Day 4 - Port De Muge to Vale De Figueira 28km

So, after a really nice night in our hostel and in Santarem, Mario dropped us back to the point before Santarem where we had finished yesterday - Port De Muge. We then walked to Santarem, through it and on to Vale De Figueira (effectively finishing yesterday's stage and taking a chunk out of tomorrow's). When we started at 7.30 in Muge it was 21 degrees and really nice, but surprise, surprise we experienced rain, such a change after all the sun. By mid afternoon it was dry again and very hot.

Red peppers ready for harvesting.

A funny thing happened a few nights ago. We were having a beer at a cafe in Azambuja when the waitress brought us a free bowl of pulses. We dug into these and they seemed fine, but we did detect a bit of a buzz around the bar. Some of the locals had been watching us and decided to call the waitress who arrived with an interpreter to explain that we were supposed to peel the pulses first. Morto!!!

Black grapes really delicious. We sampled a few!!!

Mario surprised us last evening. He said I have something for you and went to get it. He arrived back with, ............ wait for it ............ A box of Barry's Tea!!!  It seemed a Cork walker had stayed a few months earlier and insisted that he should offer Barry's Tea to any Irish walkers who stay with him. The box arrived in the post a few weeks later. So, Mary and Fleur had a cup of Barry's for breakfast this morning!

Kieran strides out. Nothing we said really!!!

Everybody should take a Fleur with them on a Camino! She can hear all the things that we can't, she can manage machines such as metro ticket vending machines in Lisbon, she has a good grasp of Portuguese after a few days, and she is in constant good humor despite her blisters.