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I wake up. Look at the time. 11:01.

11:01???! FUCK!

I have no idea when’s the hotel checkout time is, but most likely not after 11. So I packed everything double fast, and 15 min later, handed the key and swiftly got out. Good, I really didn’t want to pay a second night there.

Badajoz is not the worst place to get stuck. It is also full of Roman remains, and has a chill vibe. So chill that I couldn’t find a restaurant serving lunch before 13:30, but at that time I have to be at the station already.

This time, the Portuguese train was here, waiting. A tiny, diesel single-car train, with seats put in 4 and 6 configurations. Finally, we’re off. The time has come. The time to cross into THE FINAL COUNTRY!

14:15 Spanish time, we pass a few houses, stopping at the edge of a field on Portuguese soil. It’s now 13:15

Olà Portugal!

IT IS DONE!

I’ve been to all 40 countries I had planned to reach. I took a train in 37 of them, the other three not having rail transports. I don’t quite realize yet. This is a big moment.

The landscape gets greener, less dry as we go West. There was an unexpected change of train in Ponte de Sor, for a similar train. Thus I foot step in Portugal, country number 40.

An hour later, we arrived to the terminus, Entroncamento.

We were late and I thought I had an hour to wait there, but the train to Lisboa [Lisbon] is even more late. I board it and had to buy a seat booking, since, like Spain and Romania, you can’t get seat bookings with Interrail online. But no problem, I get it on board for five euros, quick and simple.

In Lisboa, I go straight for the metro to the hostel and check-in. I went to buy a celebratory bottle of wine, that I shared with a bunch of fellow travellers from France, Germany, Canada and the United States (a lot of them Yankees!) It was a great evening in the hostel courtyard, more drinks followed, until we decided to hit the street.

Someone called an Uber (whose driver reminded me why I tavel by train) and we found a nice bar, where I got a Mojito.

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Oh boy…