DAY48: Lisbon-Montijo

Day 48: Santiago from Argentina is a musician and architect.

He brought his trombone with him. He played some songs for me in the dormitory in the morning.

He was interested in PEACE RUN and asked me to visit him if I ever come to Argentina.

Today was the last day of my Altra Lone Peak(Trail Running Shoes), which I had run 1600 km on.

I'll run the remaining 1500 km to Barcelona on my new Altra Torin.

I left Terrace Hostel Lisbon around 10am.

It was about 6km to the ferry terminal.

I arrived at Montijo in about 30 minutes on the 12:30 ferry, but check-in was after 4pm.

I killed some time at the ferry terminal.

After that, I moved a little over 3km to the guesthouse in Montijo so that I would be there in time for 4pm.

The Brazilian owner welcomed me.

Just 10km today but tomorrow I'll be back on the heated road again. 

First, I'll head to Seville within 10 days.

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Moives

DAY47: Sintra-Cape Roca-Lisbon

I left the hostel in Sintra at 7am. I followed the hiking route to Cabo da Roca.

The scree slopes reminded me of the Pyrenees again. The road for cars wasn't too steep, but the walking route was very steep.

It was so cold at Cabo da Roca with gusts of wind and drizzle. 

Visibility was gray. The temperature felt lower the more I stayed still. The shops were closed and I couldn't buy a certificate for reaching the westernmost point of the Eurasian continent.

I took a route down along the coast heading south, but while I was okay with being pushed by gusts of wind, there was also the risk of a crosswind blowing the buggy into the valley, so I braked cautiously as we went down.

When I reached the road facing the sea, the fog cleared and the blue sky spread out.

The temperature in Lisbon hadn't risen much either.

I ran 46.9km and arrived at the hostel in Lisbon just after 5pm. So exhausted.

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies

DAY46: Lisbon-Sintra

I left at 7am without having a free breakfast. 

The temperature was forecast to rise to 36 degrees, but with the wind it wasn't that hot. 

However, it was still tough to ride in the sun on the slope. 

Sintra is on high ground and the descent is steep. 

Many cars passed me on the winding road. 

I could see smoke from the forest fires in the distance. 

There are many roads with heavy traffic, and I always get scared on the bypass. 

There were some rough roads, but I reached the goal at 4:30pm at Oasis Surf Hostel in Sintra. 42.2km. 

About 7km to Cabo da Roca. 

Tomorrow, I will return to Lisbon from Cabo da Roca via the southern route.

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies

DAY45: DayOff@Lisbon

It's my first day off in a week since Porto.

I wandered around the city in the cool morning, but the sun was getting quite strong by 9am, so I did some shopping and came back.

Luckily it was cool in the shade. It would be crazy to run in the afternoon when it is over 35 degrees.

The dormitory also had no air conditioning, only a fan. When I closed the curtains on the bed, it felt like a sauna.

Tomorrow I'm heading towards Sintra. I think I'll arrive at Cabo da Roca the morning after tomorrow.

There seems to be a forest fire near Sintra, but I can't find any information on the Internet.

Of course, the heat has a big impact on travel.

It's important to take care of my health. If I push myself too hard and get tired, it could lead to bad things.

The hostel is generous with a free dinner tonight. I've never had a service like that before.

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies

DAY44: Villa Franca de Xira-Lisbon

 

In the morning, after a hearty free breakfast, I set off at 6:45.

I followed the boring national highway N10. The shoulders were narrow and the traffic was heavy, making it a stressful road.

A bicycle lane appeared halfway through, and I headed towards the promenade along the Tejo River. The sun was strong, but there was no shade. I had to rest at shelters from time to time. It was a tough road to ride for long periods of time.

Once I entered the city, the sidewalks were full of people. Urban roads were tough, as expected.

After 3pm, I had ridden 36.1km and checked into a hostel in the city.

I took a shower, did some laundry, and went shopping. Tomorrow is my first day off in a week, since Porto.

There was a fan on inside, but it was still hot.

On the 44th day since Biarritz, I had covered over 1500km. I had completed half of the Iberian Peninsula.

This also marks the end of the Portuguese Way to Santiago.

After this, I will visit Cape Roca and continue southward bound.

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies

DAY43: Santarem-Villa Franca de Xira

Started at 6am. Had breakfast at a convenient spot after starting.

Shockingly, I noticed that my small yellow PEACE RUN flag was missing at Continente supermarket in Cartaxo, about 12km from the start.

I didn't have the energy to go back and get it. I decided to let it go as it had served its purpose.

People and things that we have lost will come back to us in a different time, place and form... I believe so.

If I say it's hot when the temperature is around 30 degrees, what will I do if it gets over 40 degrees?

I told myself. But I found shade and rested whenever I could.

It's not that I get worn out by the repetition of monotony, but as long as I have the conflict of how to accept things that I don't want to accept, things won't go smoothly.

Checked in at the hostel in Vila Franca de Xira at 4:30pm.

I was so grateful that I was able to finish today's run safely again today!

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies

DAY42: Golega-Santarem

This morning, I met a young American guy from Louisiana in the kitchen of the guesthouse, who said he had left Lisbon a week before. It's nice to meet other travelers, even though I don't meet many people.

When I looked at my buggy as I was about to leave in the morning, I saw that the right rear tire was flat. There were two thorns from a plant stuck in it. It was a small hole.

Because of this, I started 30 minutes late at around 6:30. Today it was 30 kilometers to Santarem.

I took a break after running 10 kilometers. The area around Golegã is a grain-producing region with vast corn fields. It's almost a flat area with no hills.

I occasionally passed some pilgrims. I took a break in the town of Saldanha.

A strange phenomenon where the road indicated by Google Maps was not there. I was guided to a farm road, and while the "research route" button kept going round and round, I was forced to run around a vast tomato field for about 40 minutes. I was almost stuck in the Bermuda Devil's Triangle.

This sometimes happens on the continent, and the cause is unknown.

I was happy that there were no hills today, but at the end there was a heart-breaking hill just before entering Santarem...

I entered the town of Santarem at 2pm, but killed time until 3pm, when it was time to check into the hostel. The heat had eased somewhat. I wonder if a heatwave will hit this area next week.

Due to a Google Maps monster, I took a detour of about 5km.

I am so grateful and moved that I was able to finish another day's run safely!

*Today's Photos

*YouTube Movies