An Episode of "Lost"!

Well, we unintentionally cleared over 28km today, and have the aches and pains to prove it! And maybe 1 tiny blister. I dunno, my feet are a bit of a train wreck. Hikers rash, heat rash, sunburned ankles. I have the picture to remind myself, but no fear, I won't subject anyone to that.

Started so well, we crossed the Limia River via the Ponte Eiffel - yes, that Eiffel - to enter Viana do Castelo, prettiest town so far. We met Isabella and Albert from San Francisco, and together we found our yellow arrows again. The Camino really does provide. Albert is 78, hiking his first Camino. Inspirational, although Isabella also shared their daughter really didn't understand why they were doing this😅. Our paces are a bit different, so we moved ahead

And endless twisting up and down through narrow cobbled lanes ensued. I love a good authentic cobblestone look, but the cafe that finally appeared many km later was a far more appreciated sight by then! Refreshed with handfuls of cherries and a cold beer each, away we went.

So trusting, so much faith in our various yellow arrows..they come painted on rocks, on the walls, sometimes in tile, sometimes spray painted right on the road. But we started to become aware that there 8 or 9 km we had left to go should be almost done. The phone map shows 6.8km. strange, we've been hiking for hours, in the hot sun, getting tired. Sigh, we carry on, over rock trails, alleys, dirt paths, more up than down. Still, 6.8 left! Checking the map, we realize - oh no, we've gone off grid! I do not like this at all! What if we overshot our days destination? What if it's crazy far away?

We make the call to head down to the highway ( N13 is suddenly my friend now). At about 2 hours behind schedule, it's the best choice. Not the prettiest walk, but it gets us to Quinta da Quinhas. A working farm, coworking, coliving, hostel. The motto here is Hygge, and that's immediately apparent.

We gather just enough energy to go find dinner. One restaurant in town makes that easy, and it's only 350 metres away. Up stairs😞. The food was great though, home cooked by an elderly couple who have clearly run the place for years. While the wife cooks, husband carefully, precisely, places a paper tablecloth on our table. Such care, attention to detail. Bodes well for the food. Which is delicious, and I'm sure it would have been no matter what, given the days exertions. However, we had no idea what we ordered! Sometimes, you just have to take a chance, and it pays off😅

PS, we have a donkey here. He is so cute!

Also, tomorrow will be way,way shorter!Read more