This day is all about the plain. Beyond Azambuja, the Tagus countryside opens up: fields, long straight stretches and a horizon that never seems to get any closer. There’s no steep climb to wake you up, just a good 32 kilometres that stretch out ahead of you.
The rhythm is monotonous, in a good way. Your mind empties and your feet do the work. Only in the second half do you feel that you’ve been on the road for about 8 hours. Then Santarém comes into view, high on its hill above the river. The last stretch climbs up into the old streets. On the edge of the town, you look out over the valley you’ve just crossed.