So I have just completed a 3 day walk to Fatima. Let me first explain the significance of the town before I fill you in the walk.

Fatima is a bery holy site for christians as Mary was said to appear to three young shepherd children in 1917, where they were told 3 secrets. The first was a vision of hell, the second concerned a threat of world war and persecution and third has not been revealed. However, the current Pope Francis is said to reveal this at some point. One of the children survived until 2005, the other two having died some decades ago to a flu epidemic.

The town itself seems quite modern and the main Basilica (closed due to renovation) stands at the top of a huge square where many visitors pass through. There are some who even pay penance by crawling toward the church on their knees. It is, it has to be said completely different to arriving at the catherdral in Santiago. When arriving into town I had to navigate through the reams of tacky souvenir shops and avoid the bus loads of ‘tourists’ that seemingly come for a photo op, before being ushered onto their next port of call.

I would have to say, however, taking a bus would have been a phenomenally better option than walking here. As I said previously, I chose to catch a train out of Lisbon to Santarem to avoid walking on main and very busy roads. I am also now aware there is not a comprehensive walking to Fatima, because I honestly believe it is not worth it. No amount of sins requires this pilgrimage. Or, maybe it will become more like the Camino through Spain to Santiago in a 1000 yrs!!

The way is dangerous. Much of the walk is on roads, so this requires nerves of steel to avoid being hit by the cars, buses and trucks when they pass. The weather at the moment is still around the 30 degree mark, but the heat coming off the bitumen raises the temp considerably. Once you have avoided being killed by a vehicle, you think you will get some reprieve when the way brings you onto bushland tracks. The issue here is, they are no wider than the rabbit who made them, and most of it is a ‘shortcut’ up and down the side of a mountain on very loose rocks with NO shade. Now don’t get me wrong here….I would consider myself now to be a moderately good long distance walker and I have succesfully traversed some pretty precarious terrain , but I was thinking that if anything happened to me – a fall, a sprained ankle, a broken bone, or god forbid some thing far more serious – there is literally no one around to help. I have seen one other walker in 3 days and that is only when I arrive at the albergue where I stay. So in short, it’s not so fun!

If you think I sound like I’m being overly dramatic – which I love to be when the time arises – FOUR people died on the Camino I did in May and June. Two were older and I assume died of heart problems in France, but a 36 yr old man and  20 yr old girl died in Spain from a heart attack and dehydration respectively. That is not to discount the many others who have died over the years as they walked too. These walks are not so easy, so I am now rethinking my next stage. Orginally I planned to walk all the way to Santiago, but futher examination of various guides suggests that to avoid roads and other various obstacles a few kilometres outside of Porto seems to be the way to go. I don’t feel the need to be a hero about this, just to say I walked all the way, because fk it…..my feet hurt and I would like to still be in one piece to apply for my next round of jobs…..or at least walk like a normal human being…not hunched over and hobbling because I have discovered new pains in my feet that I could never before have imagined!

So now, again, I am enjoying a beer and very much looking forward to a train or bus – something I would haved cursed others for doing before!! My high horse is definitely out to pasture!….

And I’m back. Yes I have been truly slack ove rthe past few months but I will fill you in on my adventures in the coming weeks. Also my Dad was a little outraged that I have not been writing –  as in his words…”forget this facebook twitter crap and write your blog for gods sake!” Needless to say father may have all the ipads and iphones one could need but facebook and twitter is not part of the equation….So here I am….

For now, however, I am again going for a little wander….this time from Lisbon to Santiago….so a northbound stroll through Portugal…just a casual 600km but I have already taken a few detours…I caught the train from Lisbon to Santarem (pronounced Santa Rai) and leaving the camino to walk to Fatima….and then walking north to rejoin the camino for Santiago.

So first of all I am completely unfit for this kind a caper! Yes you may say…What!!! Did you not just walk 1700km a week ago?….well actually I finished that 2.5 months ago and in that time I packed on about 7kg from my gastronomic and wine tasting exploits around europe! No shit….I am literally carrying a ton of fromage and red wine around my tummy….I am truly looking elegant to say the least. Although I don’t  anticipate getting used to walking with my pack to take too long, it still feels like a heavy house on my back. Having said that, it feels quite comforting too. …I have a sense of purpose again.

Over the last few months I have become increasingly anxious about my employment situation-which plainly amounts to unemployed…sometimes I feels like it verges on unemployable! Don’t get me wrong – I don’t regret taking advantage of this sabatical to travel (I may never get this chance again) but I don’t function to well without a sense of purpose or achievement. So over the past week alone I have applied for approximately 12 jobs now. I am certain I am not qualified for the majority of them but desperate times call for, well, desperation. All the job apps certainly give me a sense of purpose but constant rejection does not fulfil the achievement part of things…so I am doing another walk…..the sense of achievement at the each day surpasses all my anxiety of unemployment…. and a small visa bill!!! Yes dad….no dad it will not be your problem! !! 

Speaking of anxiety though….if walking these caminos is supposed to alleviate such problems….the first couple of kilometres out of Santarem does nothing for it. The main english guide to the Camino by John Brierley  (those of you who have used his guides will know what I am talking about)…is quite frankly a load of crap. Firstly…..he describes the first few days walk out of Lisbon as a gentle walk through woodland….which I have heard is quite the contrary to reality. In reality you are walking on busy roads…and the woodland is just the trees along side the road. THEN his guide does not include the detour to Fatima….one of the biggest pilgrim routes for the Portuguese people….it as if he 9nly wants you to go his way, like he is the Pide Piper of english speaking camino pilgrims. So this left me with a predicament of having no guide to do my detour and experience a walk that many pilgrims do. (I am not doing this for religious purposes by the way, but walking  is just a lovely way to see a country). Anyway….anxiety levels were on serious alert leaving the centre of Santarem today as it is not very clear at all…..thankfully an old man took pity and told me where to go. Also there is no walking. I mean I have met one French man – who kindly let me see his guide…which included the Fatima detour….but he seems to walk at warp speed as these old french dudes do….so I am totally alone with only one word of portuguese….obrigado or thank you! It seems, however, that a backpack on woman walking alone brings out the best in people and so far I have had no problem navigating my way….and the signs have become more frequent…little blue arrows to Fatima.

Anyway…I am doing a cruisy 21km today…just to break in some new boots! YES the old boots clocked about 2700km in the past 18 months and needed to retire. …and also walking too far in the first few days guarantees some sort of injury or blister….so I am having a beer and baguette for lunch before the last 8kms to another beer and my place to sleep….and hopefully I will leave a few kilos behind too!