Santiago de Compostela

Oct. 3 - Today was a day to savour our accomplishment and visit the cathedral and the surrounding area.

 

We gathered at 9 for a morning for breakfast.  It tends to be quiet in Spain in the morning, especially here where the sun doesn’t rise till late and also sets late.  The time zone is all out of whack.  Stores are still mostly closed for siesta time from 2-4 and then stay open late into the evening, and then people stay up well past midnight.

 

That meant we had to hunt a little for a place serving breakfast.  We found a bar down and around the corner from our hotel and shared a Spanish omelet and coffee and tea.  The servers were all very grim and unsmiling and not in any rush to serve.  They had probably been up well past midnight as well.

 

After breakfast we wandered around the cathedral square, listened to the bagpiper and then went to pick up some tickets for the cathedral museum and Portico of Glory.  Also on sale were tickets for a visit to the cathedral rooftop, but it was only offered in Spanish.  But we reasoned the views would be good, and it was only €8 each so we opted for it as well.  We tried for the early afternoon, but every time our ticket seller tried to lock in on a time, it would disappear, sold by some other ticket seller until we were left with the late afternoon, with the rooftop visit at 4:30 and the Portico of Glory at 6.  The museum visit coud be done any time.

 

That gave us an opportunity to attend mass at noon.  It was around 10:45 and we were urged to go stand in line right away.  The line was already quite long when we joined.  We also noticed other people just slide in to the line well ahead of us, rather than join at the back.  Speculation was made on the cultures that might attempt this, but they’re better left out here.

 

Despite all this we got inside and found good seats near the back of the nave, waiting about forty-five minutes for the service to start.  Taylor talked about the large incense burner, the botafumeiro, that she and Stephanie had seen on their visit the night before and how, if we were lucky, we might see in action.

 

A nun started the service and then started singing.  She had the voice of an angel.  The organ played quietly enough so as not to overpower her beautiful soprano.  Most ot the service was in Spanish, but a special section was devoted to pilgrims where the countries were announced of the arriving pilgrims on each different route.  In accented English, we heard that pilgrims from Canada had arrived along the Portuguese route.

 

And then we had our special treat.  Today was one of the days chosen for the 53kg botafumeiro to swing into action.  Eight men helped lift it by pulling on a rope attached to a pulley.  Then like a swing the rope was pulled at precise times to swing it back and forth at high speed along the apse of the cathedral.  Cameras were raised everywhere to catch it as it swung at high speed to and fro.

 

After the service, we took pictures of the chapel and its amazing amount of gold, but didn’t go hug the statue of St. James, nor did we see anyone else.  This was an old tradition for pilgrims reaching the cathedral, but we didn’t see anyone doing it today.

 

Lunch was back in the hotel, and then Jane, Taylor and Stephanie went to the cathedral museum while I spent the afternoon arranging a visit to the Canadian consulate in Lisbon next Monday to try and resolve the issue of my damaged passport before my flight home from Porto on Thursday.

 

4:30 was the time for our guided tour of the cathedral rooftop.  Despite the tour guide speaking primarily in Spanish, it surely was a highlight of our visit.  We were especially lucky because the weather cleared at that point and we had magnificent views of the old town of Santiago, its surroundings and far beyond.  We even coaxed our docent to give us a few English explanations of some of the more interesting sights such as the pyramid atop the Treasury.  It was out of character for the time so no-one can quite explain why it was there, but three suggestions are extant.  One is that the architect was influenced by Asian roofs, as trade between Spain and Asia was starting to flourish at the time.  A second suggests a Mexican influence, as Spain was heavily involved in Mexico then, and the last thought is an Egyptian influence, relating to the huge pyramids built by Egyptian rulers to represent their divinity.

 

From the rooftop we headed up another series of stairs to a balcony in the cathedral tower with even more majestic views.  We laughed at the thought of doing something similar back home, where legal liability quashed any such possibilities years ago.  We also took lots of pictures.

 

The visit to the Portico of Glory after the rooftop was a bit anticlimactic.  

The Portico, or entrance to the cathedral is a beautiful work of art, and exquisitely detailed and elaborate, but we were also hustled out before we had much time to enjoy it, and one overzealous security guard tried to kick Jane out earlier when she simply brushed a stone column at the back.

 

Afterwards, the women headed off for a drink while I did a quick tour of the cathedral museum and its artefacts, including the cloister and its sepulchres and tombs, ancient stone carvings, a library full of ancient books - does anyone look in them any more? - dusty tapestries, imprssive pieces of silver and gold, and reverences to St. Ferdinand, whose main achievement was reclaiming Spain from the Arabs.  One of the most impressive pieces in the museum is surely the Pantheon, a huge, ornate wooden carving perhaps eight to ten metres high and several metres wide, stuffed full of ancient relics, many of which were stolen from other religious sites back in the heyday of such activities.

 

I joined Jane, Stephanie and Taylor at the bar where we celebrated the end of our journey and what it meant to us.  Stephanie related that she had been uncertain prior to starting whether she could complete such a long walk so getting to the end was very special for her.  Taylor said the rain had seemed challenging, but never greatly so, and she felt she could have continued long after we reached Santiago on our final day of walking.  Jane and I enjoyed the stay at the hostel where we enjoyed a communal dinner with other guests and shared our stories, hopes and dreams.

 

Near the end of the evening, we spotted an amazing-looking dish headed to the table behind us.  It was octopus and headed to a woman named Margaret.  She offered to share it and we had a few nibbles, but then we shared our stories with her.  She had run a number of marathons without a hitch, but a stumble on the French trail had strained a ligament in her knee and forced her to stop.  She’ll be back again once it heals.

 

Happy to be here, happy to have finished, and perhaps a bit happy from the wine, Margaret joined in a group picture with Jane, Taylor, and Stephanie, and even our overworked server jumped in.  Buen Camino!

Padron to Santiago de Compostela

Oct. 2 - We made it!

 

The last day was a long and wet slog, but we got here around 3:45 p.m.  Not only that, but Kate, who we met at our guest house in La Bruge, was here too.  She had planned to arrive today, but had moved quickly along the coastal route and arrived yesterday with friend Danielle.  They returned to see the cathedral today and just happened to be out front when we arrived.  Kate spotted us first and we had a cheerful reunion.  Her friend Danielle took a picture of us with her in front of the cathedral.

 

At the start of the day, it took me a while to finish packing so Stephanie and Taylor left first and we left about fifteen minutes later.  It had rained all night and continued to rain as we set out.  I tried a new tack, wearing my backpack under my rain jacket, but it didn’t help.  My rain jacket may have taped up seams, but it was only water resistant and I was soaked to the skin, soon.  Score one point for the plastic water ponchos Jane, Stephanie and Taylor had purchased.

 

We stopped at a snack store a couple of kilometres along the way and I purchased a KitKat bar, and we got our passports stamped.  There definitely is a commerical feel to this Camino trail.  Jane also took a picture of me with a statue of a female pilgrim just outside the store.

 

Around the 7 km mark we found a nice-looking cafe and found Stephanie and Taylor there.  We picked up some Americano coffees and cafe con laites to warm up and Andy from Australia popped up to say hello.  Since Tui when Andy took our picture with the cut-out pilgrim we’ve seen them several times on the trail.

 

We met up with them again less than a kilometre later at the next church where we got our third and last stamp of the day, and took a joint picture in the rain.  It was raining hard and the lens must have had a good drop on it when the picture was taken but it was nice to get their picture in this blog.  Andy did the French Camino back in 2015 and documented it in his blog on volard.net.

 

Andy, wife Kate, and friends Sharon and Greg are splitting today’s distance in two and will arrive in Santiago tomorrow.  That seems quite sensible.

 

Shortly after that we saw and heard a bagpiper under an overpass.  The original inhabitants of the area were Celts and Celtism retains a strong influence on the community.

 

The trail was mostly woods with a few hamlets, but it was hard to appreciate with all the rain.  At the 14 km mark, we passed up on a restaurant for lunch that was 150m off the trail, but that was a big mistake because the next wasn’t for several kilometres.

 

At that point the rain slowed down and then stopped so at 16km I needed a rest.  I’ve discovered that I feel much better if I stop every 8 to 10 km for a 20 minute rest and fuel break.  The women have more stamina and prefer to keep going and going.  There was nothing around so I just stopped by a field with a low stone fence and Jane stopped with me for a while too as I stretched my legs, had some snacks from my pack and changed into dry clothes I was carrying.

 

Stephanie and Taylor had continued on, and stopped at the last cafe at 20km - there was a big sign saying so, but we missed them and the sign was essentially correct.  There were a couple more near there, but none for the last 6 km, and the rain also started again, so Jane and I never refuelled the whole trek except for a coffee and a few snacks.

 

We all reconnected through WhatsApp and met up at a crossroads near the cathedral.  There were two paths to the cathedral; we chose the shorter at 2.7km.

 

While Jane and I waited briefly for Steph and Taylor we met a happy walker named Siebe.  He asked us which way to Porto and then we had a nice chat.  Siebe started walking in Belgium and arrived at Santiago along the Camino Norte and Camino Primitivo routes.  He's already walked 2,700 km, ten times the distance that we covered, and is on his way to Porto.  He had studied forestry in Belgium and did an apprenticeship in Washago, the little town near Jane's parents' old cottage on Lake Couchiching.

 

The last couple of kilometres were mostly along a busy city street in the new part of Santiago and all of a sudden the yellow signs disappeared and we wondered if we were on the right path.  Eventually we hit the old town and saw the top of the cathedral and we knew we were close.  Then the big square in front of the cathedral opened up and we met Kate!  We were there.

 

Afterwards, we went to the Pilgrim office to get our passports checked and the final stamp added to our Camino passports, and then paid €3 for our Compostela certificate and €2 for a nice tube to put it in and keep it dry.

 

Taylor was very excited and said she could walk another 10 km.  Stephanie felt good and Jane did too, but I have to admit I was pooped.  I needed more to eat 10 km earlier!

 

We located our hotel and our bags were, as usual, already there.  That’s when another casualty of the rain appeared; my Canadian passport.  I always keep it close to me in a pocket or pouch on my person, but since I was soaking wet my passport was too.  It wouldn’t work in the hotelier’s machine.  Yikes!  It looks like I have another adventure ahead of me.

 

In the meantime we found a nearby restaurant and had a wonderful meal to celebrate the achievement.

 

Total Distance Walked: 26.5 km

 

Total Distance Walked On Our Journey: 280 km

Caldas de Reis to Padron

Oct. 1 - Taylor clarified my questions about the bridge in Pontevedra and sent me a picture which I added to yesterday’s gallery, near the beginning where it belongs in sequence.  The original bridge dated to Roman times and was part of Roman Road XIX, but was in ruins by medieval times.  It was rebuilt sometime in the twelfth century and has had many renovations.  In 1950 the scallops, reminiscent of pilgrims, were added to the arches (see the picture), and in 2020 it was converted to a pedestrian bridge.

 

Jane reminded me that one of her favorite activities here is looking at all the private vegetable gardens that are abundant here and comparing them with her own back home.  Stephanie and Taylor also share that interest.

 

Rain was forecast for the day and rain was what we got.  It ebbed a bit in the late morning, then returned at noon, ebbed a bit again, and then returned again later in the afternoon when we reached Padron. Even with the ponchos it was hard to keep it out.

 

We left Caldas de Reis this morning around 9 a.m.  It would be a really nice town to return to for a visit.  The town has an older charm to it, and the thermal hot springs add to the attraction.  On our way out we crossed a smaller river, the Rio Bermaña, just as pretty as the Rio Umia that we crossed and ate beside yesterday.

 

The next hamlet on the trail had well-kept houses and lovely properties, obviously a wealthier enclave.  The church had a couple of whimsical statues standing on pillars, carved in wood.  One was of a pilgrim’s boot, the other of a pilgrim.  In the front yard of another immaculately maintained home was a lovely statue of three girls, reminding me of my own three daughters.  The next house featured a red BMW M4, a very nice car which we don’t often see in North America where M3’s and M5’s are more common, and more practical than the coupé.

 

A few houses over was a large pasture where cows grazed, and also fed at stalls from some large feed structure in the centre.  There were troughs at regular intervals, and it was covered by a plastic tarp held down by old tires.

 

The trails were quite soggy and our boots got very wet, but the temperature was around 20C.  With good socks it wasn’t a problem, just messy.

 

We came to a “bar” around 10:30, but the rain had mostly stopped at that time and the consensus was to push on a bit further and not stop and get chilled.  We did find a good spot a couple kilometres later and with café Americanos or café con leite’s (with milk) warming us up, I know I certainly felt some renewed energy.

 

We had a bit of an uphill climb after that, and then on the downhill came upon a tree across the path.  Apparently it had just tumbled down from its roots a couple of minutes earlier and as it fell one woman had to dive out of its way.  She had scratched her face and possibly twisted her ankle in the fall, but was otherwise okay.

 

At the 13 km mark we stopped at Cafe de San Miguel, which had a nice large interior.  We now know to ask people already seated if we can share their table and get a spot for our group together.  In that way we met a father, mother and daughter from Edmonton, ex-pats from South Africa for twenty-five years.  They started in Porto on the twenty-second of September, came directly up the central trail and this was their tenth day on the road.  They’re moving fast.

 

For €6.50, lunch consisted of a large dish or bowl of soup, bread, glass of wine, and a coffee.  Portions were generous and we had a good meal.

 

It stopped raining for a little while after we left and we were lulled into taking off our rain jackets and ponchos, but had to put them back on again a little later.  We travelled through the small industrial town of Pontecesures where we picked up a small dog who followed us for a kilometre or so.  At one point he crossed an intersection ahead of us, and was nearly flattened by a car which stopped in the nick of time.  We were all relieved.  That would have put a much bigger damper on our day than the rain.

 

We reached Padron, our day’s destination around 3 pm.  Originally it was a Celtic settlement called Iria Flavia and according to tradition it was here that St. James first preached when he came to Hispania.  Later when he was beheaded, his disciples brought him back here from Jerusalem in a stone boat and moored the boat to a pedrón, Galician for big stone, and that became the town’s new name, with a slight change in vowels.  The legendary stone is in the local parish, but we didn’t know this until after we got to our aparment here.

 

The apartment has three bedrooms and is quite comfortable and well-equipped, but somewhat cool inside.  The main rooms have radiators which are plugged into the wall through switches that are controlled remotely.  The front rooms - kitchen, living room, dining room - were heated during the day, and then the owner switched these off and the radiators in the bedroom on at the back.  We draped our wet shoes over the radiators out front and they dried out, now we’re hoping our wet clothes dry out on the radiators in the bedrooms.

 

Sadly, my passport, protected by a plastic sleeve, still got quite wet and a number of my stamps, especially the recent ones, are smeared or obscured.  Hopefully, the powers-that-be will take pity on me and accept them all as proof of my journey and grant me my compostela.  One needs at least two per day from Tui on to qualify.  I won’t be dismayed if I don’t get it.  That was never the point of my journey.

 

Tomorrow is the last day of our walk and the longest distance we’ve had to travel: 26 km.  It’s supposed to be even wetter than today, but we’re all looking forward to the challenge and the closure.

 

Total Distance Walked: 19.6 km

Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis

Sept. 30 - We’re back on the road again with 68 km and 3 days to go to reach Santiago de Compostela.  Unfortunately it looks like it’s going to rain most of those days.

 

As we walked through Pontevedra on this Monday morning,  all sorts of small stores were open, with clothes, shoes, services such as alterations and so on.  It was like going back in time thirty or forty years in Toronto, before big box stores and online shopping took over and service became impersonal.

 

When the trail reached the edge of the old town, just before the old bridge, we could see excavations revealing the old stone wall that encircled the city in medieval times.

 

Ponte Vedra means “ancient bridge” but the bridge we crossed appeared very modern.  I’m not sure if it received an overhaul, or the ancient bridge in question is a different bridge.

 

Shortly after we crossed we passed a store with all sorts of knick knacks including plastic ponchos for €4 and Jane, Stephanie and Taylor all got one in their preferred colours and modeled them for a picture.  It was raining out and expected to continue for most of the next couple of days, and plastic ponchos were very much “the look” on the trail.

 

Stephanie was excited to see a kiwi tree, the first we’ve found so far.  Kiwis here are very tasty and ripe when you buy them, not like the rocks we have back home that ripen in a few weeks.

 

Soon we were back into the woods which was what we traipsed through for most of the 20-odd kilometres to Caldas de Reis.  After over 10 km we stopped at the first cafe on the path, doing a brisk business.  Americano coffees were €1.90 here and I suspect they could have sold them for double the price.  The lineup for the women’s bathroom was about fifteen deep.

 

There are still many markers for Roman Road XIX on the path, and there was also a sign with a bit of history about a marker left in 350 AD honouring the Emperor Magnentius that is now in the museum in Pontevedra.

 

The stone trail markers for the path indicate the distance remaining on a black label near the bottom and there was one for 60,000 km to go.  We looked for one for 50.000 km to go, but the closest one after that was 49.630 km remaining and we got a group shot around it.  We’re getting close.

 

This was after lunch at another bustling cafe in a small hamlet.  They did offer a lovely assortment of foods in a buffet style.  The food was tasty although the sausage was very spicy. Sausages were hung above a metal dish with a sauce that could be lit on fire to warm it up when served.

 

At the 24 km mark we reached the centre of Caldas de Reis.  It has a river running through it with a lovely set of falls.  After we found our hotel and unpacked and showered we went in search of a restaurant.  Most didn’t open until 7 or later, so we had a drink of sangria at a restaurant by the river and were happy when they started serving us at 6:40.  The portions were large and ample - see for instance the picture of Jane’s beef steak which covered the whole plate including her French fries.

 

Caldas de Reis is known for its thermal springs and we passed a low fountain which Taylor tested and sure enough, the water was very hot.  One used to be allowed to bathe one’s feet in it, but it’s no longer apropos.

 

Stephanie tried to book an appointment for a hot tub at the spa near our restaurant, but sadly all the spots were booked for the day.

 

Total Distance Walked: 24.3 km

Pontevedra

Sept. 29 - Today was a scheduled rest day.  Pontevedra is a big city for these parts - population 82,000 - with lots of history.  We also have a very nice apartment, complete with piano.

 

We slept in and after breakfast went into town to see the sights.  In medieval times Pontevedra was a walled city and within those walls is the “old town” of Pontevedra, where most of the interesting building and monuments can be found.

 

First stop was the Church of the Pilgrim Virgin.  In the 17th century French pilgrims brought dolls of the Virgin Mary dressed as a pilgrim to Pontevedra and this caught on, eventually leading the building of this church in 1778, dedicated to the “Pilgrim Virgin”, not without some trials.  The image of the Pilgrim Virgin had to be removed at the behest of officials, but over the years, restrictions loosened and restoration begain in 1981 and more was done in 2008.  It’s very grand inside and you can see all the way to the underside of the cupola.  There is a narrow stone spiral staircase with 63 steps leading to the gallery in the cupola.  References to the Pilgrim Virgin and the Camino pilgrimage are to be found everywhere such as the shell - a symbol of pilgrims - in stained glass windows.

 

We were lucky to arrive when we did, shortly after it opened at 11, when there were no lineups.  Today is a Sunday, and few places are open, and if they are it’s just from 11 am to 2 pm.

 

Nearby was the San Francisco Church and Convent and we went inside the church which had beautiful staned glass everywhere, with some exquisite pices at the entrance to the church and the back of the chancel.

 

From there, we walked over to the tourist information centre to acquire a stamp for our passports and inquire about a guided walking tour in English.  There were none, but they did have a large brochure in English with a guided path showing all the interesting buildings and monuments of the old town and a couple of nearby districts.  Good enough!

 

Nearby the tourist information centre were the ruins of Santo Domingo, originally the largest church ever built by the Jacobins in Galicia.  It dates back to the 14th century and in the ruins were many tombs and sepulchres.

 

In Portugal most signs appear in three languages: 1. Portuguese, 2. Spanish, and 3. English.  Here there’s only Galician and Spanish so it’s a bit more challenging to understand what you’re seeing.

 

Taylor and Stephanie followed the guided tour through the old town while we headed out to see the bullring.  We went past the Alameda, a beautiful long park with tiled pictures along the end wall.  These were installed in 1927 by a local artist.  They depict local customs and Jane took a picture of me standing beside the end of them.

 

At the end of the Alameda is a large monument to all soldiers, and beyond that was the bullring.  They still hold bullfights here in the summer but now it was all closed up.  Just beyond that is the San Roque neighbourhood which is essentially unchanged over the last two centuries.  I took pictures of old fishing houses juxtaposed with modern houses and it’s a bit startling.

 

The San Roque neighbourhood was very prosperous up to a couple of centuries ago from the local fish trade.

 

Jane and I returned for lunch at a cafe in the city centre.  We noted that lots of families were enjoying the day together and that children were very well behaved and attentive to their parents and grandparents.  We saw one young man around 18 to 20 years of age helping what appeared to be his grandmother with her shopping while she had her arm hooked in his.

 

After lunch we compared notes with Taylor and Stephanie and I got to play the piano for an hour-and-a-half.  It was a bit out of tune but all the keys worked and it was nice to play.

 

Jane bought a rotisserie chicken in town and we had a great meal of it, along with rice, vegetables and a salad.  The food here, as in Portugal, is very fresh and flavourful.

Redondela to Pontevedra

Sept. 28 - We left our apartment at 9 am and headed to the main church nearby to see if we could get our passports stamped but it wasn’t open yet so we returned to the Trail on the lookout.

 

As we walked through the city centre amidst tall buildings, we passed an old house and granary from an earlier century.  We see a lot of that here, the juxtaposition of old with new.  The land must be worth a substantial amount but I guess the family who owns the property is holding out or can’t bring themselves to sell it.

 

We see a lot of granaries on stilts here.  They’re called hórreos and they’re above ground to keep the moisture from the ground out, as well as mice, rats and other vermin.  The ones we’ve seen are mostly made from stone - like many things here - and have elaborate carvings and crosses on them.

 

Our route took us along the old Viaduct and then down on the road we came to a church giving stamps.  On the tiles outside the door a cross of St. James was painted above a shell all encircled by a floral motif.  The cross of St. James has a sword tip at the end of the long end and lilies at the end of the short end and each end of the handle.  It’s related to the sword used to cut his head off rendering him the first apostle to be martyred.

 

The signs here refer to the trail as the Camino Xacobeo, i.e the Jacobite Trail.  James is the English equivalent of the Hebrew Yaakov (Jacob).

 

Today’s walk involved two ascents of around 140 metres and corresponding descents.  The first ascent goes along the east end of Vigo Bay and has terrific views of the bay at the summit.  The very top was quite steep, a 15% grade of 70 metres, with an option to take a 5% grade of 350 metres instead.  A group of cyclists tried to take the former, but slid backwards and had to walk their bikes up to the top.

 

The descent brought us to the town of Arcade where we took a coffee and washroom break before crossing the medieval bridge at the end of the bay, and then heading to the next ascent over several kilometres through a large forest.  An enterprising person had set up a truck cafeteria at the summit and put up a sign indicating it was the summit.  He had a large flat area with chairs and tables and was doing a roaring business.  We had packed our own lunch in the morning - bread, cheese, fruit and cucumber - and sat down to eat a little further down near a shrine, and in the shade.

 

The descents are harder on the legs than the ascents, but we are all in good shape and had no problems.  As a group walking the trail we’ve learned to adjust to each other’s rhythms.  I’m always last, the last to finish packing, the last to head out, the slowest walker, and I take frequent stops for pictures.  Taylor and Stephanie always go ahead and then find a comfortable spot to wait.

 

We also have different interests and we wait for each other as something pops up that captures the fascination of one of us.  Stephanie is interested in botany, different flowers and plants, such as the cork tree, or an interesting unusual flower.  Taylor is interested in churches and history and likes to step off the trail and visit many of the ones we pass.  Jane loves animals, especially dogs, and most especially cats, although she did try to catch a small snake that escaped through a crack in the rocks.  I’m most interested in engineering and how things are built and adapt over time or differ between here and back home.

 

It’s also interesting how quickly the country gives way to the city here.  One moment we’re walking through a forest, then a few houses and small businesses pop up, and then it becomes tall buildings just a few streets over.

 

We arrived at our apartment at Pontevedra at 3:30.  It’s very nice with three bedrooms, two baths, a dining room, a well-equipped kitchen and a large living room with a piano.  We thought about eating dinner out, but with such a nice place we just went shopping instead and ate in instead.

 

Total Distance Walked: 21 km

Porrino to Redondela

Sept. 27 - Where we are walking is Galicia, an autonomous region of Spain, with its own dialect different from Spanish and sharing some with Portuguese, its southern neighbour.  The trail markers here all say Galicia just to remind us where we are.

 

I put the new insoles in my hiking boots and they are really comfortable now.  My orthotic inserts were too hard, and the insoles from my other shoes too thick.

 

We left our apartment in Porrino at 9 a.m. and took a group shot at the town square nearby.  We encountered the odd shower on our way out of Porrino but the sun gradually broke through.  We had to wend our way around roundabouts, highways and industrial zones.  One underpass had a beautiful painting on its side of a weary pilgrim, worthy of a picture.

 

After walking through an industrial zone we saw a rainbow, and then were treated to the associated rain shower as the wind blew it toward us.

 

Soon we were back into the forest and that was typical of the day - small town, woods, and industrial areas.  We no longer see very many farms.

 

Stone is used a lot for construction here, including field walls and walls of houses.  We passed a stone statue with a poem about pilgrims from the ends of the world heading to Santiago.  The poem was written by Maria Magdalena Dominguez, a local poet who passed away in 2021.

 

We also passed a marker for Roman Road XIX and I suspect we’ll be on and off it all the way to Santiago.

 

Around 11 am, we took a small coffee and washroom break and collected a stamp at a cafe on the trail.  Jane and I shared a ham sandwich.  Cafes on the trail do a booming business, especially on the last 100 km to Santiago.  Here we chatted with Yota and Litsa - rhymes with pizza - who hail from Alaska but live half the year in Cypress.

 

Later I chatted with a journalist from Germany who had eaten at the table beside us the night before.  He has lost count of how many Caminos he has done.  He was limping from a knee injury back in April.  He said he thought he’d try it and now realizes it was a bad decision.  He also told us that it is perfectly fine to do the Camino in the hot months of July and August.  You just have to start at 6:30 am, and reach your destination by noon.

 

We encountered our Australian friends from before and met some Kiwis later.

 

Later on we had a long slow uphill climb and when we came out at the top there was a terrific view of Redondela off in the distance beside Vigo Bay.  We had to queue up to get our picture taken at the lookout and then we obscured the view, so we took a second shot of just the view.

 

After that there was a steep descent and then several kilometres to Redondela.  Stephanie noticed a yard with a beautiful tall holly tree and an even taller guacamole tree next to it and we took pictures of them.

 

We also stopped for a whimsical picture of a pilgrim with the face cut out.  I volunteered the face and Jane, Stephanie and Taylor took pictures.

 

At the outskirts of Redondela we found the church/convent of Vilallela where we got our final stamp of the day and admired the beauty of the rear and side chapels.

 

Our apartment was again in the heart of the city just metres off the Trail itself, and on the sixth floor of the building.  It had front and rear balconies, a large sun room where we all could sit, a huge dining room, large kitchen with plenty of supplieis and three bedrooms.  Luxury!

 

We did a quick shopping trip for dinner, made a quick visit to the Church of Redondela in the centre of town, and then Jane made a great chicken and rice dinner which we all enjoyed.

 

Total Distance Walked: 16.6 km

Tui to Porrino

Sept. 26 - Every morning we leave our bags at some location at 8 a.m. and later in the day our bags appear at the next location.  Today we left our bags in the apartment’s locked storage unit in the underground parking lot and later picked them up at a restaurant near our apartment.  Our service had managed to secure a key to the storage unit, but was unable to arrange one for tonight’s suite, hence the nearby pickup location.  It’s all worked very well so far.

 

We still carry somewhat hefty backpacks with day gear, extra and leftover food, and valuables that we don’t want to leave in our suitcase.  It does look like we’re pilgrims who are carrying all our belongings with us.

 

After dropping off our bags downstairs, eating a quick breakfast and packing our backpacks we left around 8:45 from our apartment.  With the time change between Portugal and Spain sunrise is now around 8:30 a.m.  There were still a few leftover showers in the morning so it was quite dark when we left and considerable rain had fallen overnight so it was wet everywhere.

 

Our first stop was the church and convent of St. Domingo, just a little upriver from the cathedral.  It was founded in 1330 and constructed in the fifteenth century and was closed now but still had beautiful gardens with an amphitheatre and a grand view of the Miño River.  Jane took a picture of me by an ancient sundial which was missing its little triangle that casts a shadow.  It’s called a “gnomon” and I had to look that up.

 

We could hear a party boat blaring music below at 9:30 a.m.  Were they up all night in the rain?

 

Further along we came to another old Roman bridge with a “cutout” silhouette of a pilgrim.  Some Australian pilgrims were coming to get their picture there and kindly took our picture in front of the statue and bridge.  They looked very fresh and told us they were starting their pilgrimage from Tui.  With about 118 km from Tui to Santiago, it’s a popular starting point for the pilgrimage as one needs to have walked a minimum of 100km to receive a Compostela.  We also have to collect two stamps per day over the last 100 km to qualify.

 

We did notice a lot more pilgrims on the trail today, probably about double the numbers we were encountering before in Portugal.  Spain also feels different than Portugal.  It’s less rural with fewer farms and more industry and wooded areas.  It also appears wealthier but with less antiquity than Portugal.  However, we continued to see signs for Roman Road XIX which I suspect we will see all the way to Santiago.

 

Today we walked a lot through wooded areas.  Early on, an entry point to the trail from the road was blocked off and further down the road we encountered a civil guard - with a large gun in a holster on his belt - redirecting us along an alternate route.  With so much rain yesterday the other section of the trail was underwater.  Even on the alternate route there were many soggy sections on the trail.  Rivers and water everywhere was running fast and high.

 

The Civil Guard gave us our first stamp of the day and Taylor got her picture with him.

 

We passed the “Five Crosses” and the wall of murals at Orbenlle.  One depicts an old pilgrim - El Viejo Peregrino - and another of the Porta Gloria in the cathedral of Santiago.

 

We stopped for a coffee break shortly after that and got our second stamp of the day.

 

After that we walked another 5 km and then had our lunch on a bench near an outdoor stage/cultural centre.  We had fruit, eggs, bread and cheese, and a bit of chocolate that we had been carrying with us.

 

The walk was picturesque but very much like what we’d seen before.  When we got near Porrino - officially O Porrino - there were alternate trails, 1. beside industry and 2. through the woods by the river.  This was pretty much a no-brainer.

 

We picked up our suitcases at the restaurant, found our apartment and followed the instructions to extricate our key from its lock box and headed up the stairs to our second floor apartment with a view of a central square in the town.  The loation was ideal and the suite very comfortable and well stocked. 

 

We rested and showered then walked around the streets nearby.  We were hungry and wanted to eat but it was only shortly after 6 at this point and many places didn’t open till 7 or later.  I did find some insole inserts for my hiking boots for €13 which I’ll try tomorrow.

 

We eventually ate dinner at the restaurant where we picked up our luggage, Restaurante Paso A Nivel and as usual the food tasted very fresh and real - I had a smoked salmon salad with quinoa and a balsamic vinegar dressing - and the wine was inexpensive and tasty.

 

On our way back to our apartment afterward we walked by the central church in town where a pianist and trumpet player were performing an outdoor concert  to a large crowd of two hundred or more.  The last two songs they played before we left were Total Eclipse of the Heart and Mamma Mia.  They were very talented and made beautiful music.

 

Total Distance Walked: 19.4 km

Tui

Sept. 25 - Today was a scheduled rest day and it was well chosen because the weather was easily the worst so far, and hopefully the worst we’ll see.

 

It was nice to sleep in and not have to rush to get our luggage to the designated pickup spot by 8 a.m.  We’d also lost an hour crossing the border so 8 a.m. still felt like 7 a.m. and it was pitch black at 8 a.m. with sunrise scheduled for around 8:30.

 

We had a late breakfast and I noted the brand of tea offered by our hosts: Horniman.  I’m guessing it’s not an English brand.

 

After breakfast we headed over to the Tui Cathedral which sits at the highest point of Tui and was easily visible from Fort Françesca.  It can be seen in yesterday’s picture of Hugh and Eileen atop the fort wall.

 

Our apartment was conveniently located about two minutes from the cathedral so it was an easy hike over.  It’s a massive structure, part cathedral and part fort, due to ongoing hostilities across the river when it was first built.

 

Jane and I took the audio tour, which described some of the unique and special qualities of the church like the portico which had illustrations everywhere - on all four columns, the door, above the lintel, and the roof above the door, all in great detail.

 

The inside of the cathedral had huge columns supporting the vaulted ceiling with some Romanesque arches (round) and some Gothic arches (pointed).  There was a special focus on St. Elmo, the patron saint of travellers and stomach ailments, as he was a local.  Like St. Paul, he heard the voice of God when he fell off his horse and joined the Dominicans for an auspicious religious career.  I won’t go into the details but he is buried in Tui Cathedral.

 

Tui has the largest cloister in Galicia and the only one preserved in Gothic style and we visited it at the end of the tour.  We also climbed up the winding staircase at a far end to reach the tower and take in the views from the cathedral.

 

After the tour we stopped in the cafe for another “coffee Americano” and then retrieved some money from an ATM.  The ATM fee was €3.95, and for retrieving €400 Euronet offered to charge me CAD$691.  I declined their conversion and noted later that Wealthsimple charged me CAD$609.  That’s quite a difference.

 

The rain started to fall heavily in the afternoon and the wind blew hard and we spent the rest of the day cozy and warm in the apartment, doing laundry and watching pilgrims straggle by on the street below.  Sadly our apartment’s WiFi was down from 1:30 to 5 in the afternoon and cell strength often disappeared as well so for much of the afternoon we were cut off from the Internet.  Yikes!

 

The rain was slated to fall hardest overnight and then clear up in the morning, with a total 24 hour downfall of 80 mm.  The trail may be flooded in places tomorrow!

Rubiaes to Tui

Sept. 24 - Something Jane ate or drank upset her stomach in the night, but she felt well enough by morning to carry on.  The rest of us enjoyed a large buffet breakfast put on by our inn, Quinta da Gandra, before our hostess, Isabel, gave us a lift back to the Camino Trail, shaving 1.1 km for us.  Thank you Isabel.

 

It began raining early in the morning and was due to continue to around noon, so we wore our rain gear, for only the second time on the trip.

 

We entered the town of Rubiaes proper and saw restaurant Retiro from last night, very close to the trail.  We passed the hostel where the Bulgarian women had been staying.  They had lavished it with much praise saying it included sheets and pillows and we were like, “huh”?

 

At the edge of Rubiaes we spotted a nearby church with a sign saying it had been built in the thirteenth century.  Taylor and I went down to take a look at it and sure enough, carved into the lintel of the front door were the letters “MCCVC” - 1295 AD.  

 

Nearby on the side of a building was a full mural, part of the “Stars of the Camino” series sponsored by the brewing company Estrella Galicia.  This one was of Joaquim Sa, a star cyclist from Rubiaes in his 70s, who has walked the Camino and back many times. 

 

Less than a kilometre later we were at the Roman bridge of Rubiaes.  The first arch was built in Roman times and the second arch in medieval.  Once we crossed that we followed Roman Road XIX on and off.

 

We continued through lanes and dales, including many paths cut several feet into the rock and earth with straight vertical sides.  I wondered how the paths had been created.  They certainly seem to predate the invention of dynamite.

 

Stephanie pointed out a “cork” tree, from which corks are produced for wine.  Cool!

 

Around noon, at the 10 km mark and shortly after the one short climb of the day, we stopped at a tavern for 4 “Coffee Americanos”.  We also got our Camino passports stamped there when Stephanie remembered to ask.  It was also a good time to stop as the rain picked up at that point, and then stopped shortly after we started walking again.

 

As we continued to Tui we stopped in front of the Albergue (hostel) Quinta Estrada Romana where they had put up a couple of posts with distances to cities around the world.  Toronto wasn’t there but it was 5128 km to Montreal, 4845 km to Halifax and 135 km to Santiago de Compostela, our ultimate destination.

 

Soon after that, we met Veraneika from Belarus.  She had set up a large truck-style stand selling drinks and Eastern European style sandwiches.  She was hustling all pilgrims saying it was her first day of operation - I wasn’t sure about that - and we purchased sandwices from her, bread with pockets inside for the filling - potato, vegetable or rice - for €4.50, a somewhat steep price for Portugal.  We also solicited stamps from her, although she held back from giving Jane one since Jane hadn’t bought anything, until she understood Jane was “my woman”.

 

We continued trekking along to Valença, in a bit of a hurry now since Jane had been called by the owner of our next accommodations, an apartment in Tui, requesting that we arrive by 4 pm.  Tui is across the Miño river from Françesca in Spain, which is one hour ahead of Portugal.  So we really had to get there by 3 pm our time.

 

The bridge over the Miño was the older one, a few hundred metres east of the main car bridge and a lot more interesting.  On the pedestrian section the demarcation between Portugal and Spain is a yellow line with a green and red footprint for Valeñca, Portugal and a red, yellow and red footprint for Tui, Spain, corresponding to the colours of their respective flags.

 

Our apartment was about a kilometre from the bridge and we passed another Stars of the Camino mural on the side of a building, this one of Andrea Gonzalez, from Tui, an award-winning pianist and cultural manager ranked among the 100 Best Women Leaders in Spain.  I lifted that from the Internet, but it doesn’t say who sponsored the ranking.

 

It was a bit complicated finding our apartment and it took a few phone calls to find the place, and then to get our luggage so it took a couple of hours to get settled.  The cellular coverage is also very spotty and the Wi-Fi didn’t work until around 9:30 pm, on the nth reboot of the router so we were also out-of-touch with the world for a considerable time. It was somewhat disorienting, even for us, pilgrims of the Camino! 

 

Because of the rush I had missed the opportunity to visit the fort of Valença, which was on the river beside the bridge.  We had already walked nearly 23 km, but I decided to go back the 2 1/2 km to see it and walk around it and was glad I did.  I walked along the river on the way to it and found the Tia recreation centre with all sorts of sports facilities including a kayak and canoe club!  I chatted with a young C-boat paddler also named Martin, and admired their river.  Martin said you could keep paddling 25 km before having to turn around; way better than our facilities on the Credit.

 

The Fortress of Valença de Miño was very impressive.  It’s been the site of many battles - in medieval times - and is designated as a jewel of military architecture which is obvious when you walk alongside its huge walls.  It’s said to have three levels of defense extending over 5 1/2 km.  Inside it’s full of modern buildings, retail stores, a central “town square”, and a couple of ancient churches.  It also has terrific views, and I was enjoying them when I ran into Hugh and Eileen from Australia, a couple of pilgrims who are ending their journey in Valença.

 

My legs were heavy as I returned to our apartment, having added another another 6 km or so to our earlier walk of 22.9 km on the Trail.  I completed 42,140 steps on the day and Fitbit awarded me the “Cleats” badge for a day exceeding 40,000 steps.

 

Total Distance Walked (by the group):  22.9 km

Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes 

Sept. 23 - Dogs run wild in Portugal and when the garbage truck went by at 5 a.m. they all howled in unison for several minutes.  Fortunately, I quickly fell back asleep again.

 

Taylor and Stephanie left the hotel a bit earlier than Jane and I to check out the market by the river.  They’ve probably been holding markets there since time immemorial and there were certainly many wares on display by the time Jane and I got there.  Stephanie purchased some figs, delightfully covered in something resembling icing sugar but not so sweet, some hearty bread and goat’s cheese with oregano seasoning.  She pulled it out at lunch and it was delightful.

 

We started on the Camino at the ancient bridge and saw a few of our fellow travelers as we crossed to the other side.  We also saw the statue of The General, Decius Junius Brutus.

 

The original bridge wa s built in the first century AD, with later additions in medieval times.  In ancient times, people believed that the river was enchanted and caused people to lose their memory should they cross it.  A Roman army was terrified and would not cross the river, even at the insistence of their commander, Decius Junius Brutus.  Decius crossed it first and when he reached the other side, turned to his soldiers and told them he still remembered everything and called them by their names, thus encouraging them to cross the river.  Today there are statues of Roman soldiers on one side of the river, and a statue of Decius Junius Brutus on his horse on the other side.

 

We crossed the river and still remembered everything too, and got our passports stamped at a little shop just across the street from the church at the end of the bridge.  The proprietor was very genial and had little plaques of Bom Camino in languages from around the world.

 

It was a beautiful fall day, crisp and clear in the early morning, and visibility stretched on forever.  We enjoyed another picturesque day of hiking, even when we paralleled the highway at one point.

 

For a short distance, we walked beside a brook where the water fell gently over rocks, and made the most perfect babbling noise I have ever heard.  I wanted to capture it and play it back when I couldn't sleep.

 

After 10 km of rural walking we stopped at Cafe Cunha Nunes, practically the only place to get some food on today's stage and just before a 300 metre climb in the trail.  The proprietor cut fresh slices of ham and cheese for sandwiches which were delicious and cheap at €1.60 each.  Cappucinos were €0.75 each.  It was a very busy place as pilgrims refreshed themselves before preparing for the 4 km climb up the mountain.

 

After lunch we started our ascent, which was arduous but not overly so, with the steepest climbing at the end.  We were fooled into thinking we were at the top by one large monument where Frank from north-eastern Germany, a solo pilgrim, took our picture.

 

When we reached the top it was obvious and Margaret from Hamburg volunteered to take our picture.  Then I took a picture of her cheering with Jane, Stephanie and Taylor.

 

On the way down, we passed a pair of enterprising girls who had set up a stand selling cold water, sodas and cake at whatever price you could pay.

 

After hiking about 17km on the trail, we left for our night's accommodations, Quinta da Gandra, which was just over a kilometre off the trail.  On the way we passed a horse and bull sharing a field but ignoring each other blissfully.

 

Our hotel appears to be very new and had a nice swimming pool with very cold water.  I floated on top on a large floating ring under a beautiful sun and temperatures of 21-22C, just about a perfect day.  Margaret from Hamburg was also staying there and she swam a few lengths.  Brrr!

 

At 6:30 we were given a drive to Restaurant Bom Retiro in Rubiaes.  It was packed and we saw many pilgrims there that we had encountered previously on the trail or in accommodations along the way, and cheerfully waved to them.

 

The food was great and generous, including wine, potato vegetable soup, a meat or vegetarian entree including fries, rice and vegetables or salad, and coffee or tea.  Jane had the veal and I had pork tenderloin and the total tab for the two of us was €25.  Portugal is a wonderful place to eat!

 

Total Distance Walked: 18.9 km

Vitorino Dos Piaes to Ponte de Lima 

Sept. 22 - Another beautiful day for walking the trail.  We left around 8:30 when it was 16C and a bit misty.  That mostly burned off a bit later and it was sunny and 22C later in the day.

 

Taylor switched to her Tevas to relieve a blister on the top of her foot from her hiking shoes.  I continued to walk in my Skechers and left the Merrells packed.

 

The forest fires in Portugal are under control and we haven’t smelled or breathed smoke for the last couple of days.

 

The picturesque part of the trail continued today as we walked through lovely countryside, small towns and churches.  It was Sunday and everyone was going to Sunday mass.  At the Vitorino dos Piaes church, a young woman was working furiously to clean the hands and face of a young boy just outside the doors of the church before bringing him inside.

 

In front of the church there was a beautiful fount, statue and tiles forming a couple of inlaid flowers in the ground - only one side is shown in the picture below.

 

We hadn’t had breakfast so we soon stopped at a restaurant for some coffee, pastries or a sandwich (me).

 

Then we were back on the road, running into a number of pilgrims we had met earlier and new ones too.  The Bulgarian woman, whom Jane and Taylor had treated yesterday, said her foot was much better, thank you.

 

Many people leaned out of cars to say “Bom Camino” to us and other pilgrims.  It’s highly regarded here, as attested by the statue of a pilgrim at the side of the road.

 

We passed a beautiful fresco to D. Teresa, mother of a future king of Portugal.  She and her husband, Count D. Henrique, made a pilgrimage to Santiago in 1097.  At that time the land in this area had been donated to the Church of Santiago, to which it remained until 1426.  The chapel here was dedicated to St. James, reputed to be buried in Santiago, and the tidy chapel here is said to be the only one dedicated to him and Santiago on the Portuguese trail.  A woman working for the chapel unlocked it for us so we could see inside.  The altar and back and side panels are simpler than many other chapels, but just as beautiful.

 

Today’s walk was shorter than some of the others and we arrived at Ponte De Liam around 1 pm.  It had a beautiful walkway lined with trees at the edge of the town centre with a bustling market on either side further along.

 

In the distance we could see the ancient bridge for which Ponte de Lima receives its name and we had a nice lunch and later dinner just up the main street down to the centre.

 

The town has erected some beautiful statues by the river and I included a picture of one, entitled: Allegory of Festivals and Folklore.

 

Our accommodations for the night were in two rooms at the Graciosa Guest House, a beautiful house about a kilometre from the city centre and trail.

 

Total Distance Walked: 15.2 km

Barcelos to Vitorino Dos Piaes

Sept. 21 - We had stopped at a grocery store the night before and ate our breakfast in the common area outside our hotel rooms and were ready for a good, long walk.  The weather changed overnight and we no longer had rain in the morning.  Instead it was a bit foggy and turned into a beautiful afternoon.  Our guide book said that today’s walk is considered by some to be the most picturesque of the Portuguese route and we appreciated it all the more with the fine weather..

 

Today, I switched from my hiking shoes to my Skechers which have a much softer sole.  It made walking much easier and my shin splints weren’t nearly so painful.

 

We walked through the centre of Barcelos back to the trail and headed north.  After a few kilometres the urban setting disappeared and we.were back in the country.  This was signalled by a large pen for a family of sheep: father, mother and baby, and a few other sheep nearby.

 

Once we were in the country we passed through lovely farms and houses with lime, orange, apple and persimmon trees.  There was lots of corn everywhere, kale and other vegetables growing.

 

We stopped at the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Portela with its stone cross in the square in front of the entrance.  Inlaid in the ground are a large shell and gourd, sanctifying the path for travellers.

 

We had to cross between two mountains which involved a bit of climbing midday.  Near the top of the climb was the Inefavel Restaurant which was very fancy but served us nice food at reasonable prices.  It was a good choice because we didn’t pass very many cafes or restaurants after that.

 

In the afternoon we passed a vineyard where pickers were busily picking grapes.  When we went closer to take a picture, the group’s leader, Yvonne, motioned for us to come into the vineyard where she asked our names, took our pictures and had the pickers hand us each a large bunch of grapes to eat along our way.  Such hospitality!

 

Later we came to a small bridge that has been standing since at least 1135 AD when pilgrims first started taking this route.

 

We took a small detour to visit Our Lady of Aparecida Church, perched on a small plateau near the top of a mountain.  It had beautiful views, a loverly interior, and a bunch of girl guides were also involved in some activity.  But when we inquired about getting our Camino passports stamped, the attendant regretfully replied that the stamp had been stolen.  Who does that?

 

We walked through some more countryside and passed a corn thresher cutting the stalks down to nubs.  Behind the thresher was a truck that received most of the threshed material.  We couldn’t see if it was picking off the corn cobs and storing them elsewhere, or if the cobs had already been picked, but it was an amazing sight.

 

At the end of our walk we came to Estabulo de Valinhas hostel, our home for the night.  We have a small, comfortable room with a washroom and shower.  Jane and Taylor got to use their nursing skills to help a Bulgarian woman whose corn had broken open and needed a dressing.

 

We were served a group supper of salads, vegetarian or chicken pasta and creme brulee with fruit and red or rose wine.  We got to meet many of the other travellers including some from France, Sweden and Bulgaria.

 

Total Distance Walked: 23.4 km

San Miguel d’Arcos to Barcelos

Sept. 20 - After packing up our still wet clothes, Antonio drove us down to his hotel for a wonderful breakfast in the dining room (see the last picture from yesterday).  It was a magnificent spread for €8 and we ate heartily.

 

We left Vila de Floresta around 10 am.  It had been raining earlier and continued lightly till noon but we had all the right gear and it was a pleasant temperature of 18C.  Now that we were on the central trail we saw more pilgrims and hikers in general.

 

We were also in the country, far from big city Porto and wandered through farm lanes and small villages.  There were interesting gardens and beautiful flowers.

 

The rooster is a big symbol here and there's an old story that goes along with it that doesn't bear repeating here.

 

We skipped the alternative path with the lookout view opting instead for flatter terrain although there were still a lot of ups and downs and constant cobblestones that were hard on the feet.

 

We stopped for a nice lunch at Real Cafe at which point we'd travelled 13.3 km.

 

We crossed the bridge over the Cavado River and stopped to get our passports stamped at the church and museum there.  The church was beautiful inside and there was quiet singing in the background that suggested peace and serenity.

 

Our hotel was by the railway station about one km off the Trail so we tried to pick the closest distance to it on the Trail to turn off.  We're on the third floor and the hotel has no elevator, but we're hardy hikers so that's no obstacle.

 

There was time to rest, stretch and bathe before we headed out for dinner at Gosto Muito.  We split two plates because the portions here are so huge.  Our server explained that the Portuguese are big eaters.  The restaurant's machine wouldn't accept any of our credit cards so we had to pay cash.

 

Total Distance Walked: 20 km.

Sept. 19 - Today’s hike continued up the coast until we reached Vila do Conde, and then we took an old route to the central trail.

 

The beaches were spectacular here with nary a soul on them.  It’s the shoulder season and it’s getting cooler but it was still strangely quiet with a small number of pilgrims such as ourselves.

 

There was a nice boardwalk along most of the beach with interesting sights along the way.  There was the spot where an RCAF bomber crash-landed on the shore but all on board survived due to the help of the Portuguese.  There were ancient markings from two or three millenia ago attesting to the long history of habitation here.

 

A whimsical portrait of Pedro IV was planted near the boardwalk, made entirely of pieces washed up on shore, the same shore where he landed to “liberate” Portugal in 1834.

 

The boardwalk was closed in one area and we struggled to find the detour, but met up with John and Linda from Brossard who have purchased a condo in the area and steered us straight as they walked with us for a while; they were very nice people.

 

We got stamps in our passports at a small church on the outskirts of Vila do Conde and took a picture there.

 

A little while later we crossed the Ave River where we were to turn right to head to the Central Trail but first Taylor went to a bank in town and at their ATM she sync’ed up her Wealthsimple card to complete the activation and make it usable.  She was thrilled that she could now use it to pay for everything.

 

The trek to the Central trail took us through many narrow lanes with vehicles travelling at high rates of speed within a few feet of us.  Nobody drives slowly around here.

 

At the edge of Vila do Conde we stopped for lunch at Cozinha Aberta, a bustling place that was at first too busy to accommodate us.  They had three main meals and Jane and I shared the pork dish with potatoes, rice and vegetables and it was delicious.  Steph and Taylor had a sandwich and salad at the cafe on the other side of the street.

 

After that we travelled on enjoying beautiful vistas of flowers, trees, waterfalls, farms and verdant pastures.  We took pictures of Igreja Paroquial do Junqueira, which we nicknamed the “dove” church because it had a real dove perched on one of the high front windows.

 

We were quite hot and tired when we reached the house we were staying at, Villa da Floresta.  Antonio arrived in a few minutes to let us in, show us our rooms and the pool out back where we happily swam once we finished unpacking.  The water was a little cold.

 

We also had a washing machine and it was a treat to wash our clothes.

 

Antonio came to pick us up at 7:20 and take us to his hotel restaurant down the road.  The hotel adjoins his house and is a nicely renovated old stone building.  We had a choice of a veal plate or codfish plate with appetizers and dessert.  The food all tastes exquisite here, so much fresher than at home, and it was a delightful meal. 

 

Total Distance Walked: 25 km.

Porto to La Bruge

Sept. 18 - Before starting our trek, we needed to ride the 500 bus from our hotel to the Fort where we walked back from the day before.  The forest fires were still burning to the east and it was another smoky day with a red sun.

 

We had to walk back 250 metres from the dropoff point of the 500 bus to where we were dropped off the day before so we didn’t skip any part of the Trail!

 

Most of the day was spent walking along boardwalks beside beaches along the ocean.  The boardwalks were in really good shape and easy to walk on.

 

We passed a number of sights along the way including a monument to the “Tragedy of the Sea” when a bad storm on December 2. 1947 caused 152 sailors to drown leaving 71 widows and over 100 orphans.  The monument is of 4 women wailing to the sea.

 

Shortly after that we got our first passport stamp along the way and then we came to a monument to the spot where Jesus’ body is alleged to have washed up on the shore.  The monument is a large cross covering a tomb within a huge stone structure that has large openings on each of its four sides.

 

Further along is a very tall obelisk dedicated to King Pedro IV and the spot where he landed to take back the crown from his brother Miguel in 1834.

 

People have lived in the area for millenia and there are archaelogical pieces indicating that.  An interesting preserved area showed a number of large cavities in the stone, salting tanks for salting fish to preserve it.

 

At the fourth spot where we stopped for a stamp we picked up some souvenirs, a Camino pin for me to wear next to my Canada pin, and Camino bracelets for Jane, Stephanie and Taylor.

 

We picked a random place for lunch - O Filipe de Angeiras - and while it seemed a little rundown on the outside it was beautiful on the inside.  We shared a codfish platter for €13 along with some potatoes, rice with vegetables and a salad, a couple glasses of wine and water for €25.  The place was full of locals and we understood why.

 

We only had a short walk after that to reach our guesthouse in La Bruge.  We have two bedrooms and are all sharing one bathroom with two other women staying in a third room.  There is a nice patio behind the house where we rehashed the day and enjoyed a glass of wine.

 

We had access to a kitchen and went over to a grocery store to pick up some chicken burgers, buns, fixings for a salad and some nice pastries.  We had a feast!

 

Total Distance Walked; 17.0 km.

Porto

Sept. 17 - Porto was enveloped in smoke today from nearby forest fires.  Last year, three of the four of us - Stephanie, Jane and myself - were in Yellowknife for its forest fires and this was eerily identical with eerie suns - a reddish orange colour - and a choking haze.

 

Jane and I left the.Pimms Hotel and walked over to Vila Gale to meet Taylor and Stephanie.  We left our bags with them until we could check in later, and officially started our walk by going back to Porto Cathedral where we got our Camino passports officially stamped.  We also took a tour of the cathedral which was magnificent.  In the upper part of the cloister were large posters of various stages of the Camino and we took a look at some of the places and things we’ll see along the way.

 

Then we hopped on the Hop On/Hop Off bus before our tickets expired to first get a tour of Gaia.  It’s more modern than Porto with most of its history wrapped up in the production of port, but we didn’t have time to stop and tour a wine cellar.

 

Instead we switched to the Red Line where we took the bus back out to Fort St. Francis Xavier where we hopped off to walk the trail back to our hotel.  We did the first day backwards; it just turned out to be the most conveneint way to start.  We’ll go forward from Fort St. Francis Xavier tomorrow, and hopefully the winds will change back to westerlies and we won’t be smothered in smoke.

 

Total Distance Walked on Trail: 10.2 km

Porto

Sept. 16 - Stephanie was moving to a new hotel and came to our room to leave her bag and then we left for a walking tour of the upper city starting at bus stop number 2, near the hospital and across from the university park.

 

Our host was Baltazar, a very congenial older gentleman, one of whose sisters lives in Waterloo and he had a Canada pin on his hat.

 

First stop was the hospital, built in the 17th or 18th century.  The facade can’t be renovated because of fears that it would all disintegrate, but the interior is modern and serves all the city.

 

Next up was the Church of Carmo and we went inside and marvelled at the interior.  It's all wood covered with gold leaf, 100 kg of it.  Baltazar suggested we visit the church of St. Clara which has 400 kg of gold leaf inside.

 

Baltazar mentioned that in the fifteenth and later centuries the church bishop was like a mayor and wealthy families donated to the church to maintain status and privilege and Porto has no less than 56 churches.

 

We walked over to a beautiful bronze fountain, the only one in Porto, and later to the University which has a huge hanging moon above the entrance and we took pictures underneath it.

 

We also walked past the library with the beautiful interior and Baltazar suggested paying the more expensive €15 ticket which lets you in right away without having to queue and gives you the privilege to buy a book of. value €15 or less.

 

We also saw the old jail and city administrative building which now houses a museum and other events and whose interior is stunning and different with every visit.

 

We walked over to the Sao Bento da Vitoria Monastery which also had a beautiful interior using another 100kg of gold leaf.

 

Just past that was another church that used to be a synagogue until the Jews were all forced to leave in the early 16th Century during the period of The Inquisition.

 

Further down from there was a beautiful lookout point from which much of Porto could be seen.  We saw a glass-roofed building where the stock exchange was and is now a paid museum, perhaps of cameras, with another museum beside it that he also recommended.

 

Baltazar also told us to avoid the restaurants in that area of Porto saying they were overpriced and poorly serviced.  He recommended one across the river near Calem.  He also recommended one operated by his friend in the lane near the outlook and Stephanie, Jane and I ate there later.  We had a lovely salad, fish, meat and cheese "dumplings", bread and custard tarts with cinnamon.  We also drank the obligatory sangria.

 

The tour finished at a sardine shop, built in 1910 and managed by a family who was involved in the fishery, formerly a huge industry for Porto.  We got samples and I bought a can to take home.

 

After lunch we walked over to the upper level of the Dom Luis bridge and admired the views as well as the smoke from wildfires to the east.  The air over Porto was very smoky today from all the wildfires nearby.

 

We crossed the bridge and rested in the Jardim do Morro which was beautiful and had spectacular views.  Baltazar said it was popular with students and young people in the evenings.

 

We returned from there walking the Camino Trail from the Porto cathedral back to our hotel.  Later we walked to the Soul Senses restaurant where we met Taylor who arrived earlier in the afternoon.  We had a nice dinner of appetizers, salad and sangria there. 

Porto

Sept. 15 - It was Sunday and a lot of places were closed for breakfast so we headed over to McDonald’s almost next door to our hotel.  I saw cops hustling people off the street and pylons down the middle, then looked up the street and saw a big plastic arch.  Apparently the Porto half marathon, an IAAF sanctioned event was scheduled to start with thousands of runners.  We watched it unfold as we ate upstairs next to the window.  First the lead motorcycles came, then a fancy car and then the first pack of runners, about 6 in all.  A little while later a couple more came, and then I snapped a picture of the next 2, bib numbers 3 and 8.  A little after them came the first woman, and then slowly more came but not many for the first ten minutes or so and then it became really heavy.  Shortly after that we saw the leaders go back down the other side, having made the turn and heading back.

 

Later, we came down just as Mitch and Stephanie arrived and we walked down to the river and booked a cruise up and down the river to see “The 6 Bridges” as well as passes to the Hop On/Hop Off buses for the next 48 hours.

 

We caught the noon cruise and I took a number of pictures of both Porto to the north and Gaia to the south, and many of the bridges of course.

 

We had lunch back at Pimm’s and drank their wonderful sangria - perhaps a bit too tasty as we downed a second jug - and then headed for the hop on/hop off bus and saw a number of buildings as well as crowded beaches on the ocean and the Douro River.  Temperatures were around 33C.

 

At the end of the loop we bid adieu to Mitch who was flying down to Lisbon a little later.

 

Back at our hotel we were taking it easy when the sound of drums roared up the street and a marching band came up followed by worshippers carrying statues of Mary with baby Jesus, and then an older Jesus and another shrine.  They stopped in front of our hotel and then marched into the church next door.  It’s a busy place: with a world-sanctioned half marathon in the morning and then a marching band to Jesus and Mary in the afternoon.

 

At the end of the day we ate at Rustic Tapas Bar for a great meal and views of the city.

Porto

Sept. 14 - We arrived at Porto just before noon and in fifteen minutes we had gone through passport control, picked up our bags and walked from the airport to the Metro station.  If only Pearson were so efficient.

 

For 2.25€ we travelled to Sao Bento and then it was a short walk to our hotel.  They're very strict here though and not too accommodating and they made us wait till the formal 3 pm checkin time.

 

Our "premium" room was supposed to have a City View but the window simply opens to a wall a few feet away, otherwise it's very nice.

 

After we settled in we headed to the hotel restaurant on a patio next to the street and had great meals at very reasonable prices.  Jane also got a huge glass of Sangria for 4.50€.  Wow!

 

Then it was time for a short walking trip along the Douro River and over the Dom Luis bridge to neighbouring Gaia to catch some of the sites before crashing for an early evening.