You leave Viseu behind you and head out into open countryside, passing the last of the houses. Stone walls, fields, patches of woodland. The city lingers at your back for a little while, and then it’s gone.
It’s an easy day. The climbs are short, the descents are gentle and the highest point is nothing to worry about. After just over four hours of walking, you’re there. That gives you the afternoon back. It’s ideal for letting your legs get used to the rhythm of this route.
Arriving in Almargem is unhurried. Put your rucksack down, wash your socks, see who you run into again. Don’t do any more than you have to.