Rota Vincentina The Fisherman’s Trail - March 1, 2026 ~ Day 8 Carrapateira to Vila do Bispo

Daily Information  Planned Distance:        15.4 kms Actual Distance:          19.1 kms Actual Elevation G/L:       438 m (354) m         Cumulative Information  Actual Distance:           168 kms  Actual Elevation G/L:     1,957 m (1,891) m Stage Description - Stingy Nomads Highlights & Challenges "Highlights It is a short but demanding walking day with spectacular coastal scenery in the first 8 km/5 mi.  Challenges Several steep ascents and descents. If you walk it in summer make sure you have enough water it gets very hot. A very steep and long ascent with a subsequent descent between 7,4 km/4,5 mi and 8 km/5 mi. No place to stop for food or drinks between 2,5 km/1,5 mi (Amado Beach) and 15 km/9 mi (Vila do Bispo)." NOTE: In yesterday’s blogpost I included a video of my « walk » through the Bordeira stream. Unfortunately the blogpost email sent did not include the video. I do not know why…perhaps a System Architect could explain this 😞 However all is not lost. If you are interested in seeing this award winning short documentary go the Web version of the blog at www.caminolongwalk.blospot.com. The video is there! Overall I rate this day as challenging…not for the distance…but the number of ascents/descents especially the second bullet under Challenges above. In total agreement that this it was particularly tough section. However due care was taken and all was good! Supper last night was tasty however I simply overdid it. From the menu I understood this was a chicken burger however it had a pork burger on top plus apples etc etc. Next meal I resolve to eat a little lighter 😳

The morning started with breakfast (courtesy Leonard’s shopping yesterday) and a little detour back to Bordeira beach. We were curious whether there was an easier way to cross yesterday’s stream…jury is still out on yes or no.  However it was a scenic little detour pre-walk.

Very impressive sand dunes!

Hmmm maybe not easier than yesterday

Back on the Fisherman’s Trail and then up various roads we were soon nearing Amado beach…stunning area!

We thought we might be able to get to the other side of the beach but alas it was not possible

We knew there were challenges ahead with ascents/descents. Here is the Wikilocs profile. Note blue dot on elevation profile…that’s me. 😊 We are now facing two steep ascents/descents.

The first was on a road…estimated grade 15% over a km distance. My preferred approach is to climb steadily…no breaks…sometimes using the Nepalese switchbacking back and forth. Breathing and legs have to be in sync…today was a good day for that.

Once on top of the hill the last descent and subsequent ascent were simply pretty rough going. Rocky requiring good placement of feet describes it. We both slowed down…we were careful just like the 6 German hikers around us and eventually we reached the plateau for the walk to Vila do Bispo.

Tomorrow is Day 9 of the 11 day walk and it should be special. Not overly long at 22 kms we will round the Cabo de St Vincent before arriving at Sagres. Looking forward to this.

Rather than including additional photos today (I have many) it’s time for something a little different 😊 Over the course of a walk I do receive a number of comments…all very much appreciated! 

Two gentlemen sent me creative gems after reading my blogposts. Some good natured pokes the walk and my blogposts. I enjoyed receiving and reading these immensely.

Cal, a long time Manitoba friend has in the past sent me creative assessments of my walking efforts. Cal has a PhD in Computer Science specializing in artificial intelligence. He has written 3 books (trilogy) on AI…Emergence, Liberation and Ascension. Suffice to say that in the next 5 minutes Cal will have had more deep thoughts than I have had in my 69+ years. 🤔

With Cal’s permission I am including his creative piece which was received after Day 6 of the Fisherman’s Trail walk.

Hi Guy,

One more time, I see you’ve wandered away from home. I keep waiting for a Silver Alert notice to appear on my phone, notifying everyone to watch for “a slightly confused, unshaven old fellow with a hint of mad determination in his eyes as he strides confidently down the road. He may or may not be equipped with a Patagonia rain shell and a Suunto watch.” However, nothing’s appeared yet. 

Dawn must have again decided that you’ll somehow find your way home eventually. In learning that you were planning to wander off to Portugal, my first reaction was one of approval. It has an excellent reputation as a vacation spot for seniors. 

That changed when I remembered that this was a “Guy” kind of vacation—the type most of us think of as a “wildly crazy, who-would-do-that” kind of vacation. Nonetheless, being fans of dramatic, life-threatening stories, Jane and I are once more reading of your daily adventures and hoping for a happy ending.

Portugal’s reputation among vacationers seems to stem from features like its wonderful sand, the phenomenal coastal scenery, and how affordable it can be. You might have heard such things, too, but I think you slightly misunderstood what they meant. 

The “wonderful sand” was meant for lazy, sunset strolls beside the Atlantic, NOT for hours-long trudging in the midday sun; the “phenomenal coastal scenery” was meant to be the subject of interesting vacation photos, NOT to be a place for challenging the gravity gods by walking near the edge of treacherous cliffs, or by daring the tides to engulf your sandy, ocean-side path before you reach the next escape route to higher ground. 

And “affordable” meant that it’s reasonably priced for a foreign vacation, NOT that it’s possible to find super-cheap accommodations for anyone willing to sleep on a bare sofa.

I want to particularly thank you for crediting System Architects for solving your iPhone problem. I can’t claim that we invented the power off/on technique, but we’re delighted to accept any and all compliments. 

In case you feel like another one, and to show what versatile folks we are, here’s another suggestion: DON’T EVER AGAIN stand at the edge of a cliff to take the best possible photo of a sign that says, “UNSTABLE CLIFFS”! 

Remember, we’re hoping for a happy ending to this story, so take care.

Cal.

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Then along came Jim’s missive…Jim is quite the character from my curling league that I affectionately call « The old foggies league »…I definitely belong to « old foggies ». Clearly a spoof on my writing abilities…I thought it hilarious. With Jim’s approval I have included excerpts from his post as I wouldn’t want to be accused of publishing a long winded blogpost 😉

Jim’s Blog - Sparing for Guy

Daily Information

Planned Distance: 2.7 km

Actual Distance: 2.8 km forgot the walk from the parking lot

Planned Elevation: 8 steps

Actual Elevation: 11 steps three were outside

Planned De-elevation: 18 steps

Actual De-elevation:   18 steps

Playing Distance: 5,400 feet -150 feet for six ends

Garmin Steps: 4,278 steps -played extra end

Planned times sitting on bench waiting for the skip: 2

Actual times sitting on bench waiting for the skip:  4  - not complaining I could use the rest

Highlights: 

- Being asked to spare for Guy, the second best second in the league that plays lead, because everyone else turned him down.

Challenges:

- Keeping up with Guys standards

- Not falling as many times as Guy

- Playing with Team Curry . . . again

- Sweeping with the Tin Man and Chicken Little with a broken wing. 

- Trying to figure out curl, straight.

Started the trip with figuring out how to get to the club, walk, run, uber, transit.  Decide on TTC, yep Take The Car.  A bit of a struggle to get to the club, up hill battle, many pot holes on St Clair, had to swim across the pond at the club’s parking lot, then climb the steps to get inside. Greeted by the skip, he seemed happy, not sure if it was a because it was me or because I wasn’t Guy.

Had to climb Mt. Driveway to get out, put a flag in before Trump could claim it for the 51st state.

Arrived at the Club

Came across a group of wild animals

Elevation of 8 steps, plus three outside.  Very exhausting, up hill all the way

Now an 18 step decline, thank god it’s down hill.

Yep, 150 feet, 6 times, for 6 ends, while sweeping, beat that Guy.  I can’t even see the other end. What’s the score?

Ordered a delicious meal after the game