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,…
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…
I’m not exactly sure how I feel tonight. Janine and I are in limbo, neither fully hospitaleras nor pilgrims. This afternoon, we handed over the reins of carrying on Guacelmo’s warm hospitality to Chris and Shawna from Canada and Annie from the UK. Nigel left this afternoon, and tomorrow Janine and I will be back on the Camino. Janine and I went to say “good-bye” to Susanna at the supermercado, and later we had one last lively chat with the…
It was only 1°C this morning when Jake and Patricia from Ireland left. They were the first to leave, with headlamps ready, because it was still dark. By late afternoon, the temperature had swung dramatically, reaching a perfect 22°C for afternoon tea in the garden. It was our busiest day so far, with 25 pilgrims checking in from 13 countries. A beautiful festival took place with ladies dressed in traditional clothing this afternoon. We’re still not sure what the significance…