at 7:30 am and didn't stop for breakfast until Póvoa de Santa Iria. The kind senhora, that sold me a banana and grapes for breakfast, offered me a stool to sit and eat in front of her store. As I ate, I saw several pilgrims from the albergue last night walk past.

Next, I came to the Praia dos Pescadores and took the opportunity to look for birds in the wetlands alongside the Tagus River. From the boardwalk, I was able to see a Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), a Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea), Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) 🦩, a European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), and a Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus).

The yellow arrows then led me through the train station and into Alverca do Ribatejo where I saw two Red-rumped Swallows (Cecropis daurica). The next town was Alhandra, but to get there, I had to walk along a busy road. On the other side of Alhandra was the start of the red riverside pedestrian path. I wish I could ride my bike down this path everyday!

There were many park benches with hand painted murals depicting the many uses of the path. There were paintings of runners, cyclists, families, couples, children on bikes, a Camino de Santiago pilgrim, bird photographers, and fishermen.

I was passed by runners and cyclists of all ages during most of the walk today. It seems like the Portuguese people live a very active lifestyle. The red path ended in Vila Franca de Xira, which is my destination for today after 12.3 miles of walking.

Vila Franca de Xira is known throughout Portugal for its breeding of horses and bulls as well as bullfighting. Twice a year they host the running of the bulls through the city streets. Unfortunately, I missed that event because it happened yesterday. However, I am fortunate in that had I been here yesterday, there would have been no rooms available for the night. I am staying at the Hostel DP, which is a very nice place for only £20 a night, air-conditioning, and breakfast included! The room I am in has two bunk beds and has been slowly filling up with other guests arriving the same way I did, on foot! I arrived first around 1 pm and couldn't check in until closer to 2 pm because they were still cleaning. In the meantime, I walked down the street to the open market and saw the fruit and vegetable stands, wine vendors, butchers display cases, and sadly at the time there were no fish caught today being displayed on tables of ice.

While I waited for my room, I had a big lunch of grilled chicken, rice, green beans, salad, and bread. The simple salad reminded me of the salads served in Mozambique. Just lettuce, a tomato slice, some sliced onion, and olive oil. It was great food and filling, so I will probably have something very small for dinner tonight and rest here in the room after showering and doing laundry. I might look around town a little more before bed. 

This photo is for those of you who worked with me sampling streams in Oregon this summer. Sorry KW, I couldn't get my walking stick (depth rod) in the photo for scale. Critical Concepts?

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