Saindo Lisboa - Day 1

Leaving Lisbon

Lisbon - Alpriate (15.5 miles)

This is it! The day I have been preparing for has arrived! I woke up around 6:30 am and packed my bag. Breakfast was served downstairs and consisted of crepes, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and apples. I had my fill and hurried off to find the Sé de Lisboa again and begin my trip.

As I was approaching the cathedral, I noticed a woman heading that way with a backpack and trekking poles similar to my gear. We spoke Spanish briefly and then she went off in search of a place that would stamp her Credencial showing where she started her camino. She had ordered one online before flying to Lisbon and couldn't get it stamped at the cathedral because it was not yet open. As we parted ways, I saw another pilgrim passing by. In mutual recognition, we joined up and started walking together. Although, that did not last long. The bottom half of my new trekking pole fell out. I put it back together and kept going, only to realize there is a spring inside to absorb some of the shock. I turned back to look but couldn't find it and Christian from Germany continued without me. The next few hours were mostly uneventful as I followed the yellow arrows indicating the way and walked down the cobbled streets leaving Lisbon. I passed by the Parque das Nações with it's many flags lining the edge of the park. I found the Mozambique flag before moving on. 

I also saw a large pink jelly fish in the river. After passing the Torre Vasco da Gama, I deviated from the route intentionally and made my way to the Lisbon Temple. Finding the temple was not difficult because I was able to spot the recognizable Angel Moroni through gaps in  the trees. It was a beautiful place to drop my pack and take a break.

Shortly afterwards, I made a wrong turn by following the yellow X, rather than the yellow arrow. Once I realized my mistake and back tracked, I encountered Elara from Spain on the correct route that turned onto a dirt road alongside the Rio de Loures.

She was the woman I met this morning who left to find a stamp for her Credencial. We walked together for a few miles and I really had to work on switching my brain back to Spanish. We stopped for a rest break and I ended up leaving before her. I then took the time along the river to use my binoculars and look for birds. The only one I was able to identify was some European Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis). The rest I couldn't identify from the brief glimpses. I eventually arrived in Alpriate after nearly 15.5 miles and 5 hours of walking.

After a nice cold shower, I washed my clothes from today and hung them out to dry. There are 9 pilgrims staying at this Albergue tonight and we all had dinner at the only restaurant in town. I finished off my chicken and french fry dinner with Molotof, a traditional Portuguese dessert. So far, this first day has been all that I expected the Camino de Santiago to be. 

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