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2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
  • Tina Arredondo

2024: Morocco & Camino Torres

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
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    Camino Torres to Vila de Ponte

    7 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    We were back on the Camino today, although it was a short day - only 10 km. Turns out we needed that short day because Connie’s leg was still bothering her and we definitely want that leg to get better before Elizabeth and her boys arrive!

    Anyway, this morning when we went down for breakfast at 8, there was no one at the hotel but they were there just a few minutes later ready to serve us breakfast. Then we left and walked back to Ponte do Abade, then up a steep hill and back down to the town of Sernancelhe. When we arrived in Sernan., we were looking for a bar to grab a coffee when a woman asked us if we were on our way to Compostela and we said yes, and she led us to the local church where we could get a stamp she said. But the church was occupied with a baptism so she led us to a bar where we can get a drink while we wait and when we got back, the people were just leaving after the baptism, but they immediately locked the door before we could get in to see the inside of the church. It’s OK, we didn’t have our heart on it although it looked like an interesting church

    We’re staying at an Albergue in a municipal sports club in Vila de Ponte, a friendly little town on a wide spot of the river where there’s a water recreation area.    Leia mais

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
    This nautical SportsCenter makes a great AlberqueThis is the view behind the albergue down to the river1111This is our Alberque, designed for Fatima Pilgrims, but they share with the Santiago pilgrims

    Camino Torres to Beira Valenta

    8 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    On this day, our plans did not quite go as forecast. We had planned for Connie to cab ahead to Moimenta because of her shin splints, and then she would walk the last 4 km with us (or not, depending on how her leg felt) to where we were staying in an Albergue. Moimenta is a big town so we would be able to have a nice meal there before we headed on to the small village where we were going to spend the night.

    We left the albergue at the nautical sports center in Vila do Ponte at about 8 AM and walked across the bridge to the same bar where we had had lunch the day before. We had coffee and a small breakfast there, really just a piece of sweet bread. Then Connie called a cab and Roel and I walked 16 km to meet her. This was the first day that was really sunny and warm on this camino . I noticed that I was sweating quite a bit and we didn’t come across any opportunity for food or rest, but we thought we would eat when we met Connie in Moimento.

    When we arrived in Moimenta & met Connie, I felt an overwhelming need to sit down and rest so we hurriedly went to a pizza restaurant and ordered some food. Then I needed to lay down, which was not convenient because there was only a cold floor in a small restaurant . But without an option, I was soon on the floor with my feet elevated and feeling better, joking about how I would like to have my food on the floor with me so that I could actually eat.

    The only other people in the restaurant were a table of 4 people, including a woman who spoke English and another woman who was a student nurse. So soon I had 2 worried people by me, insisting on calling the EMT & evaluating me. Long story short, an ambulance arrived and said my blood pressure was very low but everything else was good. 70/50 is kind of low I admit, but I think the problem was that I needed some electrolytes, and some rest & some FOOD, which I was not allowed to have until after a doctor saw me, LOL. Anyway, an enlightening experience with the Portuguese medical system, it only cost me €51 and a couple of hours. Needless to say, we all took a taxi on our final 4 km to the albergue.

    Our taxi driver was great: he refused to just drop us off, he made sure the albergue was open and even checked to make sure the hot water worked! Have I mentioned how great the Portuguese people have been?    Leia mais

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
    2212Vegetable samosas in curry sauce, yummy!

    Camino Torres to Ucanha

    9 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    We were all back on the road again for this walking day. We started from the Albergue in Beira Valente and walked about 14 km to the town of Ucanha, where there was a beautiful old tower that opened to a foot bridge over the river. There was a nice little café right before the tower where we stopped for a drink and then they helped us call a cab to our lodging, which was about 3 km outside of town. I had made reservations at a resort hotel to break up this long day. It had an amazing number of pools, couldn’t really figure out all of them, but we went out and sat by them so we could try. We had a very good supper that night!

    The highlight of the day was when we walked by a big apple warehouse in the countryside,. There were a couple of men working there, perhaps owners. They came out as we passed by and called us to come into the warehouse and look at their apples. They insisted that we each take two of their best eating apples and they were delicious!    Leia mais

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
    In the morning, we took a cab back to the tower to start again
    Public fountain where we filled our water bottlesBread truck selling from Village to VillageVineyard and house for sale, anyone interested? Very cute place.Trailing ice plantsMcDonald's in Portugal actually has four soups as their sides, including green bean soup, yum!LamegoCathedral of LamegoCloister of the cathedralLamego's copy of the Good Jesus church

    Camino Torres to Lamego

    10 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    On this day, Connie was still operating under the principle of “one day on, one day off” to try to heal her shin splints so it’s her day to take a taxi. We all taxi back from the hotel to where we ended yesterday (at the tower) then Roel and I got out and started walking.

    As we walked through one little village, a man was filling water bottles at public fountain and said the water there was delicious so we filled up our water bottles. In the plaza, a bread truck had just driven up and honked for everyone to come out and buy their bread.

    Again, we passed some beautiful flowers, ice plants that I had never seen so big and colorful! It felt like the neighborhoods were competing with each other for the most prolific blooms.

    It was a warm sunny day, by the time we got into Lamego we were really wanting a cold drink, there had not been any opportunities up until then. We saw a McDonald’s and without any of our usual resistance to fast food, we went right there and grabbed cold drinks and a sandwich before we went to meet Connie, who had already checked into our room up on the hill by the Lamego Castle.

    Lamego is a beautiful tourist city on the Balsemão River. It has a church with a million steps going up to it that looks like a copy of the Good Jesus church in Braga. Of course we did not climb those steps.

    Our apartment was tiny with ingenious ways to use space, including a full kitchen in a very small area.    Leia mais

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
    Connie was fascinated by this toppling manor house
    It was huge and indeed quite interestingThis symbol was on a pole outside the propertyEarly in the day, we walked on some narrow roads, fortunately with little trafficBut when there was traffic, we had to stand well asideLoved this bottle brush bushBeautiful orchidThis Ganzania or treasure flower was also beautifulWe saw the depths and Heights of where we were going all around usWalking between narrow stone wallsRoel is way ahead of us on this bridgeThis house was in a gully with no apparent way to reach it by car. Very isolated.Finally, we are getting close to RéguaFrom the pedestrian bridge, we get a good view of the old and the new auto bridgesRoel descending the narrow path1We got bananas

    Camino Torres to Peso da Régua

    11 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    This was our last day of walking before we took a break for three days.

    First part of the day was challenging, but beautiful, we walked up and down gullies and ridgelines and valleys, enjoying some scenic views. Somehow, on the last few kilometers we got stuck along side a very busy highway, I’m sure it wasn’t on the Camino, but there we were, dodging cars. It was not so much fun. But anyway, we made it to Peso da Régua and our lodging in the Imperio Hotel.

    That evening, we discussed our options for the next day. We all felt done in and exhausted, especially Connie whose shin splints were just getting worse. She decided to take several days off so that hopefully her legs will get better by the time Elizabeth and the boys come. so the next day we decided to all three of us take the taxi on to the end of our next stage, and then decide what to do.    Leia mais

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  • Tina Arredondo2024: Morocco & Camino TorresViajante
    1Crossing a stone bridge on the way to Braga
    We had to play limbo to progress on this lovely trailThis stone road has seen better daysAnd we keep following the stones up....Soon we are far above where we startedWe found a picnic table!We followed a long trail through a eucalyptus forestWhat a surprise, an international level car race in this remote place, blocking our path!Trying to find a trail down to Braga, we followed a few false starts, had to backtrackFinally, Braga!We remembered fondly this beautiful city from three years agoRoel at the entrance to the old town1View from the apartment where we spent two nightsThis appeared to be a spontaneous music and dancing event

    Camino Torres to Braga

    18 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Well, I haven’t been too good about keeping up this record of my trip, but I thought I better throw a few things in before I forget them all!

    The day’s walk from Caldas das Taipas to Braga was pretty interesting. We started out on asphalt and cobblestone, then started a long ascent up what seemed like a mountain (OK, hill) that would then descend into Braga.

    After we climbed up some paths that looked like roiling rivers of stone, we then walked up through some eucalyptus forests. Then we finally thought we were getting close to where the path would descend to Braga. We broke out of the woods and we were suddenly confronted by a crowd of people watching racing cars that were going round and round on a loop of the highway that we were supposed to cross. It was obvious that there would be no crossing that road to find our path down! We asked anyway, but were told that the road was completely blocked off for the next two days for this big race. The officials there seemed to know nothing about the Camino de Santiago, and basically told us the only way to get out of there was to find a path and walk. So we had to either walk back the way we came (away from Braga) or find a new path down to Braga.

    Roel noticed some four-wheel-drive trucks that were parked outside the race area and asked the drivers how they had come up. They told him they had come from Braga on a rough trail so we decided to follow the truck tracks back down. Even so, we took off on a couple of false starts and had to backtrack, but eventually found our way back to Braga going down some steep muddy trails that were full of brambles trying to trip us up.

    When we arrived in Braga we found Connie waiting for us in the apartment that we had reserved for two nights, she had taken the taxi that day due to her leg issue.    Leia mais

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    Final da viagem
    19 de junho de 2024