Exploration and Aqueducts in Tomar
Exploring Tomar Portugal
Today we decided to take a rest day in the Knights Templar town of Tomar. It is a very beautiful town, which seems on the edge of becoming a major tourist destination. We were awoken by the sound of canons and headed downstairs for a breakfast of bread, jam, yogurt, coffee and juice. Pumpkin marmalade has been a part of Portuguese breakfasts since we arrived, and it is featured here as well, along with tomato spread.
After breakfast we backtracked and hiked the kilometres we missed yesterday, taking a taxi 11 km down the Camino Portuguese and walking back to Tomar. An uneventful trek had us back in time for an Easter Parade. This was a very serious affair, consisting of a large band of severe-looking Knights Templar members, who carried banners and a series of crowns to the energetic beat of band music.
After following the parade to the main square we visited the ancient and impressive central church, which was naturally rich in Knights Templar symbols. We were fortunate enough to get our credentials stamped in the church, but sadly I left my sunhat there. I guess it will remain with the templars.
After our visit to the church, we walked up to the castle above town, and the Conento de Cristo. Unfortunately, it was closed for Easter, but it looked like it had a very large and beautiful nature reserve inside it.
Castles and Aqueducts
We continued on along the trail to Fatima through a forested area, until we came to a Roman aqueduct that stretched across a lush green valley. There were quite a few other people there, out enjoying a warm spring afternoon.
We climbed up and walked along the top of the aqueduct, perhaps halfway across the valley. The height was a little unnerving, but the views were spectacular, and it was an amazing feeling to connect with something so old.
In the afternoon we wandered back to town and sat in a cafe by the river. The view from the park was nice, but the service was extremely slow, so we ended up just getting gelato and then headed to a very old bakery for sandwiches and some lovely thumbprint cookies.
We spend a couple hours working on our journals before then heading out in search of dinner. Almost immediately we ran into Fernando, Heimy, and their Brazilian friend, who were sitting at an outdoor restaurant enjoying a few pints. They invited us to join them, and we soon discovered that they were sitting with a famous Brazilian band.
As the evening progressed a lively conversation ensued with half the table speaking Portuguese, and Fernando kindly translating. He shared the story of our upcoming hike across Canada, and some of the party read parts of our Camino Frances blog.
As we sat there another Portuguese lady joined the party, and it turned out her cousin owns the albergue we will be hiking to tomorrow. Fernando arranged for her to call and make a reservation for seven of us. What are the odds?
At one point Fernando and co left to clean up and get ready for tomorrow, and the Portuguese group invited Sean and I to join them. They also discovered Sean is a photographer, and spent a lot of time showing him photos and sharing a video of their band. We had very little spoken language in common, but somehow it didn't matter. We were in good company, and we shared a lot. As they say, the Camino really does provide.
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