12 February to Furnazinhas

Today the slopes were less steep and the landscape more gentle. The scrub included wild lavender and rosemary and occasional almond trees in flower. There were a number of pine plantations, none of these trees are very tall, the landscape will be quite different in years to come if they reach any size. Near the villages there are sometimes small vineyards presumably for domestic use and little olive groves. I saw the occasional flock of sheep or goats often with an old shepherd and his dog to look after them. One flock had strange straight horns, twisted like Dali's moustache.
The lady last night at Casa D'Aldeia in Vaqueiros kindly volunteered entirely using sign language to reserve a place in the only accommodation in the next place, Furnazinhas, Casa do Lavrador where I am now. The lady here is equally chatty (in Portuguese) but not so good at sign language, so she rang someone who spoke English who asked me what time I wanted dinner etc.. She had also warned the next place on route that I was on my way and would need a bed. News travels fast!
Dinner was huge! Tomatoes with herbs, cheese & olives to start, then a large bowl of chicken stew with potatoes and carrots, and desert of oranges with cinnamon, same as last night. Still I had walked 20.3 km.

Casa do Lavrador