One of the Funniest Things

About the Camino, is the absolutely outlandish outfits you decide are perfectly legitimate wardrobe options. At the moment, I'm sporting an orange plaid sundress with a long sleeved blue shirt over it. There will be no pictures, this is not a Vogue moment😅

We've fetched up for the night in the grandiose sounding but distinctly unprepossesing private front room of a modest suburban Valenca home turned hostel. Not what we expected when we phoned this morning to book the private room in the highest rated hostel within the fortress walls. The host tells us that the private room is offsite " just outside the wall". We have to wait until the 3pm opening to discover "just outside" is actually about 3km away, in a completely different, not likely to be top rated, establishment. Oh well, at least we had ample time to explore within the fortress while we waited!

It was pouring rain in the early morning again, before we left our alberge. Our hosts had thoughtfully brought our drying laundry indoors last night, but the dampness stubbornly remains. I suppose its me that's stubborn, as I refuse to pay the average 5 euro charge to dry clothes. I think drier weather is ahead of us, but keeping our minimal wardrobe washed and dried has been an effort.

So we set out after breakfast, no rush today as we are only going about 5km on this rest day. A slight drizzle accompanied us over a roman bridge, along side the railroad, and into Valenca. The Camino takes us directly to the fortress.

Formidable it is, level after level of fortification and defenses lead us into the ancient roads and modern day shop equivalents to their hundreds of years past predecessors. There are many churches and chapels within the walls, although Brad reserved real worship for the series of Morgan 2 +2 cars we saw. One church, Santos Maria dos Anjos is being refurbished. The removal of flooring has laid bare the wooden outlines of those interred beneath the church floor. High up clergy and wealthy I would imagine, but all reduced to numbers carved as identifiers at their heads. Time is a great equalizer indeed I think, as I step carefully around their edges.

Later in the afternoon, we are driven to the "just outside" location by our hosts son, Ramon. Easing into the rear passenger seats of his ancient two door Megace, I realise it's been almost 10 days since I've been in a car! This really feels luxurious 😁

The last agenda item for our last night in Portugal is to go in search of dinner. It's a bit of a hunt, but eventually we come across a modest looking cafe. To our genuine surprise, we end up having the best meal yet. The regional specialty cod, prepared with onions, peppers, and potatoes, and cooked to delicate, flaky perfection. Accompanied by a half bottle of crisp white Douro wine expertly recommended and opened by our waitress.

We nibbled olives and sipped wine, watched the bartender cradle a very new baby and watch over a very slow bar indeed, and marvelled that we have come so far, and it seemed so fast.

When I think of Portugal, I'll remember that incredible coastline the most. The gloriously brilliant flowers everywhere, the elegance of white calla lilies. And tile, so many colors and patterns, from classic to almost 70's looks, vibrant red and green subway tiled exteriors, and blue and white Azulejo,the Portugese motif.

And toilets that flush with a doorknob twist, that's a new one on me😅Read more