Day 6 – EU – Portugal [Castro Verde to Almodovar]

11/12/19

31.5km

  From Castro Verde (Portugal) to Almodovar (Portugal)

Europe

Short day, rainy and cold… and lambs everywhere!

My host, Filipe, sent me off very graciously this morning. After a copious breakfast, I got gifted a snack box and extra water, and to top it off, he drove me back to the exact spot where I had stopped my GPS yesterday, at Castro Verde’s taxi stand.

Today was a short day of running, with just above 30km. The way my route is planned, at least through the winter months in Europe, is actually from lodging to lodging. This is why I always say I intend to run “on average” a marathon a day, as it will even out throughout the 2 years of my journey. The past two days were North of 44km, and it was fine, but it was only because it so happened that lodging was available at such distance!

Anyway it was a good thing to have a short day today, as I started running in a somewhat very misty air. It turned into rain and by km15, I was quite soaking in my clothes. I attempted a break at a local cafe at km20, but I was so cold I had to resume my run and get moving.

Today’s landscapes were of fields again, loads of cattle, sheeps and lambs (it must be just past breeding season, I saw loads of newborns). Quite peaceful and very seldom traffic. All in all a great day of running, save for the rain and cold!

Ah and it has been a running joke amongst my friends, that I would spend the first few weeks of my journey figuring out how to get out of Portugal. Truth is, my sense of direction is very poor. I rely 100% on my Google Maps app to read directions and verify I’m on the correct path. But to my defense, signs can be confusing! This one, for instance, baffled me this morning. I was aiming for Almodovar… so how was I supposed to read this? Thank God for Google Maps!

Tomorrow is a rest day, and I will try and get back to Castro Verde, were the only Royal Basilica of Portugal is located. My host Filipe told me it was a sight not to miss, and I am keen to see the famous painted tin-glazed ceramic tileworks (“azulejo”). More about it tomorrow!

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: