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Pitpony Pilar Porto Pilagrino
  • Sean Thatcher

Pitpony Pilar Porto Pilagrino

Annual pilgrimage, this year with Camino Virgin Pilar, aka Pit Pony Pilar, from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 16, 2024
  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    1

    Porto

    March 16, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Collected from the airport by crack dealer called Alex masquerading as a taxi driver. Dropped us off at our overnight accommodation where the entry point was through an underground car park....yeah, walk down the ramp and then take the elevator to the 2nd floor...when you get there, call this number. Thankfully, it all seemed to work out, and we ended up in a lovely apartment in the city centre. We then powdered our red noses, in respect to Lenny's retirement, and then headed out. Went for a Frenchsina as recommended by my mate Jamie and a couple local beers in the local diner, followed by some Port., after all when in Rome.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    1
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    Day 1 - Cabo de Mundo

    March 17, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Had a bit of a lay in...departed at 9ish. A walk through Porto, just as it was waking up, to the start point at the Cathedral. Fortunately for Pilar, the Portuguese built it on top of a hill. Secured our Credential's (Pilgrim Passports) and then set off on our Camino. 1st stop was for breakfast in a cafe dangerously close to the Tram line, but the pastries were worth dying for. Pilar was preoccupied the whole walk along the river, watching what seemed to be the entire young male bronzed, fit population of Porto doing fitness, by running along the boardwalk with their tops off. Where the river met the sea, we turned right and then continued along the most stunning coastline, stopping a few times for refreshment at the copious bar's along route. We decided to call it a day at about 4 pm and then went for a meal in a beautiful restaurant built onto the coastline and watched the sun go down. It was not a bad first day!Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    1
    11

    Overnight stop and early start

    March 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Great day yesterday, although a hard slog against the wind. Found a lovely hotel for 50€ and after an afternoon nap, we went out for fish. I looked on the Internet for a local fish restaurant and found a no frills authentic place down a back street. The food was amazing, fresh fish cooked to order and less than 30€ for us both...moral of the story, don't judge a book by its cover.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    12

    Arrived in Esposende

    March 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Pit Pony Pilar was well excited this morning as the pain in her muscles had finally subsided. We set off a good trot, stopping for the obligatory Café con leche and custard tarts, which then spurred us into a bit of a canter along the boardwalk. Having picked up some freshly baked bread rolls, queso and schinken, we had our zweites frühstuck on the beach. Around midday, we paused again for a lunchtime Siesta (a little Inga) in the sunshine to rest our weary legs. Unfortunately, Pit Pony then went lame... she had her shoes on too tight, and her swollen trotters were so painful that she decided to walk in socks. After stepping in dog poo, I convinced her it would be a good idea to put her shoes back on. We continued at snails pace, but we got here in the end. Hat off to Pilar, she was clearly struggling for the last few furlongs, but made to the finish line. The sun always shines on the righteous, and we secured a fantastic penthouse apartment with a sunbathed terrace and views over the coastline.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    2

    Over the hills and into the wind

    March 20, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    This morning, Pilar was still suffering from a twisted sock, so I set off alone for the first stretch. Pilar stayed in bed until about 10ish and then ventured into town for a coffee and was chatted up by some local Portuguese blokes. Despite flashing her recently acquired sparkling diamond eternity ring, she had to beat a hasty retreat and caught the bus to Viana. Meanwhile, I was enjoying a lovely trek through eucalyptus forests, a pleasant change from the coastline. It was a little more challenging today, with a bit of up and down, but the tracks are beginning to be marked a lot clearer, so navigation was simple. The end of the morning trek took me over the iron bridge built by the same French man that designed the Eifel Tower....I just can't remember his name? Despite being some incredible cafés in Viana, we met up in a typical workers' restaurant and were literally forced by the late middle-aged waitress to eat lunch. We tried to just order soup, but she wouldn't take no for an answer and brought out the main course of chicken, chips, and rice .and a bottle of wine (14€ for the two of us).. She then watched over us to make sure we ate it all. With full bellies, we set off into the wind for the final 10 km to our overnight stop in a quaint little house, with a view to the sea.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    B&B with a view to die for...

    March 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Our overnight Host Colonel (Retd) Horatio couldn't have been more helpful...he drove us to the pub...offering to pick us up again, which I graciously declined. He then promised to get up early to see us off at 6am...and was stood outside the door at 5 mins before. He passed on some local knowledge of an alternative path to take, and like all Portugese, he would not take no for an answer. So off we set on the slightly rocky but adventurous path around the coastline. About 50 yards later, Spiderpig Pilar managed to almost dislocate her hip, clambering over a rocky outcrop. Purely unintentionally, the walking stick she was carrying came swinging at high speed towards my head, followed by a few choice words that are not for repeating. I then made the decision that we should change tack and go back on the normal path. We then made good speed along the proper coastal path, which included a lovely walk along the beach, arriving in the next town for breakfast at about 10ish. The clouds had by this time cleared, and we were blessed with beautiful, if not slightly, too warm weather for the rest of the day. We arrived at our final destination at around 4pm, unfortunately the accommodation was at the top of a hill. The view was worth dying for, and Pilar almost did! We went out for food and retired back up the hill for a well-earned rest... tomorrow will be our final night in Portugal and then over the border to sunny Spain!Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    Last stop in Portugal 🇵🇹

    March 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Had a lovely breakfast and then ventured out a little later than usual at 8ish. Today, we followed the river pretty much the whole way. It took us along a winding concrete path that, after a while, became quite hard on the feet. There were literally no cafés or bars open for about 20kms... which put the dampers on my lunchtime ritual. We stopped for an Inga (Mittagschlaf) anyway before pushing on towards Valença. As we were entering the city, we were stopped by a random bloke in his car asking if we wanted overnight accommodation. He did have other pilgrims in the vehicle, so after bartering over the price, 40€, and a lift back if we didn't like it, I agreed. Unfortunately, he only had 1 seat free in the car, which Pilar took, so he opened the trunk, and I jumped in. A short ride later, we arrived at a beautiful old and recently renovated farmhouse. He gave us a choice of 2 double bedrooms, and Pilar selected one with a Juliet balcony to the front of the house. The location was a bit off the beaten track, so with no restaurants nearby, we opted for a takeaway, a bottle of Vino, and an early night.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    O'Porriño

    March 23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    A windy night yesterday, the old windows in the farmhouse were rattling, and I was convinced we were going to wake up in Oz. We had a sleep in and departed at 8 am. It was hot, hot and hot today... no cloud and 29 Celsius. We walked through the beautifully empty streets of Valença and then crossed the bridge over the river into España. Stopping briefly at Tui cathedral for a stamp, we continued on until we reached the first hostelry at about midday Spanish time. Pliar decided to have a beer and was anyone's. We carried on for another few kilometres before we had to stop, so P could have a midday Inga. A short while later, refreshed, we continued onto O'Porriño and stopped at the nearest hotel. We negotiated the room down from 70 to 50€, before collapsing on the bed. Around 7 p.m., we donned our glad rags and headed into town. Stumbling across a fantastic little bar named Underground, we had a few drinks and the best pizza ever. All in all, a good day ;-)Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    Beautiful stage to Arcade

    March 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Headtorch on, and we departed in the dark. As it was a Sunday, the streets were deserted. All you could hear was the Cockerells' Cock-a-doddle-looing, as we wandered past. After going slightly off the path, we stumbled across a Café. Judging by the stares of the locals, it was clearly not a regular pilgrims stop. Luckily, Pilar's language skills secured us breakfast and directions back to the path. The scenery was stunning, although the route was quite challenging. At one point, a lady lost her footing and fell over in front of us. Red Cross First responder Pilar was straight on the scene, administering first aid. Fortunately, the lady had enough natural padding in her backside that she avoided serious injury. As the day wore on, it became very hot, I kept on having to remind myself that the month is March; I certainly would not want to be walking this in the summer. Eventually, we arrived at Arcade, and as the local Hotel was full, they directed us to an Albergue with ensuite rooms. The owner was slightly sceptical at renting it out to us initially as she didn't believe we were married. Fortunately, she accepted the matching wedding rings and gave us the room for 10€pp and it is actually better than some hotels we have stayed in. Another great day, only 80kms to objective and 4 days to get there...what could possibly go wrong.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    Pontevedra

    March 25, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We got up late and took an early break after 500mtrs to have a coffee. After doing a quick map recce, we decided to do a half-day walking so we could regenerate our weary feet for the final push to Santiago. No sooner had we agreed our plan, then it started to rain. Undaunted, we dusted off our waterproofs, kept calm, and carried on. We paused again for another coffee, in the only Café en-route. Where upon Pilar deployed her translator skills to full effect for the German and English customers. Around 2pm.we arrived in Ponteverda and checked into a small hotel in the old town. Having settled into our room, hung up our washing, and got into bed for an afternoon Siesta. We were somewhat surprised when a late middle-aged German couple decided to enter our room insisting g that it was theirs....Pilar almost had a heart attack and the lady that entered the room did the same when I jumped out of bed in my birthday suit to explain that she had obviously made a mistake. After our late afternoon nap (Inga), we ventured out for Beers and Tapas. We ended up in a restaurant overlooking the Cathedral and were pleasantly surprised when we heard drums beating and trumpets blasting, announcing a procession. What must have been the local clergy (dressed as Klu klux klan) paraded a figurine of Jesus carrying the cross past our restaurant window. A sight to behold and really quiet a moving experience. All in all, it was another non-eventful day...Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    111

    Rain did not stop play!

    March 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    It absolutely peeed it down today. We took our time leaving this morning by having a couple of coffee's in the hotel. It seemed that everyone had come up with the same idea, so the route was the busiest I have seen it yet. The first cafe was rammed, so we carried onto the next, which wasn't much better, so we only stopped to get a Pilgrim stamp. The rain relented for a short while and then hammered down for the last couple of hours. When we got to our hotel, Pilar was delighted to find it had a bath. She is suffering from a couple of blisters, so we are only going to venture to the hotel restaurant tonight so she can rest her feet. The finish line is in sight, less than 50kms to Santiago.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    Pardọn, the original burial site of St.

    March 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    A hard slog through stormy weather today. I was contemplating pushing on further, but the look on Pilar's face convinced me that it was time to call stumps. We found a lovely, authentic Spanish hotel down a side street, which turned out to be a little gem. We were able to check in early at 12.30, so after a quick shower, we headed downstairs for lunch. The quaint hotel bar seemed inviting, so we asked for a menu and were then guided out to the hidden restaurant at the back of the property. If we weren't impressed by the celebrity photos that adorned the hallway to the restaurant, we were convinced when we found it was almost full with local diners. We opted for the Pilgrims menu, and it was not only affordable but also delicious. After lunch, we headed back to the room for a welcome Siesta. In the evening, we visited the local church, the original resting place of St. James and were then guided to the town library that presented us with a Pardọn Certificado. As the old town seemed very inviting, we decided to stay for a few drinks and bumped into a couple of English gentlemen named Charles and Harvey, doing a shortened Camino from Tui (100kms). Although one of them seemed to be spending more time on trains and buses rather than actually walking. However, Pilar did drop into the conversation her age and the fact that she had walked all the way from Porto, which may have inspired him to finish the trek on foot.Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler

    Cold, wet and tired...but finished!

    March 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    We had 3 days of wind and rain, but hat off to Pilar she just got on with it. The final day started overcast but dry, this changed to downpours by 8am. These were interspersed with a touch of sunshine, but only providing short respite. It then rained continuously from mid-morning. The route on the final day seemed to be uphill all the way, it was certainly not what I expected. It is amazing how the weather makes a difference and it was evident that not all were actually walking to the end, judging by the taxis driving past us. We limped eventually, after what seemed a ever ending circumnavigation of the city into Santiago, with Pilar becoming quite understandably emotional at the end. Once stopping on the main square in front of the Cathedral's twin spires for obligatory photos. We collected our Compostela, had a bite to eat, and then retired to our beautifully placed hotel behind the Cathedral. It was a great achievement for Pilar, and a fantastic experience for us both to complete Camino together. We have already talked about our next one in October, so Pilar must have enjoyed it ;-)Read more

  • Sean ThatcherPitpony Pilar Porto PilagrinoTraveler
    1

    Santiago de Compostela

    March 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    A great night sleep, awaking to the sounds of the bells from the cathedral. We went for breakfast of avocado, egg, and serrano on toast and then headed off into the old town. We visited the cathedral and queued up to walk past the sacred tomb of St. James. Although I have visited before, the inside of the cathedral is breathtaking. We paused and said a quiet prayer, and Pilar confessed her sins, which, as she has almost achieved saintly status over the last few days, didn't take too long. Outside, the crowds had started to gather for the 11am procession. Unfortunately, the heavens opened, and it was called off. We then wandered around town for a few hours before returning to the hotel for a Siesta. The weather improved in the evening, and we were fortunate to see the procession, with drums, brass bands, and around 100 marchers all dressed in traditional attire. It was a spectacular event to witness and incredible to think the same happens across all towns and cities in Spain. We finished the evening meandering through the various Tapas bars in town, altogether a great final day to our Camino.Read more

    Trip end
    March 31, 2024
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