Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela: Day 8 - Alvaiazere to Rabacal 32km

Walking at 6.45am, starting with a sharp uphill for a few kilometres. While it was a slog, we all felt it was a nice day and we have arrived here in Rabacal to nice accommodation (Casa de Turismo do Rabacal). The walk continues to improve and has moved from just about endurable (Lisbon stages) to very enjoyable (rural stages), and the Portuguese continue to be so pleasant.

Grotto on the trail.

There are plenty of dogs along the trail but the majority are tied up and are therefore restricted to barking at us. However, at some spots the household has a couple of terrier type dogs running free who can menace you a bit. Waving the walking sticks will usually keep them under control, and pretending to pick something off the road will often send them scurrying (clearly someone has lobbed a rock at them before). Today we were attacked by a couple of nasties, one of whom was a slightly mongrel version of a pit bull. Anyway we got clear OK but would prefer not to have a repeat.

Yum!!

Our route today was very much dirt and farm tracks, and woodland trails, with little road, and so it was more like the Camino Francais. It was also very well waymarked. We stopped in Ansiao and had wonderful pastries (see photo) and we encountered a wonderful bar owner in Alvorge He showed us a photo of a pilgrim who had passed through the town yesterday, a girl - she is doing the Camino in a wheelchair - I don't know how she manages.

Sap collection in the woods.

Pumpkins.

All three of us have different footwear strategies. Mary just wears walking sandals - her feet are free of blisters. Fleur also wears sandals but with two pairs of socks - she has blisters but that is due to her relative newness to such walking - blisters from the initial days are now fading and she has no new blisters. I wear walking shoes with one pair of socks, I change into fresh socks after about 10km, and I change into sandals and no socks for the last 10km or so - I am free of blisters.