T3 E1 – Lisbon>>>Sacavém
I don't know if you remember, but at the end of Season 2 of these chronicles, that ended in Vendas Novas, the tip had been given that this city was at the same latitude as Lisbon.
Yeah, after having done from Sagres to Santiago do Cacém in Season 1 and finished T2, I'm going to start T3 in an emblematic place, the Sé de Lisboa. And where do I go? That, I don't even know...
In this episode 1 of Season 3 of the saga, three generations are present: the grandfather (the Walker), his wife (the M.), the daughter (the A.), the son-in-law (the P.) and the grandchildren (the J. and the A).
The grandchildren are 13 and almost 11 years old, the others aren't old enough to be sensible, otherwise they wouldn't get involved in this walking thing. Also because in greater Lisbon there are lots of public transports at all times and everywhere, it's not like in the provinces.
And here the first difficulty appeared: for a provincial like me, getting a train ticket is a big problem, it's just machines, lots of buttons, lots of instructions, there wasn't a ticket office with people.
After overcoming this difficulty with the help of the local team, we went to the Sé de Lisboa to get the first stamp in this emblematic place. But the doors were still closed, there was only one gentleman outside whom I went to ask for information.
As I had the pilgrim's credential in my hand, I witnessed its power for the first time: looking at it, the gentleman told me to follow him and, even with the church still closed, I got the stamp there.
Then it was to follow the yellow arrows, of the Paths of Santiago, and the blue arrows of the Path of Fátima, because the two paths coincide in this initial phase.
It was interesting to pass through these two Lisbons. The first, from Alfama to Beato, is an old, typical city, but full of “many and varied people”… in this case, tourists.
The other city, that of Expo/Parque das Nações, is a cosmopolitan city, full of gardens and green areas, full of people sunbathing, exercising or simply walking around enjoying the good weather.
In the final part of the stage, always next to the Tagus and Trancão, we pass next to the future site of the World Youth Day. It was a very pleasant journey, with no ups or downs and, on the way back to the base, we had a sample of the local color, in a train full as an egg.
Comments