Wednesday 04 October

 Breakfast at 8:30 and Elsa lets us make packed lunch for our trek. We leave at 09:30 and it’s sunny but nice and fresh as we are at 800m. Soon we are climbing steadily through sweet chestnut and pine woods. For some reason there are a huge number of flies. 

After nearly 2 hours of climbing we get to the start of another route, PR1 which goes through some dramatic scenery and involves steep ascents and descents. After an hour we are at the main waterfall. We have our picnic lunch on great slate slabs and then dip in the icy pool beneath the falls. 

Then even more climbing to get to the summit of PR2 which is like a moonscape with rounded pink granite boulders. Then the long descent to Manteigas which we can see worryingly far below. 

Eventually we hobble into town and have a celebratory cold beer on the balcony. 

We eat at another recommended eatery. Very local, no English translations so we’re not quite sure what we’ve ordered! We get a hearty stew with pork, sausage and butter beans (a sort of local cassoulet) served with white rice and more sausage! And steak and chips with a surprise serving of grilled prawns. We’ve worked up quite an appetite and think we’ll sleep well.