Sumol!!

Lisboa to Alpiarte  22-24 km ( depending on which guide you use)

I almost cheated, but how could I not consider it when they put a cable car directly in line with the Camino?? If I am honest, the only thing that stopped me from riding the beautiful cable car along side the river rather than walking, was the worry that I would miss an arrow and accidentally end up in Latvia.

Today was rumored to be an ugly day, every guide and blog that I read had said so, but I was pleasantly surprised. Walking out of any city has an industrial quality to it and Lisbon was no different. But after about 8 km trudge, a pilgrim finds herself walking the landscaped boardwalk through the Parque das Nações, complete with sculptures and art sprinkled throughout. (With the aforementioned cable car..) ..and by the way, there were no arrows before the end of the cable car. 

It is highly likely that much of the Camino had been slightly rerouted, as I managed to stay off the highway for nearly the duration of the stage. However, one stretch of pretty farm road walking through a valley next to the river Tejo and lined with bamboo, turned out to be 5km longer than I expected it to be. I am not sure how that happened. 

I am currently in a cute freshly painted albergue in Alpiarte, a tiny one street town, and I am the only pilgrim here. João,  or "John" as he says, is my sweet middle aged mustached host. My clothes are drying on the line (which will take about 4 minutes in this sun..) And I am starving! 


Update: I have a bag of chips and a"Sumol," the Portuguese version of Fanta, except this one actually has fruit juice.. I am in a bar with five old men, watching a bad American action movie dubbed in Portuguese. Life is good!