Month: July 2016

In spite of the smiles in the photos, this was a hard day. I was still feeling very, very tired.  It was an hour’s walk just to get out of the city and I sacrilegiously suggested we could get a cab to the city border. The others saved me from myself and said ‘No’.  It all worked out though because we lost the way and ended up walking along the main road, which was an hour shorter!

We arrived in Redondela, the next town, to find pilgrims everywhere! This is where the more popular central route joins the coastal route of the Portuguese Camino. It was actually a little overwhelming and we decided to walk another three kilometers to an albergue out of town – and even this was almost full.

By the evening, my feet and ankles were swollen and my heart was beating a little faster than I’m used to. We slept in bunk beds in a large dormitory – and after everyone else had gone to bed, I crept into the kitchen so as not to wake anyone up and called Kenneth in tears, to say I didn’t know if physically I could make through the last few days to reach Santiago. He calmed me down and we agreed that I should walk tomorrow as it would be a shorter stage and anyway I couldn’t stay here another day – and if I didn’t feel better tomorrow evening I would rest for a day or two.

This morning I was struggling.  I was feeling physically and psychically exhausted and kept everyone waiting while I forced myself out of bed. The group waited for me at a coffee shop and bought me a cup of coffee to boost my morale. 

But then the walk this morning turned out to be one of the most amazing on the Camino.

We walked along the sand – and couldn’t quite believe how beautiful it was.

At least until we reached Vigo!  Vigo is the largest city in Galicia and , although there is a historical town center, the somewhat unappealing suburbs stretch for miles.  In the end,when we asked a kindly man for directions, he walked us to the bus stop and explained which bus we should take to the city center and exactly where to get off the bus – when he was assured we had the information we needed, he carried on – only to walk back a few minutes later, to check that everyone had enough money for the bus fare!

Once in the city center, I sat down at a cafe – unable to walk another step.  Meanwhile, the intrepid Johanna searched for the tourist office to check on the albergue, 3 kilometers further on, where we planned to stay. It turned out that this albergue was now closed to pilgrims. In my present state of exhaustion, I would have been devastated to arrive and be turned away – so I was indebted to Johanna.  The tourist office booked some rooms for us, nearby – but when we went to the address, we were sent to a place down the street, and then to a place down another street and finally were taken to a somewhat decrepit apartment building. It definitely was not the Ritz – but we didn’t have to walk any further and we each had a bed.  I was definitely not enamoured with Vigo.  But on venturing out after a rest and a shower, I began to warm to the place.  There were lots of young people and it was actually quite lively.  What’s more, the cathedral, which had been closed, was now open. Cristina, knowledgeable from our experience in Baiona, went bravely into the office beside the altar and found the priest – who was happy to stamp our credenciales.  

The photos below show the inside of the cathedral and the lively restaurant section where we went afterwards for a grilled fish dinner – quite a treat after the more basic fare of the last few days.

Johanna, Cem, Cristina and I set out next morning to follow the Camino along the coast road – and then through the hills.

After many miles of walking, we found ourselves in Baiona, where the Camino wound through narrow streets and alleys, with glimpses of the harbor through the houses. We took a break in a cafe by the main church and, fortuitously, the priest walked by – so we asked if we could each get a stamp for our credencial. He told us to wait and hurried off to retrieve the stamp pad. Then he took us through a little door to the side of the altar into his office and very officially took down all our details – passport number, date of birth etc. and proudly stamped our credenciales.  ( the photos below are of Baiona and the church there where we had our credenciales stamped.)The albergue where we planned to stay was in A Ramallosa five kilometers further – so we put on our backpacks and continued on. We crossed over into the town on the picturesque Roman bridge in the photos below and then dragged ourselves up the final hill to the albergue Pazo Pias – a converted manor house (more luxurious than we were used to.)

We were starving – so found the nearest cafe for a late  lunch.  I was still hungry so I set out, unsuccessfully, to find a supermarket. Later I  discovered the supermarket with Cristina and, so as not to go hungry again, I proceeded to buy enough food to weigh down my backpack the next day!

I was hoping that Martina and Giulio  would appear – but Martina texted that her leg was hurting and so they had taken the bus a couple of stages ahead.

In the evening we walked back down the hill to the village center, where we found some other pilgrims from France and Finland, familiar from a previous albergue, and joined them for a tortilla – this resembles a potato-filled omelette and is a staple dish in this part of Spain).

Today I left at first light, partly because I wanted to arrive earlier in the afternoon to avoid the heat of the day and partly because I wanted to catch up with my blog which I had been too exhausted to write for the last days (in fact, my good intentions were thwarted by a shaky internet connection). The first part of the Camino was along the beautiful rocky coastline – the purple heather and yellow gorse growing on the grassy slope to the sea reminded me of Cornwall.
I met a very nice woman who assured me that I would be very touched when I reached the cathedral in Santiago and, more to the point, that I would find a cafe in six kilometers where I could relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. She went on to impart some deep truths about Mary, the mother of Jesus – but between my rudimentary Spanish and her Galician dialect, I’m afraid I missed some of the finer points.

As usual, the Camino was partly on scenic paths and partly on a busy road – although, with this being Spain and not Portugal, there was a rather thoughtfully placed walking/biking path by the side of the road so you didn’t actually have to walk IN the road.

Eventually the path wound back down to the coast and the picturesque village of Oia, where I did indeed find a cafe to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee!

At last, I arrived at the albergue in Mougas, which was right on the coast and soon after, to my great delight, Johanna and her friend, Cam, showed up. (I had walked with Johanna earlier in the Camino and she had left Porto one day after me) I was hoping that my three Italian friends would arrive, and they did – much later.  In true Italian fashion, they had slept in, had a leisurely breakfast and then set out around 10am. We were overjoyed to see each other – and we all sat on the veranda above the adjoining cafe for a cup of coffee.
The view from the veranda.

Later we sat on the rocks to watch the sunset.

Top photo – us watching the sunset.  Bottom photo – the sunset

(Even though this all sounds somewhat idyllic, each day does, in fact, have its ups and downs.  There are times when a view or an encounter makes me feel happy to be alive and times when I feel lonely, exhausted and missing Kenneth)

Today we left at the same time as a delightful Japanese family, doing the Portuguese Camino by bike, with two boys  – a 3 year old who rode with his father and a 5 year old who rode his own bike and who both seemed to be having the time of their life.

 

Much of the Camino today was through the woods.
I was excited because towards the end of the day we would be crossing over from Portugal to Spain – with just one week of the Camino remaining.

Our first glimpse of Spain across the water.

We arrived in Caminha around 2pm – happy with the thought of taking the ferry from Portugal across to Spain – but, it turned out that today there was no ferry!  Undaunted, we decided to find a fisherman to take us across the water. That necessitated first some searching and then some waiting – but eventually we found our fisherman!

We were deposited somewhat unceremoniously on a Spanish beach – and walked along the coast to A Guarda where there was an albergue. (Photos – The Spanish beach where we landed, looking back at Portugal, the rocky coastline with A Guarda in the distance, the town seen from across the harbor as we entered.)

It was 9pm by the time we reached the albergue (we had set out at 7 this morning).  We received an incredibly exuberant welcome from a very kindly elderly man who voluntarily took care of the hostel and who must have been there all afternoon and evening in case any pilgrims arrived. (There was only one other person there – who walked from the other direction, so wasn’t affected by the ferry closure.) Everyone went out for drinks at 10pm and then came back at 11pm to fetch me for dinner. I admired their enthusiasm and was with them in spirit – but couldn’t quite peel myself off  the bed!
As always – the yellow arrows showed the way.

Yesterday I was feeling nostalgic about the pre-Porto part of the Camino but today there were several ferocious sounding dogs on chains, it was stifling hot, I got lost a couple of times, the last few kilometers felt like they would last forever – and I felt right at home!

The way today was both remote and beautiful – in contrast to the few days before Porto when we passed through several industrial estates and there was a prolification of electric power lines.  And although we were not right on the coast, the ocean was often visible in the distance.

I walked with Martin and Cristina. Unfortunately, a couple of times we were so deep in philosophy that we missed the arrows, added a few kilometers to our day and totally lost the other four. Anyway, I was very happy for the company of Martin and Cristina (see photos). The last couple of days before Porto I was so exhausted I was having some twinges of doubt as to whether I could continue – but after being so well cared for in Porto and with such cheery companions on the Camino, my optimism returned.

We reached the albergue at 3pm – and, though it was earlier than yesterday, we were nevertheless exhausted. So it was a bit of a shock to be told once again that the albergue was full – and this time there was not a single bed.  The kindly man running the albergue (who was 83 years old and ran the albergue 7 days a week as a volunteer, to be of service) told us to wait.  Meanwhile he phoned the owner of an albergue nine kilometers further along the Camino.  Eventually, the owner answered the phone and, before we knew it, arrived in his car and whisked us off to his albergue! This turned out to be a stroke of good fortune – the albergue was a lovingly restored 17th century house (see photos below) and the owner was wonderfully kind.  To complete our good fortune, the albergue owner went back to pick up four other stranded pilgrims – and they turned out to be the friends we had been separated from!  After an emotional reunion, we sat around the table to share wine and pasta together.

The next morning I decided I needed another day to catch my breath.  Three of the group went on, but Julio, Martina and Cristina also decided to stay. It was a perfect day! We lazed in the sun, drank coffee and cooked pasta together.  The albergue was a special place and we basked in its peaceful atmosphere. I felt surrounded by an extra layer of happiness.

I spent the night at a fairly forgettable cheap hotel, which provided all I needed – a bed to sleep in.  And the next morning I did not start walking at crack of dawn- in fact I didn’t start till 9am. (From Porto, there are two choices for the Camino – the traditional inland route or the coastal route. My pilgrim band from before Porto had taken the coastal route and advised me to take it too – so I did.) I was concerned about the heat, having started so late – but it turned out there was quite a stiff breeze, which was an incredible relief after the previous two weeks of stifling heat. The Camino followed the coast, along boardwalks for the first few miles.  At one point the yellow arrows directed me inland and then back to the coast, which, actually was an unnecessary diversion.  I was chastising myself for first starting so late and then being diverted.  At that point I passed a beach cafe and decided to lift my spirits with a cup of coffee. I had just sat down with my coffee when who should appear but my second band of merry pilgrims!  – in the form of four young Italians (The happiest,most good-natured and effervescent group you could hope to meet) and Martin, a Slovakian who had met them in the Porto albergue. It turned out that they had taken the metro this morning to start from Povoa Varzim – and because I started late and got diverted, we had all arrived at the cafe at the same time.

Before meeting the group, I had just expected to get a stamp for my credenciale at the hostel where I stayed the night and occasionally at a cafe along the way – but the Italians knew more about this than I did – and they would dart into every church with an open door and find a stamp pad to stamp their credenciales, and then sit in one of the pews for a time of quiet reflection. My Camino was definitely being expanded.  The top photos are of the church in Apulia – where I first discovered the phenomena of getting a stamp for my credenciale inside a church. (Before Porto, with less pilgrims, the churches were often closed) The bottom photos show the interior of the church in Fao with a close up of a carving of St. James, with the pilgrim stamp on a table underneath.

 By this time it was about 2:30 and everyone was hungry.  By good fortune, as we were walking through the village of Fao, we passed a cafe.  The owner came out and offered to stamp our credenciales. We happily acquiesced  and when we inquired about food, he asked if we would like the pilgrim meal – bread, olives, soup and main dish for 6 euros. Perfect! He told us about some of the pilgrims who had passed through and we really connected with him. 

Somehow an hour and a half passed without us noticing it.  We set off again as we still had quite a few kilometers ahead and, in fact, didn’t reach the albergue till 7pm

As there were 34 beds, we were not concerned about finding space there. But to our dismay, we discovered there was only one bed left – which was very kindly given to me! In the end, two mattresses were found – one for Martin and one for 2 of the Italians. The other 2 Italians had sleeping mats which they put down in the dining area next to the mattresses. After us, an older German man arrived – he was given the couch. And then Cristina – also from Italy (who had been in the same albergue in Porto as our group) arrived – and was given a spare sleeping mat by someone. It was definitely crowded and several of the showers were not working but everyone was just happy to have a place to sleep.

Porto – time to relax and recover while I stayed in Hamid and Isti’s wonderful apartment – with great conversations and wonderful Portuguese meals.  The following photos show Hamid in his office (holding the Italian gold medal award for his company’s olive oil!) and then the view out of my window. The full moon in the photo means that I am halfway through my Camino – I started on the day of the new moon. The other photos give an impression of Porto – with the wonderful blue tiles adorning the facades of important buildings.I wanted to conserve every scrap of energy so,in fact, I left the apartment only to eat out with Hamid or to walk to Porto Cathedral (where I got the required stamp for my credenciale and met for coffee with Johanna (one of our pilgrim band before Porto – who was a day behind me). 

In front of Porto Cathedral! Porto is the halfway point of the Portuguese Camino. And together with Johanna (When you have walked several days on the Camino with someone and then meet up with them again you are just incredibly happy to see them!)

Hamid, bless his heart, drove me to the outskirts of Porto in the afternoon so I could have an early start the next morning. Somehow the road petered out and on trying to find it again we found ourself on the motorway to Poa Varzim – the last Porto metro stop and definitely further than intended.  Somehow it all seemed to be part of the Camino plan – by now it was late and Hamid needed dinner before driving all the way home – so we stopped at an authentic Portuguese restaurant (packed with locals) and I had fresh sardines for the first time ever – fantastic!

This morning was cool and misty – what a boon! Much of the way today was on an original Roman road – see photo below. (This was exciting for me as I inherited my father’s appreciation for prehistoric burial grounds and Roman roads!)

The way was well signed – another boon!

On the way I passed the monastery at Grijo (a respite for pilgrims in the Middle Ages) – first passing the monastery walls, then peeking through the gateway at the monastery buildings, walking through the monastery grounds – a respite from the road – to see the church, and then back out through the gateway, to continue on the Camino.

On to Perozinho and a much needed cafe!   And then, surprisingly as we were so near to Porto, the most beautiful part of the Camino so far – stretches of the original medieval pilgrim route – peaceful footpaths winding through ferns and woodland. 

And then, suddenly, I was overlooking Porto.  VERY fortunately, Kenneth and I have friends in Porto – Hamid and Isti da Silva.  Hamid had just returned from Jakarta the day before and offered to pick me up from the outskirts of Porto – saving me from a maze of motorways and main roads – and took me to their apartment in the center of Porto where I spent the next 48 hours basking in Portuguese hospitality!

My first sight of Porto.

Today Will and Sam took the train to Porto for a couple of days relaxation before continuing to Santiago. They took Nola and Janae’s backpacks and, without backpacks, the girls decided to walk the 77 kilometers to Porto in two days. Anyway, in the morning I decided to get a head start and left at 5am, half an hour before the girls. It was dark out but the road was lit with streetlights. Electric pylons are becoming a more frequent part of the landscape.

My spirits were buoyed knowing the girls would catch up to me and I would have company.  They did and we walked together for several miles.  

The villages were a strange mixture of old Portuguese architecture, modern flats and abandoned buildings.

At one point the girls were ahead of me.  A women stopped me and fired away at me in Portuguese. I eventually realized she was letting me know that my friends had stopped at a cafe round the corner and she didn’t want me to miss them. 

After some more miles the girls went on ahead. After crossing a main road, I somehow managed to miss the yellow arrows –  having no idea where to go, I decided the only option was to sit by the side of the road, rest my feet and have a snack. I asked a friendly passerby which way was the Camino.  He gesticulated very confidently in one direction so I followed that path. After not coming across any more yellow arrows, I surmised that his enthusiastic gesticulations could more accurately be translated as ‘I’m really happy you are doing the Camino. Santiago is somewhere in that general direction.’ Anyway, I found the railway tracks which I knew were going in the same general direction as the Camino – and so I walked along the tracks for a while until I was able to rejoin the right path.  By midday I arrived at a pilgrim hostel run by an incredibly friendly family who invited me into their kitchen and made me feel at home. I showered, washed my clothes,slept and had several cups of green tea! At 5pm, feeling rejuvenated, I had the idea of walking another 8 or 9 miles and catching up with the girls who were spending the night at the fire station. (some of the fire stations along the Camino offer basic lodging for pilgrims for a 5 euro donation).  I thought the walk would be cooler – it wasn’t really but never mind. I also thought it wouldn’t take more than 3 hours but it was 9 pm when I reached the firestation in Oliveira de Azemeis.(I didn’t have an address – just that it was next to the church). The firemen let me in. The two girls were already there in a little cubby room with three beds.  I couldn’t understand why they hadn’t turned on the light but then realized there was no electricity in the room  – there was a light in the adjoining bathroom but fortunately we didn’t need  a light in the room because we were all so tired we just fell asleep. if you are sleeping in a fire station you hope that the firemen are not called out too often – because the siren is very, very loud!  Luckily there was only one call that night. 

The church, the fire station and the road out of town next morning 

The next morning I was walking on my own again – and, somewhere soon after this photo was taken, I got spectacularly lost! I must have missed a vital arrow. Somehow I managed to reach the next town 6 miles away and reconnect with the Camino. (This was of course the only time I hadn’t been able to recharge my iPhone so I couldn’t even resort to google maps). I was heading for the pilgrim hostel at Grijo, 17 miles away, but about 12 miles out I realized I could not take another step! Very unexpectedly, I passed a little hotel (up to now  on the Camino we’ve been lucky to find a cafe, let alone a hotel)  and checked in for not one night, but two – and for the next 36 hours left my room only to go to breakfast or the adjoining coffee bar!

Leaving Coimbra we were all exhausted, especially me. We walked through olive groves and eucalyptus woods and at midday along a stretch of busy main road till the Camino meandered off through woodland paths for eight kilometers. The main road was a much more direct five kilometers. We took one look at each other and set off down the main road – gladly inhaling exhaust fumes for the next 5 k’s.  Usually it’s about the journey but today was definitely about the destination!

From Mealhada as usual we started out around 5:30 just before sunrise. I was lagging today but Will and Sam mentally pulled me along in their good natured way.  In a couple of hours we were ready for a coffee – and noticed,with anticipation, that various cafes were marked on the route. The cafes in this part of Portugal, however, have rather occasional opening hours. After walking for a few hours and passing three cafes which showed no sign of opening in the foreseeable future, we came across a minimart where we could buy some fruit. We asked if there was a cafe nearby – the storekeeper said no but that she would gladly make us some coffee.  We sat on plastic chairs in the minimart sipping coffee and feeling like we were at the Ritz!

  As we get closer to Porto, the second largest city in Portugal,the villages are getting closer together and we have passed through several industrial zones. We have left the olive groves behind although there are still eucalyptus groves and a few fields in between the villages. 

Two incidents stood out today. The first was when I was walking alone and totally missed one of the yellow arrows. I was in a not particularly friendly town – hungry, hot and lost. I was about to panic and then said to myself – this is the Camino. Just go with the flow – and at that moment Sam decided to detour off the Camino to buy cigarettes in the store that I was standing beside! The second incident was that afternoon when, for the first time on the Camino, I realized I had run out of water.  As we passed a warehouse, a man came out and asked if we were walking to Santiago. When we said yes he darted back into the warehouse and came back out with a bottle of water and two apples for each of us!