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Two to Santiago
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  • Aussie wife Cornish Life

Two to Santiago

A new Camino, a new adventure, and this time, we’re doing it together.
We’re heading to Porto to walk our way to Santiago de Compostela
Buen Camino! 🥾❤️ Read more
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    Santiago de Compostela

    October 15 in Spain ⛅ 12 °C

    Day 13
    Padrón to Santiago de Compostela — 25km

    It’s so hard to put into words the end of 276km (176 miles). ❤️

    We woke up feeling refreshed and ready for what we thought would be a cruisy final day. The plan was to take our time, enjoy the last 25km, stop for breakfast and lunch, and just soak it all up.

    Well, that was the plan! 😂

    We stopped for breakfast after about 10km, ordering our final café con leche and croissant. 🥐 Then, before we knew it, we were in Santiago!

    I think we both had that feeling of wanting to get there. We were ready to reach our destination and see the cathedral again. We still stopped for photos and chatted to other pilgrims we’d met along the way.

    We also had a little treasure hunt to keep us entertained. The Dutch girls had left small terracotta tiles for us along the trail, attached to markers, and we were on the lookout for them as we walked. I’d never heard of this being a Camino tradition, so I think it was their own lovely idea — and what a thoughtful thing to do! We managed to find two of the treasures. It made the final walk even more special ❤️

    I was so thankful to have such a wonderful experience walking into the cathedral square. Having been here last year as well, the experience was quite different this time.

    We entered the square just before 1pm, and it was incredibly busy! There were pilgrims everywhere, taking photos, sitting on the ground and celebrating reaching Santiago. There was also a protest camp taking up part of the square, with tents set up by people campaigning for better access to affordable housing. It was quite a contrast to the celebrations happening around them. 🇪🇸

    After a quick photo, we headed off to the Pilgrim Office to collect our certificates. Along the way, we bumped into the lovely Charlotte and arranged to meet up with her afterwards.

    For me, this felt like the perfect way to finish our pilgrimage: a pilgrim’s lunch, a chilled glass of wine and time to reflect on the journey. 🥂

    After lunch, we took a few more photos and had a wander around before heading back to our hotel for a well-earned nap. 😴

    My final thoughts on this pilgrimage.

    I absolutely loved walking the first week with our gorgeous Camino buddies from last year. They are truly special women who will always have a place in our hearts. ❤️

    It took us a little while to meet other pilgrims, as the route doesn’t have quite the same big communal pilgrim dinners we experienced last year. But we eventually met some lovely people, and I only wish we’d had more time to spend with them.

    The walk itself was definitely easier in terms of elevation, but harder on the legs because of all the pavement walking!

    And perhaps one of my biggest reflections is that I think I’ve finally found my thing at the age of 60 — I LOVE long-distance walking! 🥾Who knew? There’s something so special about being out on the trail, discovering new places, meeting people and having the time and space to just walk and think. I’m already wondering where my feet will take me next!

    I’ve really enjoyed walking with Jim, too. We were drawn together 30 years ago by our shared love of nature and adventure, and here we are, all these years later, still out having adventures together. ❤️ Of course, he can be annoying at times! 😂 And I’m sure he’d say the same about me. But there’s something pretty special about continuing to explore the world together.

    And the Camino spirit? I do think it’s there, but sometimes it takes a little longer to find. For us, it came through the people we met, the conversations we had along the way.

    The Camino is about so much more than getting from one place to another. It’s the people, the unexpected moments, the laughter, the challenges and the memories you take home with you.

    At 60, I feel like I’ve discovered something I truly love and I have a feeling this won’t be our last adventure. ❤️🥾    Read more

  • Aussie wife Cornish LifeTwo to SantiagoTraveler
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    Padron

    October 14 in Spain ☀️ 14 °C

    Day 12
    Caldas de Reis to Padrón — 18km

    A super early start for us this morning. We were out by 7.30am! I wasn’t overly keen on last night’s accommodation. It was noisy, and there were only two toilets for 30 women! Thankfully, I eventually discovered some rather fancy ones downstairs.

    Head torches on, and off we went!

    I walked with Charlotte this morning. She’s from Denmark and works as a schoolteacher. She’s lovely, and we’re hoping to catch up again in Santiago.

    There were so many grapevines along the path today, and we couldn’t resist any longer. We helped ourselves to a few grapes, which were super juicy and full of flavour. 🍇

    We arrived in Padrón so early that we decided to have lunch first. So far, we’ve been refusing to pay for the wax stamps in our Camino passports, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there’s usually a queue, and I hate queuing! Secondly, I’m not sure how authentic they are. And do you really need one just for the sake of it?

    But after lunch today, the owner kindly gave us a wax stamp! So that settled that debate.

    This evening, while enjoying the early evening sunshine, we received this lovely message from the Dutch girls:

    “Hey dears,
    I can’t fail to notice that you are in Padrón already!
    What mighty speed you’ve made since we left 😳
    Anyway, we left some small surprises and notes for you along the trail.”

    Bless them! ❤️ It was such a lovely message, and knowing they’ve left little surprises for us makes tomorrow feel even more special.

    We’ve had a gorgeous evening in Padrón, enjoying the atmosphere on our final night before Santiago. It was still 26°C at 7.30pm lovely weather for sitting outside and making the most of the evening. ☀️

    Tomorrow is our final day on the Camino!

    It’s hard to believe we’re nearly there.    Read more

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    Caldas de Reis

    October 13 in Spain ☁️ 16 °C

    Day 11
    Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis — 23km

    An early start this morning, and we decided to have breakfast somewhere along the route. Two hours later, we finally found a coffee vending machine, so breakfast was a coffee and a muesli bar! Not quite what we’d planned.

    It was a lovely, cool walk through the woods, with plenty of shade before the day heated up. We eventually found a great café and stopped for a proper break. I had a piece of Spanish tortilla, which was delicious. 😋 There were lots of familiar faces around, and it’s lovely to see the Camino spirit growing.

    It was another hot day, so we were very happy to arrive at our accommodation by 2pm. After a shower and a cuppa, we settled down for a bit of a rest.

    Then I received a message from Julia. She has a huge blister and wanted to know if I could burst it for her. Yikes! 😳 I’m far too squeamish for that, so Jim was duty. Honestly, he’s so good! He went to the pharmacy and came back with a blister kit, a needle and Betadine.

    Poor Julia is really struggling with it. She’s planning to attempt the 18km walk tomorrow in flip-flops! 🩴 I’m not sure how that’s going to work out, but I really hope she manages okay.    Read more

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    Pontevedra

    October 12 in Spain ☁️ 14 °C

    Day 10
    Cesantes to Pontevedra — 15km

    A slightly slower start this morning, leaving at the very respectable time of 8.45am!

    We started the day walking alongside the river, which was just beautiful. There was a lovely layer of cloud hovering over the water, giving everything a peaceful feel to the morning.

    Jim and I walked separately today. I think he was after a good old stank (a proper march!), whereas I was quite happy pottering along at my own happy pace. Sometimes it’s nice to walk your own walk and just enjoy the surroundings.

    We arrived in Pontevedra and checked into our accommodation, which is super nice for a hostel. It’s incredibly clean, and they even spray your shoes and backpacks before you enter to help prevent bedbugs. 🐛 After all the bedbug talk of the last few days, this was music to our ears!

    It was lovely to have time to wander around Pontevedra and take it all in. What a beautiful, historic town, with so much character and plenty of lovely streets to explore. It felt good to arrive early enough to actually enjoy the place rather than just find our bed, shower and collapse! 😄

    I also feel as though we’re only just beginning to recognise familiar faces along the trail. There’s an elderly couple we seem to see every day, always walking hand in hand. it’s just so sweet. ❤️

    Today, we also heard a very familiar voice calling out, “HEY, CORNWALL!” It was the Swiss lady catching up with us! 😂 We walked together for a little while before she moved on to join the South Americans.
    Bumped into her again at the hostel in her swimwear as she was washing all her clothes 😂

    We’ve had some really lovely chats today with different pilgrims, both out on the trail and back at the hostel. And I think it’s only now that we’re really starting to feel that famous Camino spirit.

    We finished the day with an evening stroll through Pontevedra. The atmosphere was wonderful, with families of all ages out enjoying the evening and gathering in the squares. It was a national holiday, so there was a real buzz about the place ,grandparents, parents and children all out together, chatting and enjoying themselves. 🇪🇸✨ teenagers riding their bikes historic steps as you do (see video)

    A lovely end to a day that felt a little less about the kilometres and a little more about the people, and the places.    Read more

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    Cesantes

    October 11 in Spain ☁️ 14 °C

    Day 9
    O Porriño to Cesantes — 19km

    I didn’t sleep particularly well last night, thanks to a conversation about bedbugs! Unfortunately, the girls had been bitten, as it turned out their hostel had bedbugs.
    Unfortunately it’s quite common 😳

    We had a lovely breakfast at the hostel and were on the trail by 8am.

    Lots of hills today and a bit of rain 🌧️ actually, pretty good walking weather!

    Not a huge amount to report today, although Jim did get bitten by a cat! 🐱

    We had a new walking buddy, Julia, from Germany. She’s a nurse and was understandably most concerned about Jim’s wound!

    I will say, the Camino turns you into such a hypochondriac! 😂
    I’m walking along thinking:

    Am I developing shin splints?

    Right, now I’ve got a sharp pain in my right heel. Is it plantar fasciitis?

    My knees are a bit sore…

    Hmm, why does my right ankle feel a little hot?

    And on and on it goes! 😂

    Tonight we’re staying in an apartment. There are only so many nights you can be a pilgrim , it’s SO nice to have our own bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. 🥳

    I threw everything into the washing machine, which meant I couldn’t go anywhere while it was all washing.

    Ahhh, what a shame! I’ll just have to watch Netflix and read all afternoon and evening. 😂📺📚

    If only I’d brought my knitting! 🧶    Read more

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    O Porrino

    October 10 in Spain ⛅ 12 °C

    Day 8
    Tui to Porriño — 17km (or more, thanks to a few alternative routes)

    Be careful what you wish for!
    We thought staying in hostels would be a great way to meet other pilgrims, and it is. However, this morning at breakfast, we had the pleasure of meeting the loudest and chattiest person either of us has ever encountered!

    We learnt that she lives in Bern, loves pedicures, works on cruise ships and hates trains. Way too much information at 7am! 😂

    It was a cool start to the morning, especially now that we’re walking through Galicia. It didn’t even start to get light until after 8am, but then the sky began to glow with shades of red. Just stunning! 🌅

    There are lots and lots more pilgrims now, as Tui is just 129km from Santiago de Compostela. You can earn your Compostela certificate by walking at least 100km, provided you collect the required stamps along the way ,
    at least two a day for the final 100km.

    So, as you can imagine, it’s become a bit of a stamp hunt! Fortunately, plenty of places hand them out.

    Part of my daily Camino admin is organising where we’ll stay the following day or two. For whatever reason, I’ve managed to book our next accommodation back on the Litoral route. 🤦‍♀️

    Luckily it won’t add too many extra kilometres, and it will be lovely to be back on the coast. And the best bit? We have a washing machine! OMG, luxury! 😂🧺

    This evening was our last night with Sabine and Antonia, and also Julia (new Camnio buddy) joined us for a farewell meal.

    In true Camino style, we had the pilgrim’s menu: soup, chicken, dessert, wine and coffee, all for just €11 each!

    The food was delicious, the owner was a real character, and we were thoroughly spoilt with the service.

    On our way back, we stumbled across a cover band playing in the town square and, of course, we had to stop for a dance! 💃🕺

    What a perfect way to end our time walking with Sabine and Antonia. The Camino truly does provide! ❤️

    After lots and lots of hugs and well wishes, we said our goodbyes 😢

    We’ll miss them both. ❤️    Read more

  • Aussie wife Cornish LifeTwo to SantiagoTraveler

    Tui

    October 9 in Portugal ☀️ 11 °C

    Day 7
    Vila Nova de Cerveira to Tui

    Under big blue skies and in the cool morning air, we walked through the remote villages of northern Portugal.

    We stopped for a picnic breakfast, courtesy of the old Portuguese lady at our accommodation, who provided us with a packed breakfast of a ham and cheese roll, an apple and a huge piece of cake! 🍰

    The breakfast roll was pimped up with the olive oil we’re carrying. And when I say we, I mean Jim! 😋

    Finally, after 10km, we came across a town with a café open. Desperate for a loo break, I ordered an espresso and made a dash for the bathroom, only to discover that it took six elderly Portuguese men to find the key! 😂 I think it was the highlight of their day. It certainly wasn’t mine , a rather challenging experience! 🥴

    The Camino took us through the magnificent Fortress of Valença, a historic fortified town right on the Portuguese-Spanish border. Its impressive walls date back centuries, and it was quite something to walk through such a remarkable piece of history.

    We had the best lunch so far on the Camino! A chicken teriyaki poke bowl , so so good to have some fresh vegetables! 🥗

    The café owners were so much fun. We chatted about their move from Argentina to Portugal, books and cooking. The Camino really is about the connections you make along the way. ☺️

    After lunch, we walked another 3km across the bridge into Spain and, just like that, lost an hour! 🕰️

    Our accommodation tonight is in a convent. It’s absolutely beautiful, although we do have to share it with about 50 other pilgrims!

    Today I had some time to think about the past few days and reflect on the experience so far.

    One of my thoughts was that, given how much time Jim and I are spending together, I can’t believe how little we annoy each other! 😂 Or perhaps I am annoying, but he just doesn’t say anything?

    We definitely have different styles of navigating this Camino. Jim is more focused on where, when and how we’re going to get our next coffee or meal, whereas I’m more of a “the Camino will provide” kind of person.

    I know that’s a little woo-woo, but honestly, it really does seem to provide!

    We headed out for a drink at a fabulous, kooky bar (see pics). Once again, the publican was such a great guy. Then it was back to the hostel to cook up some vegetable pasta from a jar. Nothing fancy, but it did the job!

    It’s now 9.30pm , although, technically, it’s only 8.30pm in Portuguese time! 🇵🇹🇪🇸 Either way, I’m more than ready for bed. 😴

    Tomorrow is our last day walking with Sabine and Antonia. We’re really going to miss them. ❤️    Read more

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    Vila Nova de Cerveira

    October 8 in Portugal ☀️ 14 °C

    Day 6
    Praia de Âncora to Vila Nova de Cerveira — 26km

    With such a big walk ahead of us today, we decided to get up and on the road by 7am.

    We picked the girls up along the way, only to discover that Sabine had picked up an injury. Sensibly, she transferred her pack and decided to walk at a slower pace, which I think suited all of us today.

    The morning was absolutely beautiful, glowing with pinks and purples. 🌅

    After 6km we stopped for breakfast. I had a cheese toastie, Jim had a croissant 🥐, and we both had flat whites.

    €7! How do they do it so cheaply?

    The owner also gave us the most beautiful Camino stamp, with a little drawing on it. ❤️

    Fruit and nut stop at 10km, by a river.

    Then a long picnic lunch stop at 18km.

    Only 8km to go , whoohoo! 🎉

    Except… those last 8km turned out to be the hilliest of the day! I don’t know what happened to me but found extra energy and powered along , Jim couldn’t keep up!

    Eventually we found our accommodation. It was super cheap, but also super odd. I’m pretty sure we’re staying in the lady’s son’s room! 😯

    She tried to explain everything to us in Portuguese. I think she told us she would make breakfast for us to take away in the morning 🤞🏻

    Thankfully, Jim eventually turned on Google Translate. He did point out that I wasn’t exactly helping by nodding and saying “si, si” to everything she said! 😂

    After about 20 minutes of her chatting away, and Jim getting increasingly teasy after a very long day, we finally managed to shut our bedroom door.

    Or should I say… her son’s bedroom door! 😂

    Delicious tapas for dinner and now I’m exhausted and cannot write anymore.

    What a great last day in Portugal, Spain tomorrow!

    😴 Goodnight!    Read more

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    Vila Praia de Ancora

    October 7 in Portugal

    Day 5
    Viana do Castelo to Praia de Âncora — 18km

    Back on the Litoral route today, with lots of birdlife along the way:

    Little egrets
    Cattle egrets
    Grey herons
    Stonechats
    Greenshanks
    Various types of plovers
    And lots of other shorebirds that we couldn’t identify!

    Today’s walk took us along soft trails and boardwalks, around the coast and through lush green forests. The scenery was wonderfully varied, although the lack of facilities made bathroom breaks a bit of a challenge!

    I was a bit grumpy today, not sure why. I had a great night’s sleep and a fab breakfast, so no excuses really! 😂

    After a few hours, I had a bit of a “I NEED TO STOP AND REST MY FEET” moment. Jim, being Jim, was determined to find the perfect place. 😂 And we did!

    A closed café right on the beach. Shoes and socks off, followed by a picnic of Portuguese tarts. Perfect. 🥧🌊

    Why are those last 3km always the toughest?

    We finally got into Praia de Âncora and were feeling euphoric… until Google Maps told us it was another 19 minutes to our accommodation. 😯

    Unfortunately, we’d booked a house/hostel a little out of town , but we do have our own room! 😊

    I really, really don’t want to complain, but man, it’s so hard to find anything that’s open before 7pm!

    I wanted to have an early meal, so we found the most non-atmospheric restaurant — if you could call it that. The food was ok, but the best bit was that I was back in our room by 7:15pm.

    Jim, on the other hand, decided to make some cocktails for the girls. 🍹

    He also went out to grab some supplies for tomorrow’s long walk. He’s such a good traveling companion ☺️

    Now I’m off to bed — hopefully tomorrow I’ll be less grumpy! 😂    Read more

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    Viana do Castelo

    October 6 in Portugal 🌧 16 °C

    Day 4
    Marinhas to Viana do Castelo

    Well, I knew I shouldn’t have got my hopes up! The meal the pilgrim was cooking yesterday evening was actually for himself and his friend. Honestly, I cannot believe they could have eaten so much! 😂

    That left us having to find a pilgrims’ meal outside the hostel, which we did, and we were joined by Sabine and Max.

    A rain delay this morning meant a forced picnic breakfast of sorts at the hostel. Everyone brought out whatever they had, and somehow it turned into a breakfast picnic. 🥐☕️

    We walked in the rain, with thunder rumbling on and off and a lightning show just to keep us on our toes!

    Most of the day was pavement and cobblestone surfaces, so you can imagine our delight when we finally hit some bushland. The bush is full of eucalyptus trees, which made me a little homesick.

    Antonia met us later in the morning at a super-fun stop, with great music and the sweetest man running the place. He provides food for pilgrims in exchange for donations only — true Camino spirit. ❤️

    Antonia is this gorgeous, free-spirited wild soul who also happens to be almost finished with her PhD in biotechnology. She decided last night to camp! Yep, she’s bought her tent and all the other camping bits to make it happen.

    It was such a lovely walk through the villages — churches on every corner, walking past fruit trees, grapevines and even free tomatoes! 🍅

    It’s starting to feel more like a Camino as we get further into the rural areas of Portugal.

    We finally made it to our hotel, and my feet and legs are quite sore. I think the four days of walking are finally catching up with me!

    I wasn’t going to head out tonight as I was so tired, but a last-minute decision to go was just the best.

    Pizza, sangria, and a night full of laughter. ❤️    Read more

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    Marinhas

    October 5 in Portugal ☁️ 25 °C

    Day 3
    Aguadoura to Marinhas — 18km

    The rustling of sleeping bags and packs being repacked was our alarm clock this morning.

    Our hostel for the night was literally right on the coast, and unfortunately I just missed the sunrise, but I did get to see the shimmering pinks over the Atlantic as it was breaking.

    The Camino Português is broken into three routes — Litoral, Coastal and Central.

    We are following the Litoral as it really hugs the coast. Well, that’s what we thought…

    Somehow, we managed to get onto the Coastal route, which isn’t very coastal at all! 🤷‍♀️ Somehow we made it back onto the Litoral route, only to find ourselves walking along roads. Again, not quite sure how that happened! 😂

    A highlight today was stopping at a green market, lots of lovely fresh fruit and vegetables.

    So our lunch stop was by the river — Litoral or Coastal, be our guest trying to decide! 😂

    Lunch consisted of fresh bread and salad, which was just perfect.

    Somehow, 18km doesn’t feel that long, but by the afternoon, with the heat, we started to struggle. We decided to stop with 4km to go and rest under some palm trees. 🌴 (See pics.)

    Finally arrived at our hostel and it’s gorgeous , and we have our own room!

    There’s a guy in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Surely it’s not just for him? We’re all hoping it’s for the pilgrims! 🤭

    I’ll let you know tomorrow how it pans out…    Read more

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    Póvoa de Varzim

    October 4 in Portugal ⛅ 20 °C

    Day 2
    Angeiras to Aguadoura — 24km

    I’ve got good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news first — “the cube”. Last night’s accommodation turned out to be hotter than Cuba 🥵, so it wasn’t a great night’s sleep.

    The good news is that our Camino friends from last year turned up at our accommodation last night! We all jumped for joy and hugged each other, very quietly, as they arrived during the hostel’s quiet hours. 😂

    They really are a breath of fresh air. We had a quintessential Camino day.

    Breakfast after 5km. None of us were really sure what we had, but I’d say it was somewhere between French toast and milk pudding

    We definitely lucked out with where we stopped for lunch , shade, a sea breeze and stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.

    Antonio made an amazing salad. I let the side down a bit and made Jim and I cheese, avocado and chorizo rolls. 😂

    We finally got to our accommodation around 4pm. Jim still had some energy left and went for a swim, whilst I collapsed on my bed and attended to some Camino admin.

    So tonight’s accommodation is a squeaky bottom bunk in a room with three bunks. But you know what? It’s actually really nice to have other people around to chat to.

    Pilgrims’ meal tonight with the girls, then back for a read and an early night. 📖😴    Read more

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    Porto

    October 1 in Portugal ☁️ 15 °C

    Day 1
    Porto to Angeiras — 22km

    Day 1 actually started two days ago! We had a bit of extra time, so we decided to walk to Matosinhos from Porto on Thursday.

    It was an easy 10km along the riverfront to the coast. Coffee stop at Praia de Luiz, and 20 minutes later we were in Matosinhos.

    Not a particularly nice beach, but we had some lunch and then bussed it back to Porto.

    Today we caught the bus back to Matosinhos, got our credentials stamped and headed onwards to Angeiras.

    After a coffee and Portuguese tart stop, we hit the flat coastal boardwalk route, following the Atlantic. There were a few places to dip if you were brave enough!

    It was so good to see the familiar yellow Camino arrows and pilgrims with their packs, proudly displaying their Camino shells. 💛

    Angeiras is a gorgeous fishing village. The fishing boats are towed in and out of the water by tractors, just like Cadgwith.

    Tonight’s accommodation is above a fish market 🐟. It’s okay, very clean hostel, but lacking a little atmosphere, with lots of hidden dorms. I managed to book us into a double room, well, it’s actually a cube! 😂 (See pics.)

    An evening stroll on the pier and we noticed clouds looking like poodles . Check out the photos! ☁️🐩    Read more

    Trip start
    October 3, 2026