Its like a smoothie

The days are blending together with just a small bit of variety, maybe like a strawberry that escapes the blender blade and adds a bit of something to remember.
Today it was more hills, more rain (though much lighter), more small villages , abandoned homes, flowers and trees, and ham and cheese for lunch. But each day has its nugget of goodness that sets it apart from the others. Today it was sweet Antonio. He is an old man we ran into somewhere along the path. We were going one way and on the opposite side of the street he was pushing his walker with the little seat rest, going the other way. I greeted him as I do everyone we pass with a " bom dia". He was so excited to see us, or maybe he would have received any pilgrim the same way. He motioned for us to wait and hurriedly (not) shuffled across the street. He doesn't really speak English but asked "London?" I said no, United States. He then asked Santiago? To which we answered yes. He grasped our hand and kissed them, then pulled each of us in for the European kiss on both cheeks. He was literally glowing with happiness to wish us " bom viage". This simple act of kindness and recognition truly lightened my spirit and made my walk a bit easier.
Tonight we are in a lovely tiny rental which gives me and Jayme a bit of private space, something we have not experienced in 2 weeks. The rental is in the middle of old town, a perfect location to explore Coimbra from on our rest day. I look forward to experiencing how the Portuguese honor Good Friday.Read more