Norman's Blog: El Camino Portuguese Povoa de Santa Iria de Azoia to Vila Franca de Xira

El Camino Portuguese

Povoa de Santa Iria de Azoia to Vila Franca de Xira

After a gruelling climb back up the hill from my overnight accommodation at sea level, I was looking down El Camino where I had left off yesterday with its telegraph pole standing in the centre of the roundabout. The route goes left to right, partially obscured by the farm buildings to the left with a gravel track heading away and a dirt track skirting in front of the trees this side of the farm complex. But it was still 700 metres to walk, all down hill on slippery gravel.

The route is at 60 metres altitude and on the guide maps there were two contour lines between the top of the hill and the route but no where in the guide did it tell me how many metres were between each contour. But I can vouch that it was a lot.

In Granja at last there were some distinctive and professional signs to guide pilgrims, the first that I had come across. This one was painted onto t telegraph pole. The routes to Santiago and Fatima share the same route for the first few days and hence references to both, a blue arrow and Fatima symbol and a yellow arrow and the Scallop shell symbol to represent the way to Santiago de Compostela.

Up to now, I had had to keep my eyes peeled for blue and yellow arrows such as these on a crash barrier, rather feint and faded and on the wrong side if you are walking on the safe side.

...or amateur hand daubing on any available surface such as this Santiago sign on a local electric pylon and easily missed.

But at and fter Granja, there were concrete pylons such as this one, the first that I had seen which clearly and professionally denoted the correct route and plenty more to follow.

The route weaves under the motorway and down to the coast and along the flat muddy shores of the Tejo (Tagus, but I prefer to use the local names when in their country). Fields to one side of the path and wetland and marsh natural reserve to the other.

Although the route is close to the river, it was rare to see any water through the reeds except where streams flowed under the boardwalk to jon the main river.

There were other signs for pilgrims, especially where many complained that the way sign was inconclusive or open to interpretation. A little down the wrong way, there might be a sign of a cross in blue for Fatima or yellow for Santiago de Compostela to tell the pilgrim that this was the wrong way.

I couldn't help but take a photo of this Land Rover Defender as the route passed through an industrial estate, I wasn't sure of the model but the last one of this style rolled of the production line in 2007 and someone has taken great lengths to preserve this one, no sign of rust, deep tread in the tyres and the chrome all sparkling, uncreased interiors and obviously someone's pride and joy.

The guide book mentions the route going under two grain conveyors. The route follows the road about half way up the slope and whilst I could see some industrial buildings and sites down by the shore, they were some distance away so I was intrigued about the conveyors.

All was revealed as I followed the road. There were conveyors that came down from the plateau above where the farms were situated to feed the mills. The conveyors saved lorry drivers the wear and tear on their nerves and the vehicles, not to mention diesel consumption, steep descents in low gear, frequent braking and time to negotiate the steep hair pinned roads from the plateau to the mill.

Drivers could unload at the top of the slope and return for another load whilst the conveyor took the goods down to the river side mill so avoiding a slow and potentially difficult, slow and dangerous descent with a full load.