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Portuguese Camino de Santiago
  • Amanda Kovach
  • Michelle Minard
  • Amanda Kovach
  • Michelle Minard

Portuguese Camino de Santiago

A 17-day adventure by Amanda & Michelle Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 19, 2023
  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago
    Our apartment has an awesome balcony, the sun is shining, and someone is playing fun music somewhere

    Made it to Redondela!

    April 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We made it to our first stopping point after 12 miles. Had to walk up a brutal "hill" to get out of Vigo but it was worth it for the view alone. Rained some. There were just enough other pilgrims on the trail to remind you that others are on the same pilgrimage as you. Feet hurt but our apartment here is gorgeous with a cozy balcony, so will recoup and get ready for tomorrow. Had our luggage transferred via the post office and we were so happy to see it already delivered in the apartment when we arrived.Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago

    Walking to Pontevedra

    April 23, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    I think it's about 12 miles and we have about 7 miles to go...pouring rain on and off. Stopped for a chocolate/ coffee break. Lots of other pilgrims today. It's really beautiful here. It's a hilly estuary with lots of greenery since it rains so much. Everyone has fantastic gardens with the prettiest flowers I've ever seen.Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago
    Trail has as much water as the river1Pilgrim graffiti along the trailOne car at a time bridge1Ruins of a 14th century church in Pontevedra

    Walk to Pontevedra

    April 23, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Made it to Pontevedra! About 13.5 miles and 7 hours. It rained almost the whole way and we are wet and muddy. It was a beautiful walk with nice towns and coffee shops to get snacks and hot drinks. It's fun walking through the forests with all the animals and rivers and cool plants. Though we are walking alone some, we encounter a lot of other pilgrims and locals who greet us with"buen Camino!".Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago

    Collecting what?

    April 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Don't know what's up here. Low tide on the estuary and a huge group of folks heading out with boots, rakes and carts. Just another day in coastal Spain, I guess 🤷

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago
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    Armenteira

    April 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We did great today. 15 miles walking in just under 8 hours. The day started off in town with a bunch of pilgrims. We stopped in an old pilgrim church for a quick prayer. After a few miles, we split off, taking the Spiritual Variant which is more remote and less traveled, but will take us back to the coast later, where we will do our planned boat ride. We walked up, way up, into the mountains. It was beautiful and peaceful, with just enough other pilgrims around so we didn't feel too isolated. Watched the low tide oyster collection, drank sodas locals left in coolers for pilgrims, and enjoyed a cold beer after emerging from the mountains. It was a harder walking day but since we approach every hike like we're just going on a walk, it was chill and fun. Pictures and descriptions can't depict even 20% of the experience but here's some pics.Read more

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    Monastery of Armenteira

    April 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Two pilgrims commenced their journey, tracing the Spanish coastline, passing through hospitable towns and villages. They trekked mountain forests until weary, seeking refuge in an ancient monastery as they emerged from the wilderness.

    The nuns are cute, sweet, and welcoming. I loved their pilgrim blessing. They did it in all the languages of the pilgrims present. The garden is such a sanctuary after an intense hike. It's a real treat to stay in a place that was established in the 1100's. There's no way to describe any of it.    Read more

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    Spiritual Variant

    April 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today was one of the days we were most excited for and it didn't disappoint. We walked the path of stone and water, which is said to be the one of the most beautiful parts of the Camino. We walked along the river through a magical forest, the greenest place I've ever seen. Old ruins from the middle ages were splattered along the route. It was used as a stone mill and the infrastructure was still visible underneath the overgrowth of the forest. Michelle wisely planned a short walk today so we could linger in the forest and really soak it all in. 4.5 hours to walk 6.5 miles.Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago

    Planning

    April 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I want to give some context to our walk. When planning your Camino, first you decide how far you want to walk. Minimum is 100km, to get your certificate from the church but many people do wayyy more than that. Next is to decide which Camino route you want to do. There are many paths and sub paths going there so you have to research which experience you want. We chose the coastal route that originates in Portugal but we chose not to walk all the way from Portugal because that's far and we either would have to walk fast or plan a longer trip. We ended up choosing specifically, the Portuguese Camino beginning in Vigo with the Spiritual Variant. We decided to spread it out more than the traditional pilgrim would do, so we weren't walking so much that we couldn't enjoy the journey. So far, our plan is perfect. We see other pilgrims, racing away to the next point with their big backpack, poles, and fancy hiking gear, while our Camino has more of a "day out for a walk" feel.Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago
    We stayed hereCool cemetery and cool chapel. Don't find public bathrooms but found one here ironicallyOur free meals ready in the morningThey have lovely highways hereMost of the landscape has been grape fields. Heres oneApproaching the beach from the mountainsI really just leaned into the flower pics rodayThis pic is the best representation I could do of the amazing low tideThis guy kindly posed for a picDove coop on farm we passed.We believe these were the ancient guideposts for pilgrimsI don't usually take flower pics but sometimes can't resistBridge In Villanova arousaDeborah's song

    Walk to coastal town Vilanova de Arousa

    April 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    11.5 miles in 6 hrs. Last night we feasted on manchego cheese, potato omelette and moorish skewers then this morning our hotel made pilgrim to go bags with breakfast & lunch, so we're eating pretty well right now. We traveled the rest of the way down the mountains to the seaside where we booked our pilgrim boat to Padron tomorrow. We were stopped by a woman named Debora who ushered us into a pilgrim chapel where she sang the pilgrim blessing to us with her guitar then passed out much appreciated hugs. She reiterated that the pilgrimage is a metaphor for the personal baggage we carry every day, and that it is a time to reflect & let go of the things weighing us down. Food for thought on our stroll down the mountain. We agreed that if our personal baggage truly is a metaphor for the extra weight we carry, we're solid. Our bags were well planned and we don't carry more or less than we need. I get tired just looking at other hikers bags. Looks more like penance. 🤣😲Read more

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    Our digs

    April 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We got an apartment with a huge terrace on the beach because we could. Yes, it was awesome. We are basking in the sun and soaking in the luxury because we will be staying in a mixed bed dorm (albergue) in Santiago de compestela which will be the opposite of this...Read more

  • Portuguese Camino de Santiago
    1Ever changing path. Never get bored with the view!
    1Good signage everywhere and if you look lost, locals honk and point you in the right direction 😂Very old buildings everywhereOnce off the boat, the other pilgrims "Amazing Race'd" it and we're gone in a flash...we ate lunchOur boatMisty view from boat.These kilometer markers help keep your eye on the prize.This horse came to say hi. This picture doesn't do him justice. He was coolThis church was cool and we got stamps for our pilgrim passports here.

    Somewhere in Galicia Spain...

    April 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    8 miles in 4.5 hours. Woke up early to catch the pilgrim boat. It transports pilgrims along the route that St. James body was taken to it's final resting place in Santiago de Compestela. It was windy, foggy and a bit cold AND a fun experience. We then walked from Padron, where the boat dropped us off, for 8 miles to our hotel, and will complete the final 10 miles or so, tomorrow. Weird to think we will be done walking. Today was mostly slightly uphill and the sun was shining for probably the first time since we started walking so it felt hot. Lots of neighborhoods and fields of yellow flowers.Read more

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    "TRANSLATIO"

    April 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Ferry boat ride from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontescures/Padron.

    CHURCH OF SANTIAGO, PADRON

    This temple was built a few meters from the point where tradition places the place where the disciples of Santiago  tied the stone boat to  Pedrón , on the banks of the river Sar, in which they transported the body of the Apostle from  Palestine  to Padrón . It is called  TRANSLATIO .Read more

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