We didn’t see much of Tui, because we arrived late yesterday and left early this morning for O Porriño about 17 km away. The ground was damp, so we kept our rain ponchos handy just in case the rain started up again. Thankfully, they weren’t needed. The sky was filled with clouds edged with silver linings, there were large patches of blue, and even a rainbow. It made for a beautiful, cool start to the day. With no breakfast available at…
After a week of walking the Camino Portuguese – mixing the Coastal and the Litoral routes – we crossed the border into Spain. That’s a bit of a milestone in our journey. Though rain was forecasted, the sun shone as we followed the beautiful coastline toward Caminha. We were moving at a leisurely pace so missed the morning train we were hoping to catch from Caminha to Valença. That left us with time to enjoy lunch and meet Allan, a…
Breakfast this morning at our hotel was absolutely the best – an incredible buffet, with hot and cold options. As if that wasn’t enough, Cole Porter tunes were being played live on the grand piano. Totally satisfied, we set off for what we thought would be a 22 km cocoon-in-rain-ponchos kind of day. It was for much of the day. Instead of taking the Coastal Camino route, we took the “Litoral” route, hugging the ocean’s edge most of the way. The…
The rain didn’t let up all morning during our eight kilometre walk from Chafé to Viana do Castelo this morning, so our phones stayed mostly tucked away. We wish we could have taken photos of the fishermen in their long, narrow boats with their very long rods with nets on the end as we crossed the Ponte Eiffel, but we were getting wet from the rain and from the heavy traffic splashing by. It was fantastic to check in early…
The Spot Hostel Ofir in Fão was a favorite place. Sandra, the host, was wonderful, and the hostel had a homey feel with a kitchen free to use and a pool. Before we left, I made sure to leave a note in the guestbook, knowing firsthand how much these comments mean to hosts. We said our goodbyes to Kelsey and Colin from Canada, Machik from Poland, and Fanny from Taiwan, with hopes we’d see them along the way. It was…
Today unfolded without drama, just the usual Camino challenges. We walked about 21 km and felt pretty good at the end of it. The weather was good, too, with only a light drizzle for about ten minutes first thing this morning. It stayed cool and cloudy most of the day, with the temperature eventually reaching a pleasant 20°C. We tried to shorten the distance we’d planned to walk by taking a short train ride from Vila do Conde to Póvoa…
It wouldn’t be an adventure without some twists and turns. Dave and I certainly had a few of those today. Thankfully, “All’s well that ends well,” and we’re grateful for that. After tapas and vino at a tiny grocery/eatery place next door, we’re now back at Pousada de Juventude in Vila do Conde, more than ready to unwind after this eventful day. Our morning started with light fog and a perfect 16°C temperature which is great for walking. The mist…
Despite last night’s rain warning, we woke to just a light drizzle—enough to freshen the air with the scent of eucalyptus but hardly requiring the rain poncho I threw on just in case. The skies soon began to clear, and we were blessed with blue skies for much of the day. The smoke that had blanketed everything during our Douro River cruise yesterday was just a haze in the distance. Instead of walking through the industrial areas along the river,…
As I began writing this, Dave and I were in a lock on the Douro River. I was enjoying a decadent dessert and finishing off a bottle of wine while Dave was on the top deck taking pictures, his dessert untouched. The lock operator, was patiently (I guess) waiting for another boat to arrive. Both boats would rise together to the higher level of the river, an impressive process. There are two locks to go through between Porto and Regua,…
Before leaving Refugio Guacelmo, we read the latest heartfelt comments left by pilgrims, said our final goodbyes to the new hospitaleros, and off we went. We’d already said our farewells to the locals we met, but couldn’t resist one last look for the “8 o’clock ladies” even though we didn’t expect them to be out this early. We peeked through the window at La Posada Casper’s, hoping for a final wave from the bartenders. No one was around, so off…