Camino Portugués
Day 1
Lisbon (Oriente) to Alverca de Ribatejo
| Day |
To |
Distance |
Time |
Elevation in meters |
| |
|
Km |
Elapsed
Hrs-Mins |
Moving
Hrs-Mins |
Gain |
Loss |
Min |
Max |
| 1 |
Alverca do Ribatejo
Dormidas Leal |
27.47 |
7H30 |
5H54 |
157 |
166 |
0 |
60 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sana "Myriad" Hotel
Rainha D. Catarine de Bragança - Audrey Flack
Ponte Vasco da Gama
Sculpture at Sacavém
The region is famous for its ceramics industry.
Nice to have the reassurance of the yellow (Santiago) and blue (Fátima) arrows
| We were joined by Jaroslav Maznov ("Yarus") as we crossed the bridge over the Rio Trancão. We crossed on the right hand side of the bridge and found no signs; we should have crossed over the bridge on the left hand side and picked up signs on the end of the bridge. A pedestrian immediately pointed out that we were going wrong, as well as a car driver honking his horn and pointing! |
Sign on the end of the bridge parapet
Heading off on a path along the bank of the Rio Trancão
We were being watched!
The path was dry here; more than can be said for the section after Alpriate
A refreshment place in the industrial area just before Alpriate
Yarus and Dianne. These smiles soon disappeared when we reached Alpriate
and found that the albergue was closed!
A quick phone call revealed that they were not open until after Easter, and the lady said that the next place was 8 km ahead (but it turned out to be more like 11 km!)
We spotted a nearby sign, phoned ahead, and booked two rooms at Hospedaria lfa10 in
Estrada da Alfarrobeira, Verdelha de Baixo, Alverca. What I did not realise then, and only
discovered later, is that on this sign there is an "A" before "lfa", (you can just see it on the
photo above if you look carefully) and the place is actually called Hospedaria Alfa 10!
Since the first word on this sign is "DORMIDAS" and the place next door to Hospederia
Alfa 10 is called "Dormidas Leal" this was to lead us to check into the wrong place later on.
www.alfa10.pt
Approaching Póvoa de Santa Iria
Hot underfoot walking on tarmac, and not much space separating you from oncoming traffic
 1
Many derelict factories and graffiti everywhere
Just after the derelict buildings above we came to a coffee shop at Praia de Pescadores, which is also where the boardwalk starts alongside and to the east of the railway line. The problem is that if you are staying in Verdelha de Baixo there is no way of crossing the railway line until you get to Alverca station, and then you have a 1.3 km walk back to Verdelha de Baixo..... not what you want at the end of a long walk.
(Map extract courtesy of J. Brierely, Camino Portuguese)
It was a hot day and we were tired when we reached Praia de Pescadores, this being our first day. Dianne enlisted the help of a Portuguese lady who called for a taxi and directed the taxi driver where to take Dianne in Verdelha; unfortunately the taxi driver took Dianne to Dormidas Leal, on the same street as Hospediera Alfa10 and insisted this was the place she should be. Yarus and I walked the boardwalk to Alverca, and then had the gruelling bit at the end of the walk going back to Verdelha.
Actually the advert that we saw at Alpriate for Hospediera Alfa10 is very poorly constructed or branded, and it is not surprising that the taxi driver went to the "Dormidas". Dianne secured two rooms at 15 euro per person, but it was only later that we realised we were in a different place. Dianne went round to explain to the at Hospediera Alfa10 but he was not amused, despite it being a genuine mistake.
I was wondering what food we would find in the area;local food was available at a small restaurant, but there was aslo a McDonald's; not everybody likes McDonald's but there are times when it fits the bill perfectly! |
Praia de Pescadores
Hospedira Alfa10 on the left and Dormidas Leal on the right
Twin room at 15 euro per person per night
|
