A day off from the walking. Wandered around Sanrarém – an old fortified city on the top of a hill that survived many attacks and earthquakes. It has many examples of gothic architecture.

Camino Tales:

55km in one day is a lot. Stack that with 37° temperatures and it can be a bitch.

About 45km into the walk, I was starting to experience the symptoms of heat exhaustion.

The next shade I find (walking under the sun in open farmland) is the end of a grape row- not unlike that which you would see in Sonoma county.

I throw the pack down, drink some water, eat a banana and a piece of scrumptious trader lies dark chocolate and lay down to rest with a basic awareness of the drone of farm machinery in the background.

Not 10 minutes later while I was blissfully disturbing all of the wildlife in the area with my snores m, the tractor exited the row I happened to be snoozing when a leaf-trimming-spinning-blades-of-decapitation-and-death tractor exited said row and came inches from the snoozing pilgrim.

Now you must understand that under normal conditions, anyone would move quickly, but in a fatigued, snoring state, my movement was – a miracle.

After giving the tractor operator a freight – never mind my own, we chatted amicably 30 minutes while I learned all about his vineyard and it’s operations.

Friendships made in challenging circumstances.