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Portuguese Pamino 2023Portuguese Pamino 2023
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It's been a while, Portugal, we can't wait to get back to what we do best - sleep, walk, eat (and drink), repeat. Read more
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  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 18

    Sid's Day Out in Porto!

    May 25, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    After yesterday's disaster was averted, Sid decided to go the whole hog and have a mad day out in Porto.
    After a slow start, he enjoyed a bus trip into the centre of town. He revisited the first Porto Camino waymark then wandered through the backstreets, enjoying a mad half hour in the shops. A leisurely lunch was enjoyed (misbehaving with a sardine's head which looked a little like a Bishop's Mitre!) before taking a port tasting tour and choosing his favourite tawny port. He then collapsed in a heap🙄😉😅!
    Off home tomorrow to wash his socks...    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    1
    Day 17

    Disaster averted 😱😨😅

    May 24, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Our accommodation was very close to the cathedral as we experienced from 0500 this morning 🙄🤭. So we were all up and ready for our walk to the bus station in Santiago with 2 hours to go. We'd booked our bus tickets earlier in the week as Anne had noticed buses were filling rapidly, so we thought it best not to take any chances. Thank goodness we did, as the bus was jam packed!
    Jan and I made a quick trip to the cathedral to light a few candles and visit St James' resting place (silver 'coffin') and, as I reached into my bag to find Sid, I realised he'd done a runner! Nooo... Where was he? Sid has been my camino companion since 2018 when I found him in a shop window. I'd thought I'd call him St James (Camino de Santiago) but someone thought I was calling him Sid James, so Sid it was!🙄🤭🤣. So the thought of losing him... I searched everywhere I could, recalling when I'd last photographed him (outside the cathedral) but could make no sense of his disappearance 😔. We decided he'd reached his spiritual home and was in the care of some other pilgrim in Santiago 😆. It was only when we'd arrived at our accommodation in Porto and I'd nipped out for some bread that I remembered putting him in my purse! Cue much rejoicing by me (well, us all, really😊) and a round of Pastels de Nata to celebrate his safe return to the fold 🙄 - any excuse for a Pastel de Nata!
    Anyway, breakfast was on the way to the bus station - there was no way I could endure a 3/4 hour journey without food so I doubled up on my croissants as eating on the bus was banned.
    We arrived, ate a lovely lunch and found our accommodation, an apartment with easy access to a Metro station.
    Funny, so many posts are about eating 😅😅😅
    So now we're relaxing in our apartment, we've put a wash on and we're happy😊. The simple things in life are often the best😉.
    Full day in Porto tomorrow with a port tasting tour, of course! 🍷🍷🍷    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 16

    Our last day of walking 😕

    May 23, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Our evening in Faramello was quite enjoyable, although we were all ready for an early bed 🙄 and had bagged ourselves a small (doorless) room just for 4 on the second floor of the albergue. That was one of the reasons I wasn't supposed to book this albergue - the stairs! 😱🤣 But we passed a pleasant evening and were all tucked up in bed at stupid o'clock (something like 8.45pm!)
    There was practically no snoring from our other dorm friends but then, at 4.30am, the Germans decided they were leaving 😱😨. Quite why they wanted to leave in the middle of the night, when there were only 15 more kilometres to walk, we couldn't work out! So our sleep was disturbed, and we woke again just before 6.00am to pack up and try to get to Santiago before noon.
    Fortunately, it had started to lighten by the time we left so we were soon confidently on our way and found a small truckers café after 3km, so we had breakfasted and were back on track by 7.30am! The way led us through more woodland, farmland and small hamlets, and past what is thought to be the oldest cross on this particular route. I really can't describe the feeling of walking through ancient woodland with only birdsong for company 🥰🥰🥰, it's definitely beyond description!
    With only 15km to go, we soon found ourselves on the outskirts of Santiago and surrounded by flats, offices and even the university (although I'm sure we were probably a little early to disturb the students😅). We still had a couple of hours to go before reaching Santiago but trudged on underneath motorways and through larger housing areas until we reached the long, straight road towards our final destination, the cathedral!
    We stopped with just 2km to walk and enjoyed our first taste of Tarta de Santiago, which was gorgeous (although I reckon mine's better🙄🤣), before heading off on the final slog.
    We were in good time for the Pilgrim's Mass at noon, so OurJan and I decided to register for our certificate of completion, or Compostela. We not only registered, but picked up our Compostelas and got to the cathedral for Mass, with time to spare!
    Mass was in Spanish and OurJan was able to translate a few bits for me - the enduring love of Jesus, and the importance of sharing our faith with family, friends and workmates. We both went up for Communion and it was quite special, to feel a part of that massive Pilgrim family, even if we didn't understand everything that was said!
    We returned to our places (standing room only!) and the 'Men in Red' appeared! These are the men who swing the Botafumeiro, and it only happens on 10 days each year, unless it's paid for privately (currently at a cost of €300!) We were really happy to have arrived on a Feast Day (organised by missing a rest day on our camino!) and it was certainly something to cherish!
    Following Mass we found a spot for lunch. It took a while to arrive, but we had to remind ourselves we were in Spain, where everything happens 'mañana! We found ourselves sitting next to 3 Irish men, one with a ukulele. They were Christians from Cork and called themselves Soul Survivors, inviting us to their 'gig' at 10.00pm that evening. One of them was just short of his 90th birthday and put us to shame with his energy🤣. When they found out we were from Liverpool they gave OurJan and me a rendition of Liverpool Lou (Steve and Anne had made a sharp exit by this time!) followed by an Irish blessing. It was really special and they were a great laugh. No way we'll be down there at 10.00pm though 😱🤭😅.
    After a few hours browsing the shops (and eating ice cream), a beer and an evening meal that included chips was called for. Then bed it was, ready for the bus to take us back to Porto tomorrow morning. We're spending a couple of nights there to rest our weary feet - maybe...🙄    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 15

    Two days in one...

    May 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We left A Portela albergue skipping 🤣 - well, not quite, cos we didn't have the energy after the snorefest we'd endured the previous evening! But it was brilliant to be on our way knowing we were going to enjoy a shorter day's walk; it was a good feeling 😊. It was another lovely walk through small hamlets and we were happy to fall into this garage/café! We remembered it from our last Portuguese camino (we'd walked the central, inland route in 2019) so it was great to see it was still up and running. We only wanted a drink, but the array of food on offer was fantastic. Not sure I'd want squid empanada for brekkie, but there it was! The room was fashioned from someone's garage, as the 'front door' was the up and over type garage door 😅. On the way, we saw a most unusual selection of scarecrows, this pink frog being one of them. I'm not sure how effective he was because nothing seemed to have been sown!
    We reached Caldas de Reis at lunchtime thinking we'd find the bus stop that'd take us to Padron. Not as easy as it sounds as there are no stops similar to ours in the UK, just BUS written in yellow on the road, and it being Sunday parking regulations seemed to be being ignored! The waitress in the café we ate lunch in was really helpful, though, and kept the tapas coming whilst we waited for our (very Spanish) pizzas.
    The bus was only 10 minutes late so we didn't have too long a panic 🙄 and it dropped us off in Padron just 30 minutes later. Thank goodness OurSteve can read maps, because we'd have headed off in the opposite direction 😀, but we soon found our apartment (so much better than a second night in an albergue - we've decided we're just too old to be doing that every night!) which was massive and meant we could have a room each.
    After settling in and showering, we took a short evening stroll around Padron, which isn't exactly massive, and found a small café where we could sit outside and eat. It was then time for bed but I was very surprised to find it wasn't even 8.30pm when I tucked myself in🤭😅. It was a good, long night's sleep though and we were very relaxed when we got up. Only about 12kms today 👌.
    Our walk was a mix of road and wooded areas and we spotted lots of 'doer-uppers' - buildings that would make great homes or albergues. We passed through a 'cat village' where someone was obviously feeding the strays, and a short detour took us to our second breakfast (the first being a bit paltry🙄). OurJan decided to rock her JackieO impersonation with her big glasses and my scarf 🤣.
    We arrived at our albergue (the same one we'd stayed in 4 years ago, and the one I wasn't supposed to book this time round 😱🤣) in time for yet more pizza and yet more beer! We spent the afternoon relaxing in the garden, washing our clothes, showering, sorting our aching feet out, and catching up on home news. Tortilla and salad (and red wine) for supper and another early night for an early start tomorrow. It's our last day of walking and we have just 13.5kms to go before we reach the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Our hope is we get there in time for the 1200 Pilgrim's Mass, when they may well be swinging the huge thurible, the Botafumeiro, because it's the Apparition of the Apostle-Clavijo. So, fingers crossed for that! If it happens, you'll find out tomorrow🤣.    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    12
    Day 13

    Change of plans...

    May 20, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our accommodation last night was excellent (apart from the small kitchen). It was a stone built house with exposed stone everywhere. We enjoyed our stay, and joining the camino this morning was easy.
    The way was a mixture of uphill, downhill, through wooded areas, villages, hamlets, small industrial areas, farmland - everything you could ever dream of, all in one morning! Some of our paths were outstandingly beautiful, and it's difficult to reflect their beauty in a few photographs. Birds singing, frogs croaking - very loudly! - water falling, and the different scents of the camino. It's what we walk for!
    At one point we could choose between the road or a more green route, so obviously we chose the green route. It wound around the outskirts of Pontevedra and at times was a little tricky, with lots of stones and tree trunks to trip you up😨. Once back on the road, we wandered into Pontevedra town centre, stopping first for a cold drink (coke!) The town was busy, it being a Saturday, but it was fabulous to listen to street music and wander through the streets.
    We didn't know what to do for lunch; we still had about 11kms to do and knew we were eating at the albergue in the evening (no accommodation for miles around) and often communal meals are quite large, with humongous amounts of wine, so we were undecided... bocadilla or pilgrim's menu? Fortunately, we chose the pilgrim's menu🤣 so lunch was a 3 course meal. Couldn't say it was delicious, but it was fine.
    We trudged on, arriving at the albergue mid afternoon. We registered and were told the evening meal was at 1930, but we should gather at 1915 to prepare the table. What followed was like something out of Faulty Towers 🤭🤣. There must have been about 50 pilgrims seated outside. Pedro, the hospitalero, made some sort of speech about us all being one community, then told us to help ourselves to the evening's meal, which consisted of... cabbage soup and boiled eggs accompanied by bread and wine 😱😨🤣. "Eat as much as you like!" he shouted - 🤢🤢🤢🤣🤣🤣. Unsurprisingly, there was quite a lot of soup left over! The eggs disappeared, presumably because they were 'safe'! Following this epicurean delight, I got my phone out and checked our route for the last 2 days. Oh no! Another 2 albergues before we reached Santiago de Compostela. We decided there was no way we could do that again, so we changed tack and booked an apartment in Padron. It meant we'd have to take a bus for one stage but we were well up for that!
    To add insult to injury, climbing onto my bunk involved someone shoving me up there from behind 😆 and we hardly slept because of the snoring, the chatting, the coughing and the clapping! Yes, clapping! Presumably to stop the snoring🤔🤭🤣. We're looking forward to a good night's sleep after this!
    Such fun!🙄😆🤣    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 11

    Off inland...

    May 18, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    No post yesterday as it was our day off in Vigo. We did little but sleep, eat, drink, sleep, eat, drink, sleep, and it was lovely. We still managed to clock up a few kilometres considering we were resting, though. Breakfast was fried egg on toast - such a treat 😜, then Anne and I found churros so, when in Spain... We then found a beer with OurJan and Steve before returning to our fab apartment for an afternoon nap 😴🤭. It was great to eat in in the evening - we enjoyed some healthy food (not a chip in sight, oh except for the crisp sort🙄😆).
    So, after our day off we managed to find our energy again and made good progress in the morning towards Redondela, despite there being quite a few uphill climbs out of the city. Rumour has it the mayor doesn't like pilgrims visiting his town, so camino signs were few and far between until we reached the outskirts of Vigo. Then the climbs began again. They varied all day - through industrial areas, wooded areas, small hamlets... it always seemed to be uphill (well it was!)🤭
    I wish I could share the smells as well as the sights and occasional sounds. The scent of Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Pine has followed us from Porto and, even if the road has been tough, there's always been something to appreciate 🥰🥰🥰.
    Our burger lunch in Redondela repeated on us until we reached Arcade, just short of Pontesampaio, where we had a coke to take the taste away 🤢, then it was off to find tonight's accommodation. Pontesampaio is famous (here) for its medieval bridge which is a bit hairy to cross! We're staying in a small casita where we all have our own bedrooms so can snore to our heart's delight 😴😂. Supper was tortilla and French (Spanish) bread with beer and wine. Perfect!
    Another 22km tomorrow (usually ending up at something like 25km) and Santiago gets closer and closer!!!    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    114
    Day 10

    A 3 choc donut breakfast!

    May 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Well, there might have been a Snickers involved, too😱🙄😅.
    After last night's paucity of food (apart from a tapa) we were very much looking forward to this morning's breakfast. It was going to be huge! We were having the lot - Spanish croissants, orange juice, tostadas, you name it, we were hungry!
    The reality was, of course, hugely different 🙄😅. Every one of the cafés at Patos Beach was closed, so we walked on... Surely one of the small villages or hamlets would have a café of some sort, if not a shop? How on earth did residents shop, otherwise? Again, we were hugely disappointed 😕🤭. Not one place to buy even a chocolate bar until we reached Oia, approximately 2 hours away! And then, the only shop we could find was a Tabac. So snacks it was!
    Now, chocolate donuts are a bit of a ritual on our caminos - I don't think there's been one camino when we haven't indulged in just one of them. They're cheap (usually!), pretty tasteless, nutritionally questionable but very welcome when you've been walking for a while. So our shopping basket included a pack of 4 donuts (and a Snickers).
    We walked to the beach and deposited ourselves in some shade.
    The donuts made an appearance and I quickly devoured mine 😋😋😋. On offering them around, however, no-one seemed too interested!😱😱😱. How could that be? This was a tradition!!! Well, it was in my world! Fortunately, OurJan came to my rescue and ate one of the remaining 3 donuts, which no-one else was interested in. There were still 🍩🍩 left, though, so it was eat them, pack them or fling them... You can imagine which option I chose🍩🍩! Oh, and the Snickers... of course! 😱😅😆. Whilst we were scoffing our food, we watched a seniors football game on the beach, the pitch being moved whenever the sand became too soft🤣.
    With all that sugar, I was fair flying for much of the walk ahead. It was a really pleasant walk along the coastline and sometimes along the road until we reached Bouzas for lunch (something a little healthier this time). All the time we were skimming beaches and coastal woodland areas that offered us small amounts of shade, which were perfect for a really enjoyable walk into Vigo. The walk skirted the industrial area which was interesting in its own way, especially as there were such wonderful smells from the jasmine that had woven itself through the fences.
    We found out that evening that today was a feria, a holiday in Galicia, celebrating its literature. That explained the lack of food available and the activities going on around us. These included a fun run and what seemed to be a sporty day on the beach, and best of all a personal performance from a lovely chap we'd met earlier in the day (video attached). There are islands off the coast which were visited by Jules Verne and are where he had his ideas for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea!
    Our accommodation for the two nights in Vigo is a fabulous apartment with a washing machine - hurrah, no more hand washed clothes smelling of shampoo😆. The entry system is all led from your phone, which is scary when you're a technophobe, but we're in and going nowhere. It's a chance for our feet to recover a little before we head off to Santiago de Compostela on Friday (I think, I'm not sure of the days anymore!)🤣    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 9

    It's just...

    May 16, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    OurJan has sent the phrase 'it's just' to the recycling bin! Every question she's asked like, 'how far now?' has been answered with 'it's just... around the corner', 'it's just... a short boat ride', even when the 'just' has been another 10kms! It's 'just about" driven her around the bend. 🤭😉😅
    We slept in this morning 😱 because we'd lost the hour yesterday, so it was a pretty late start for us after breakfast at the camp site. After just half a km we came across a guy carving stone - it was a real pity he didn't make small, portable things because I'm sure we'd have all bought something from him. OurJan found a small card stall so now has Steve selling up and moving to a camino route in Spain 😆.
    A short walk along a main road took us to the 'blue' route which followed Brierley's route, too. It led us uphill for quite some way but it was such a fabulous environment - views out to sea, pine forests, small hamlets and just the most beautiful scenery.
    Walking with Steve, I commented that 'just around this corner... we need a cafe stop...' - well, someone was listening because there it was! A refreshing drink and a small cake gave us the strength to continue, not always upwards, sometimes downwards, but onwards towards Biaona for lunch. The café we chose had a group of older men sitting outside with their midday beers, arguing very loudly, but with good humour. It was a great place because we had our first Spanish Tortilla there😋😋😋. We'd all missed it so much and, whilst it wasn't the best we'd ever tasted, it was very good!
    We continued on from Biaona to our evening's accommodation in Nigran and on the way saw the whale made from detritus from the sea, which reminded us of the impact of pollution. Nigran is a beautiful seaside town, not fully opened for the holiday season yet, but vibrant and fun. We didn't walk too far looking for our supper and didn't really have supper (unless you can count a tapa with your beer🙄😅) but it was enough.
    We have plans to eat a very large breakfast before continuing on to Vigo, where we're having a day off to rest our feet. We're looking forward to giving our clothes a good wash rather than a rinse through, and sleeping in (we'll see see if that happens🤣).    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    Day 8

    Losing hours!!!

    May 15, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Slept like a log (again) and was up and ready to go just before 0800. We found a fabulous place for breakfast (chocolate croissant 😋😋😋) then set off looking for the boat taxi to take us from Caminha in Portugal to A Guarda in Spain. Marcel made an appearance, he being a seasoned salty sailor 😅 which was a good thing as he could tell us what to do! We bought our tickets, then waited... We were eventually summoned and walked on to the beach where we were greeted with a small boat thing, just big enough for 6 people. Climbing on was hilarious (the steps were 3 beer crates!), and we set off. Half way across the water the 'pilot' (I use the term lightly) asked us to put on buoyancy aids ("Police!" he said, pointing towards Spain!) but there were only 4 aids! He then just left the steering wheel and wandered to the front of the boat for 2 more 😆. Cue many gasps, nervous laughs and lots of praying🤣🤣🤣.
    Climbing off into Spain, we wandered into A Guarda for a coke and to make a plan. Of course, we were now +1 hour, and we'd already spent over an hour getting to Spain so we were, essentially, 2+ hours short on our day!
    Our real walk only started at 1230 and it was just an hour later when we stopped for lunch. What fantastic good fortune! We found a piper having a good practice - it was wonderful! We continued, walking across headlands, along busy roads and through pine forests, eventually finding a bar (supposedly open only in summer but very much open and doing a brisk business) for a very welcome Estrella Galicia (our first of this camino but definitely not our last!)
    After another 6 kms we reached Oia, a delightful coastal village and there, right in front of us, was Jose's Taxi! We'd decided that the day had been long enough for us, and losing the morning meant we'd have reached our accommodation much too late to enjoy the evening. Jose brought us to Camping O Muino where we a have a 'bijou' caravan. But it's clean and it's a bed for the night. Supper included a bottle of red (and I still have 2 bags of popcorn 😲😆.
    Jan's feet have been tended to and OurDave (her son) has already suggested she needs a new pair of boots 🙄😆.
    Looks like we may have a short day tomorrow, although knowing our luck... 😜    Read more

  • TravelerPortuguese Pamino 2023
    2
    Day 7

    A beautiful day!

    May 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Wow! We've had a wonderful day's walk, a real 'camino' day. It began with a Prince chocolate biscuit for breakfast and ended with a delicious bottle of red!
    Our accommodation last night was very nice although we were all cold during the night, and not one of us got up to put the extra blanket on the bed 🙄. Our host was very helpful, giving us directions to rejoin the camino path which gradually led us uphill and through eucalyptus forests - cue more bird song and babbling brooks 💗.
    The paths we took were inclined but gentle and we were able to take it easy for the whole day, knowing we'd already booked our night's sleep at an apartment in Caminha.
    Our second breakfast (if you could count one biscuit as your first🙄) was a tuna roll for elevenses - I was hungry!!!
    It was onwards (and probably downwards by now) towards Caminha with another stop for dessert, which was supposed to be ice cream but ended up as a Pastel de Nata - very nice 😋.
    We walked for a few kilometres on the coast, which was fabulous. There was a good breeze that cooled us down and we even found a small herd of goats (a couple of them fighting over a female!), a flock of sheep and a few horsey things on the beach path!
    Caminha was on the horizon although, as usual, the last few kilometres were the longest 😩😅. A beer spurred us on, though, and we soon found our accommodation which is pretty fab! Beefburgers and chips for our evening meal rounded the day off perfectly. Well, perhaps not quite... Our host left us the most delicious bottle of red wine- I can honestly say I've never tasted anything like it! 🤗🤗🤗    Read more

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