Day Six: Azumbuja to Santarem

I knew that this was going to a long day, 8-9 hours of walking.  I was well stocked with water and snacks and there were two cafes along the way.  The secret to long-distance walking is pacing, slow and steady.  Fortunately, the entire walk today was along the river and past farms.  The Rio Tejo is a wide shallow river with wide flood plain.  The soil must be a sandy clay judging from the texture and color.  I saw miles and miles of drip irrigation lines.

Flat, eh?  This is very much like the Rio Grande.  Not as dry but the Tejo valley is crisscrossed with ditches to drain excess water.  The tillage equipment is also very similar.  

This a crop that I recognize.  This is what we call collard greens.  The Portuguese use it to make Caldo Verde, or green soup, made with potatoes, onions, garlic and chorrizo.  I think that it is the same as the Spanish Caldo Gallego.

I walked beside this levee for nearly 15 miles and as far as I know (I'll see tomorrow),

it extends both north and south and on both sides for many more miles. The levee is about 20 feet high.  This village is on the dry side of the levee and a park is built on the side that floods.  There is stone nearby that marks the high water level in 1979, one foot from the top of the levee.  

A sort of monument to life along a big river.  The marks on the column indicate flood levels in the past.  The top mark, which was over my head, was from 1979.  Picture 7 feet of water standing here.

This is the road that I walked.  On the right is the levee and on the left a line of trees and then farms.  There is farmland and people living on the river side of the levee as well.  I suppose living in area prone to flooding is a calculated risk.  Once every twenty years the farmers take a year off and get to travel.  The camino marker is on the right andf has two arrows - blue for Fatima and yellow for Santiago.  They are still pointing in the same direction.  Santarem is built on a hill over the river so after 31k I weary pilgrims have to climb 300 feet but the reward is wonderful new alburgue and I am the only one here.  So far Lisbon to Santarem - 92 miles.  Pilgrim sightings - a French couple left here this morning but I haven't seen anyone carrying a pack and walking.