The luxury of running water

I sleep fantastically by the sports field. I continue with a slooooowww start. It’s such a luxury when you have running water. I also make optimal use of the tap. After washing myself from head to toe (the water is not cold, as I expected), I do a hand wash and in the meantime, I make coffee twice.

Neighborhood store closed

My tent is soaking wet. It’s strange, it was bone dry yesterday. This is why starting slowly is handy; the tent has time to dry. Dry and well, I pack it up and continue on my way. I walk by the neighborhood store, but it turns out to be closed. I didn’t count on that; I don’t have much food left.

Confusion in the village

On the way, I pick up chestnuts (tip: make sure the spikes from the shell don’t get under your nails; that hurts a lot), which I can roast. This way I still have some extra calories, because after cooking at the big square of Meimão, not to be confused with Meimoa (which I did and will only visit tomorrow), I can’t do any shopping. There is a neighborhood store in Meimoa, but not in Meimão.

Camping strictly prohibited

After this, the path goes through protected nature reserve. The scents are delightfully intense: eucalyptus, wild thyme, and strongly scented pines. I sniff and sniff. Mmmm. I wanted to camp by the lake, but it clearly states that this is prohibited, so I won’t do that. I just didn’t expect it and see it too late. Or actually just in time. If I walk really fast, I can exit the nature reserve just before dark.

Running before dark

Fortunately, the path is wide and level. In some sections, I run. It’s a race against the clock. A slow start often costs you later. I know this, but this person tends to be quite hard-headed. In the dark, I look for a spot to pitch my tent. It looks like a kind of small park, dilapidated and seemingly no longer visited. That shouldn’t be a problem, but I can’t ask anyone. Occasionally, a car drives by. They must have seen me, but I’m not sent away. So, it must be okay. Immersed in the scent of eucalyptus, I peacefully fall asleep.

Overnight stay: Barragem de Meimoa