On the plane the back section was not that crowded and I was able to get a window and an isle seat to myself. Originally there was a young woman there on her way to her first visit to Rome. He friend talked a guy into trading seats so she left. The guy who traded made his way over but I noticed the pair of seats behind me were empty and the doors had closed. We both took two seats. I struck up a conversation with the guy and we chatted all through the nearly hour delay and we'll after take off. Cal was a military guy from Chico. He was on his way to join a army guy reunion in Nice that was then moving to Normandy. I think there where going to do so parachute jumps along with the partying. We had a discussion.
At the baggage claim in LIS I bought a Vodefone SIM card. There is a vending machine at carousel 9. After reviewing various eSIMs and other options I decided that while I might save a few € with those, the Vodefone SIM has the best coverage and is 5G. 20GB for 30 days for 25€, not bad. Another guy told me he paid his US carrier for International data and it was $50.
Coming out of the secure area I see my name on a meet place board. The guy in charge called my driver and I waited about 30 minutes. It was clear from my view of the street it was raining and the traffic was probably bad. Did I save myself any time which was my goal of getting the ride? Maybe not but I was drier. Once we got in the car it did not take long to get to the Cathedral. My driver got excited when I said I was from SF as he was a big Warriors and Steph Curry fan. He showed be the poster of Steph he has on his wall.
No pictures today because of the rain.
I picked up my Pilgrim credential at the gift shop inside the Cathedral. The ticket vendors directed me. 2€. He seemed a little put out when I pulled out cash
I walked from the Cathedral to Santa Apolónia train station where I caught a train to my actual walking start Castanheira do Ribatejo. I had cycled this section last year and knew it would be an unpleasant walk, especially in the rain.
The walk to Azambuja was ok. The scenery was a little dull often with a field one side and a the tracks and wearhouses for logistic companies lining the tracks. A few roads had a bit of traffic and the puddles forced me into the middle of the road more than was comfortable. It rained almost the entire time.
It wasn't bad until the last 5km and I decided to push through rather than put the poncho on. Mistake. The rain picked up and the road turned into a flooded single track.
I got to the "hotel" and it's one of those DIY check-ins. I needed to look up the instructions which were messaged to me through the Booking app. You use a code for the door and a code to get your room key. I couldn't use the phone because my fingers were cold and wet. But that didn't matter because my glasses were wet and fogged.
In the cold and wet I always have major phone failure. I want my smart phone to be smarter. How come I can't voice ask if there are any instructions for this booking?
I had to go to a bakery and have a coffee and a chocolate croissant before I could operate the phone. I left a huge puddle on the floor and soaked the seat.
After a shower I felt a lot better. I thought I'd skip laundry altogether because it was cold and nothing would dry. I'll wear the same again tomorrow.
I picked a spot close by for dinner and it was just right.
When I got back to the room the heater that I thought did not work did and I thought I should wash the socks and underwear. They would dry on the heater. Pants and shirt can go again.
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