082716 Santa Iria de Azóia to Vila Franca de Xira

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.

We got a wake-up call at 7 am and had breakfast at Hotel VIP Executive. We departed at 9:00 am.



Saturday, ‎August ‎27, ‎2016, ‏‎7:34 AM - Santa Iria de Azóia: Hotel VIP Executive – swimming pool(s) in morning.



‏‎8:58 AM - Santa Iria de Azóia: Hotel VIP Executive – front (with garbage truck) at departure in morning.

Brierley’s notes did not explain how to get back on the Camino route, after going back south 1.8 km on the N-10 to the hotel in Santa Iria de Azóia. So, the night before, we had studied Brierley’s map to see how to do that. It looked like we should walk 1.8 km north into Póvoa de Sta. Iria and turn right on a bridge (Ponte on his map) over railroad tracks 200 m before the roundabout (traffic circle); if we got to the roundabout without seeing Camino arrows, then we would just walk back 200 m to find the bridge. Not knowing that there were actually 2 roundabouts on that part of the highway, we arrived at the (first) roundabout and, looking back, saw a bridge over railroad tracks, although it looked to be more than any 200 m to the south. We went back and crossed that bridge, which turned left as it crossed the tracks. Brierley’s notes said to “cross over the railway and < [turn] left through industrial park,” but there was no industrial park. We talked to 3 men we met there and, after much confusion, at 10:30 am they told us to back to the N-10 and go north to the SECOND roundabout. When we approached the 2nd roundabout, we did find a bridge over the railroad tracks and then went STRAIGHT (there was no place to turn left) on a dirt road that eventually turned left. After passing just a few buildings, the road ended, but we found yellow and blue arrows indicating a footpath to follow along the river.

At the far end of Alverca do Ribatejo, we continued alongside the N-10 highway, passing under two huge structures that Brierley called “grain chutes.” These were long conveyor belts that led over the highway to a processing plant.

‏‎1:18 PM - Alhandra: this was what Brierley called a “grain chute”; Alhandra city limit sign at right.

This soybean processing plant currently belongs to the Cargill Portugal branch of the U.S. firm Cargill and its Portuguese affiliate Agro Alimentar S.A. The Cargill web site lists the location of this plant as Alverca do Ribatejo and places it under the “Nutriçäo Animal” (animal nutrition) part of Cargill.

As of 1969, a soybean crushing plant listed as being in Alhandra (just outside Alverca do Ribatejo) was making soy oil and soybean meal. At that time, it belonged to IBEROL, an affiliate of A.E. Staley Mfg. Co, Decatur, Illinois.

We crossed back over the railroad tracks and followed the N-10 into Alhandra (pronounced Ayandra). There we turned off right to the train station, where Brierley’s notes said to take Rua 20 de Maio. However, we saw no arrows and no street signs. When we asked an older local man out walking where to find Rua 20 de Maio, he said he would walk with us to show the way. He took us all the way past the fire station to the marina.

At the marina, we found the boat club Vela, which Brierley said would have a pilgrim stamp (carimbo). However, a young man at a bar nearby explained that they were closed for vacation; so we could not get carimbos there. He told us to go on to the train station (in Vilafranca de Xira) and they could give us 2 stamps, one for the club Vela. We followed the long, paved passeio ribeirinho pedonal (riverine walkway), some of which was boardwalk.

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2:37 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: bull ring, on other side of tracks.

In Vilafranca de Xira, we passed the bull ring and a nice shaded park, and eventually came to the train station. The man at the ticket office could give us only one stamp (his).

Vilafranca de Xira: carimbo stamp from “CP Lisboa Vila Franca de Xira Bilheteira 31278-02” (CP [Comboios de Portugal (Trains of Portugal)] Ticket Office 31278-02 in Vila Franca de Xira).

When we asked how to find Hotel Lezíria Parque, the man at the ticket office just said to turn right and keep going straight (a direita means to the right and a direito means straight ahead—or right—so this is confusing). The first street to the right was small (not the N-10) and under repair. So Don recommended going one more block to the west, where we turned right on a busy street that seemed to be the N-10. (Not only were street signs rare, but there were never any signs to indicate that you were on a highway, unless there was an important junction of highways coming up.) It turned out that this was the N-10. We followed it until the N-10 veered off right to cross the river bridge, and then we continued on what turned out to be the N-1 (again, no signs). Unsure, we stopped at a flower shop, where a friendly lady told us to keep going straight on that road until we passed a supermercado (grocery store) and then we would come to the hotel. That was correct.

Vilafranca de Xira (pop. of municipality 136,886) is said to have been founded by French followers of Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, around 1200. The town is mostly famous for its bull-running festivals in July and October. Bulls are raised in the salty marshlands (lezírias) of the Ribatejo, which is also a notable breeding ground for the magnificent Lusitano horses.

Before we got to the hotel, we actually left the town of Vilafranca de Xira.

3:23 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: MT with city limit sign; we were actually leaving town and looked back).

‏‎3:33 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: Hotel Lezíria Parque - front, from N-1 highway.

We arrived at Hotel Lezíria Parque (4-star) at 3:35 pm (lezíria is Portuguese for marsh or wetland; parque is pronounced park, and that’s what it means). We showered, washed clothes, and hung them on the balcony (when we asked at check-in if there was a place to hang clothes, they switched us from a room on the ground floor to one on the 1st [US 2nd] floor with a balcony). While Don showered, MT went back to the reception desk to get carimbos, and she got 2 apples and 2 small cartons of milk (for her coffee).

Vilafranca de Xira: carimbo stamp from “Lezíria Parque Hotel.”

At 7:30 pm (opening time) we went to jantar (dinner, included) in the hotel’s Restaurante Aquarius: bottle of red wine from Tejo region; bottle of water; assorted breads; 1) both had the cream of vegetable soup; 2) both had the €12 selection of the day, perch (it was supposed to be fried, but we got it grilled*) with cooked potatoes and a green (lettuce) and tomato salad with vinegar and oil; desert: MT mango mousse/Don fruit salad.

*In Portugal, as in Spain, we learned that many main dishes in restaurants were fried (frito/a) and came with French fries; however, if we requested it, they could usually make it grilled (grelhado/a in Portuguese or a la plancha in Spanish); they would also make the potatoes (batatas in Portuguese, patatas in Spanish) cocidas (in either language, literally, cooked, meaning boiled).

MT ‏‎7:56 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: Restaurante Aquarius – Don with wine, perch, potatoes, and salad.

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7:50 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: Restaurante Aquarius – Don’s perch, potatoes, and salad.

MT ‏‎7:56 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: Restaurante Aquarius – MT’s perch, potatoes, and salad.

‏‎7:51 PM - Vilafranca de Xira: Restaurante Aquarius – MT with perch, potatoes, and salad.

NOTE: We don’t think we have seen any other pilgrims since the French lady in Lisbon our first afternoon.