Abandoned Deco cinema Santarem…
Casa da Alacova 
Well you couldn’t get an experience more opposite if you tried!!!
Today we left Cowboy town (Azumbuja) where the bathrooms were the size of a single linen press and the bull run festival resulted in music being “beamed” through speakers attached to every light pole in town until 10 pm and mercifully….industrial ended!! (We hope!!). We have walked into what is referred to as Portugal’s food bowl. Tomato plants by the 100,000s of thousands, grapevines, corn and potatoes – made me feel like I was back in Spirivood in the old days. The walk was finally reminiscent of last year’s Camino Frances. Bucolic…and essentially we felt as though this was doable again. Nonetheless, the heat started to set in which slowed us down, but with a couple of stops, fruit and nut breaks and downing several litres of Hydralyte and a couple more stops we did finally make it to the foot of Santarem.
The reason I say “the foot” is that it is a climb of about 300 metres up to the town and we have rediscovered calf muscles and the joy of stretching them out. The road to Santarem is an old Roman road and we were walking on the orginal Roman cobblestones – this still does my head in! Anyway we made it UP to Santarem, downed some more cold mineral water in the first cafe we could find and then went in search of our accomodation. Remembering that last night was in Cowboy Town and that we actually never completed check in because the owners were out partying, we arrived in Casa da Alcacova Santorem, rang the courtyard bell and entered the most amazing courtyard to a Manor House that is built within Roman ruin walls – absolutely NOT what we expected and SUCH a difference to last night’s accomodation.
The owner showed us around and explained that they bought a shell, every floor collapsed, no roof structure, simply walls (the same as what my brother in law was looking at in Vela Luka) – basically a wreck that no one would touch. They spent two years in their mid 20’s (25 years ago) restoring it and turning it into a private hotel…it is amazing and filled with the most fantastic art, classical and contemporary Portuguese. Interestingly the owner said the house is her love, her life and her prison.
So tonight we lap up the spoiling in the best prison in town – knowing that this only happens a couple of times in your life and we hit the road again for another 30km day tomorrow – hoping for more green hopefully matched with cool breezes.
It looks Devine… I remember driving from Spain to Lisbon and the farming was next level… food bowl is right!!
What a brilliant destination for the night!!! You’re hitting your straps!!’ Beautiful pics… loved the cinema…
love to you both!!! Xxx
What a shame that the deco theatre is abandoned – what a great building. You must have a spring in your step, despite the Roman cobblestones, now that the scenery has improved and with the prospect of cooler weather ahead. I would love to see Casa da Alcacova Santorem-it sounds absolutely fabulous and you both deserve a bit of spoiling after the nightmare start to the pilgrimage.
Your pilgrimage is the right place to reflect on the 30th anniversary of the events that took place in Tiananmen Square on June 4th 1989. Also to remember the students of LSHS who, with the help and encouragement of their drama teacher, Allan and the school’s resident playwright wrote, produced and performed a play that acknowledged the bravery and dignity of the students of Tiananmen Square even when their own country would not.
Sue – I have sent you something in messenger – please have a look.