You leave Golegã, the village of the horses, and the morning is still quiet. Then the flat Ribatejo slowly slides past: fields, trees, long straight stretches. There is hardly any change in elevation. The real opponent is the distance. Almost 29 kilometres is simply a long way, and your feet will notice it first.
Towards the end a few gentle slopes appear and you reach Tomar, on the River Nabão. Above the town stands the Convento de Cristo, once the heart of the Templars. Put your rucksack down first, eat something good and save the castle for tomorrow. Keep walking steadily, the kilometres will come by themselves.