All my Albergue friends disappeared early, wanting to avoid the heat of the day. I left quite a bit later at 8am as I didn’t want to arrive in Santarém too early and have to wait for hours to get into my accommodation.

Leaving the albergue

Most of the walk today follows the river flats upstream, once again passing large fields being ploughed and planted.

Today, I came across basil seedlings.

The area is also known for its horse breeding.

There were more vineyards.

This is called the Baloiço do Peregrino or The Pilgrim’s Swing but I didn’t have a go.

The road became very dusty.

A dusty olive tree.

I bought some bread and tuna to have a dusty lunch along the way .

These German pilgrims decided to wash their dusty boots in a fountain.

For the first time on this walk I had a climb today up to the town of Santerém. With its strategic location high in a hill at a bend in the River Tagus, the town’s origin goes back to Roman times.

Santarém
The view looking north from the ruins of the Moorish castle.

The town was conquered from the Visigoths by the Moors in the 8th century and was reconquered by the Christians in 1147.

Looking south over the ruined ramparts .

One of Santarém’s beautiful churches is the Igreja de Marvila, possibly built over a mosque. It’s interior was tiled in the 17th century.

Another is the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça, built in the 14th and 15th centuries.

I saw some tile restoration work underway.

The town bull fighting ring.

Here’s my video of the day’s walk.

https://www.relive.com/view/vdORj2g85rO