Santarem

Santarem is the place where the Caminho Fatima and the Camino de Santiago divide and head their separate ways. It is also the place where Tom's cold took a turn for the worse. We have decided to stop here and rest for a few days. It is a lovely village and we are staying at the Hostal Santarem where we have a little terrace apartment. Mario is our host and he plays some of the most beautiful music for us. He must have at least 1,000 vinyl records and his collection is to be envied.

We did take a walk through town where we visited the Portas do Sol which is known here as the gateway to the sun. It has a stunning view of the vistas below and occupies the site of the original Roman forum and the Moorish citadel.

After a visit to the local pharmacy I realized I would be out of a job if pharmacies in the United States were like these. You present your symptoms to the pharmacist and he or she prescribes for you based on your symptoms. I contributed my thoughts and she readily agreed and handed over our request. Needless to say, he is feeling better.

We will resume our walk again tomorrow. The rest has been good for us in a most unexpected way. While each place has brought us a special delight our time here has given us time to reflect on what is really important to us. We are in the season of life in which we do not need to rush. We can stop and enjoy the moment we are in even if it means we alter our plans to just stay still.

The local taberna fixes us homemade soup each day and our host prepares soothing drinks for us and we feel well cared for. We realize we are in no hurry nor do we have a final destination. We are just on a walk and enjoying everyplace we happen to be. After all, we are only doing this for the sheer fun of it. Excited to see what lies ahead. You are loved and missed...Buen Camino