Nocturnal visit

Snoring, rustling, panting, digging. It sounds loud around my tent. I wake up startled. What is this? My heart is pounding in my throat. Wild boars! Do they smell my food? Will they come into my tent? I try to calm myself down. Stay still because I’ve read that somewhere. Stay calm. Eventually, they smell you too and won’t come any closer. And indeed, after a while that feels endless, they leave. In the light, I see that my tent is right by an oak tree. They probably feasted on the fresh acorns. In the end, I’m more bothered by a mosquito in my tent than by the boars. What an itch!

Caffeine pill

The bar in the nearby village is unfortunately closed. In the woods, I don’t dare to make coffee with all that dry grass. One spark can be enough for a fire. I don’t feel like unpacking everything again, so I take a caffeine pill for emergencies. I feel like a methadone addict…

Sardines with cat and dog

The path goes under the highway. A strange sensation, as I haven’t heard traffic for over a week. What a noise! Gradually, the sound fades, and I walk along a babbling river again. A few hours later, I do make coffee and prepare sandwiches with canned sardines. Delicious! A dog and a cat apparently think so too. They quickly come over, hoping to join in on the meal.

Contrast

In Figueiró da Serra, I buy provisions for the coming days. After this, Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela awaits with lots of elevation gain. I wet my cap again at the fountain. An old man in a thick woolen vest, leaning on his cane, says something. No idea what. The contrast is striking: my sweaty T-shirt, wet cap, and bare legs against his warm winter outfit.

Talk of the town

Soon I become the talk of the town. That crazy guy is hauling his loaded cart up to the sixth historical village, Linhares da Beira, two kilometers away but 200 meters higher. I’m mentally preparing for the climb. My final destination is the official campsite, freely provided and entirely for me alone. A bit of luxury before I head into the mountains.

Overnight stay: Linhares