Today we finished our four day journey on the Fisherman’s Trail. The day started off with a bit of fog to keep it cool, but that soon burned off and a good part of the day was a hot, sandy slog.
Fortunately, there were a number of high points for our final push. After seeing many stork nests on days one and two, and none yesterday, we saw one today. They are unique birds, at least for those of us who live far from stork habitat. We also enjoyed a beach walk that was cut short by the incoming tide and stretches of rocky coast that made it tough to navigate, but that made us four for four on beach walking days. And, the cafe/bar towards the end of the trek was actually open, unlike many in the past two days.
One thing we’ve noticed on the Portuguese coast is the lack of sea life compared to the Pacific Coast back home. Our tidal pools are populated with starfish, crabs, sea anemones, and other creatures. Our beaches are littered with clam shells and it is common to spot seals. Here, you may spot a few barnacles and seaweed, but not much else in the way of sea life. On the other hand, their beaches, even remote ones, have far less junk that has washed up than ours do. I’m not sure if Portugal does a better job of cleaning their beaches or if the currents tend to bring in less trash. Regardless, the scenery and views on this hike are amazing.
Note in the first picture below that the locals have turned an old phone booth into a Little Free Library—maybe the biggest one I’ve ever seen. And when you enjoy Laurie’s Relive video note the unique street sweeping equipment.
We noticed something new today—markings for the Camino de Santiago. We have tentative plans to walk the Portuguese Camino next year and didn’t realize that one of the variants was on this coast.
Note that we learned about the Fisherman’s Trail from Explore Europe on Foot by Cassandra Overby—a fellow Seattle area hiker and talented writer. We have several other hikes from her guide that we’ll be doing on this trip.
Finally, happy birthday to my friend, Buzz. Sorry I missed the cigar celebration at “The Treehouse” but I did enjoy one in your honor on the hike today—downwind of my companions.
Next: On to Lisbon
Hello Dennis and Laurie,
Thanks for sharing your travels, keep having fun.
Mark