Mare incognitum
Sagres » Vila do Bispo 20,2 km, ascent 114 m, descent 179 m
Day two of the Trilho dos Pescadores. After a breakfast of torrada com tomate, coffee with milk and a coffee espresso I headed to the southwesternmost part of Europe.
Before leaving Sagres you walk past a statue of Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), or known in English as Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry was a son of King John I of Portugal. Around that time the Portuguese developed a new type of light ship called the caravel, which enabled them to explore beyond the known territories. Soon the Portuguese navigators mastered the volta do mar, the predictable wind patterns and currents of the Atlantic Ocean. During his lifetime Henry explored Madeira, the Azores and the West African coast. This laid the foundation for later explorations by Portugal, and Vasco da Gama reaching India in 1498.
When the trail leaves Sagres it leads to finis terrae or the end of the known sea called mare incognitum. The landscape changes. Gone are the trees. Presumably because of the battering of the winds of the North Atlantic. The cliffs remain high, up to 75 metres, but the surface of the plain is flat. Only hardy plants survive.
Cabo de São Vicente
This is the southwesternmost part of Europe. The Cape St. Vincent is named after 3rd century Vincent of Saragossa. I think the Rota Vicentina is named after him. He was martyred when he refused to consign Scripture to the fire.
This promontory was considered sacred long before Christianity. The ancient Greeks dedicated here a temple to Heracles and near Vila do Bispo around 300 menhirs have been identified, making it sacred ground in Neolithic times. Today this tip of land sports a powerful light house, its light beam can be seen from 60 kilometers distance, and a snack stand selling the ‘last Bratwurst until America’, which is factual I guess. I ordered an espresso coffee at another stand and walked on.
It seems a German philosopher walked the trail before me. I could almost hear the voice of Werner Herzog in his Bavarian accent: “Would we endure Paradise?” I wondered if I could find the direct quote but Google only offered Gertrude Stein’s: “Wenn du das Paradies ertragen kannst, dann komm nach Mallorca.” But she was American.
For many hours the trail traversed a barren land. Yet, the Sagres Biogenetic Reserve, created by the European Council in 1988, is home to many endemic species.
Portuguese sailing routes (red) during Henry the Navigator's lifetime.
Vila do Bispo
I arrived in Vila do Bispo (population: 5,717) in the afternoon. Because it was too early to check into my booked room, I ordered some cheese, olives and wine in a local tapas place. I didn’t specify the wine and subsequently was served a half liter pitcher. I had it replaced for a glass (‘copo de vinho tinto’). When I returned an hour later for diner, the kitchen was closed.
The only restaurant which was open had lulinhas fritas (fried squids) on the menu, and not much else. That evening my leg muscles were quite close to developing muscle cramp, so I stayed awake until 3 am trying to prevent this earth shattering pain. I managed maybe four hours of sleep before I commenced the third day of my walk the next morning.
