Day 2 - Rota Vicentina to Almograve

Another day on the Fishermen's trail and no real let up on the quality of the walking, Day 2 was almost as good as Day 1.  After a bit of road walking to cross the bridge over the Rio Mara it was pure excellence all the way.

Today's walk was slightly shorter (18km) than Day 1 but we compensated by making extremely slow progress along often sapping sandy paths.

Although cliff top walks continue to dominate, the route does occasionally slice off headlands and dive inland.  When it does it sometimes disappears into dense undergrowth and through tunnels made up of huge Acacia bushes which at the moment are in full flower and bright yellow.  
Acacia Tunnels


and Bamboo
The highlight for me was the huge Brejo Largo beach, off the route itself, but easily accessed down a path.  About 2km long it was totally deserted and very beautiful.  Our landlady at last night’s B & B  had kindly and unexpectedly presented us with a huge picnic and, sheltered from the wind, the beach provided the perfect place to eat it.  Christine is determined to go for a swim, but the waves look cold and a little intimidating, today she managed to get up to her knees.
Brejo Largo beach

The juncture between the sea and the cliffs provides an ever changing range of effects.  Today we saw rocks that seem to have been dissolved by sea, leaving remnants that were somehow regular and irregular at the same time.  
Strange rock formations (1)

(2)

We set off at 9 this morning and arrived at Almograve at 3.  On the way into the village was the public laundry.  These are a common site in Spanish villages, but this one, with its line of wash boards still intact, was brand new in 1966.  It’s amazing to think that they were building these things in my lifetime, when England won the world cup, and when Eusebio was knocking goals in for Portugal.
State of the art 1966 laundrette

Almograve is a small village with only one hotel, but it’s quite a big one and the owner told me that they don't get busy until May. Christine had a foot massage and the masseur, who spoke perfect English from her time in a salad factory in Hampshire, said Christine had pretty feet an opinion that has never been expressed before and suggests that Portuguese feet may not be up to much.

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