Today we hiked almost 20 miles from Vilarinho to Barcelos. The temperature was hot (80-85 degrees) and the route was up and down, mostly on cobblestones, but sometimes on dirt roads. This will be the longest leg of our trip, so I psyched myself that if I can get through this day, everything else will be easier.
Early this morning, we came across a beautiful old Roman bridge spanning a lazy river. It was the first sign that today was not going to be gray and drab, like yesterday.
Shortly thereafter, we crossed the 25 km mark of our trip ( about 10% of the entire journey to Santiago). To mark the occasion, we asked Joe (the new guy) to pose for a picture with 25 fingers. (We usually pose for a picture at 10 km, but we were too busy yesterday catching up with each other.) Since he need to have 25 fingers, Stephen and I gave him a hand (or two).
The road to Barcelos was better. Even if the cobblestones persisted, the scenery was more pastoral. A eucalyptus forest. Large green trees dotting the landscape. Fields of of brown earth where corn crops once stood tall. And of course, the smells of farmland. (Whew, that will wake you up!)
As we entered the outskirts of Barcelos, we came across a shine to the pilgrims who had made this journey. The shrine consisted of numerous personal items discarded by previous pilgrims. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
After almost 7 hours of hiking, we entered the city and made our way to a hotel where we could take off our boots and get some rest.
Walking Across Italy 
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