Day 5 Marinhas 17.7km

After a lot of noise (someone kept setting the smoke alarm off by repeatedly burning whatever they were having for dinner), it all quietened down... until 0430. One of the folk in our room had set their alarm but not on silent. By 0600, pretty much everyone was up, and so we just got ready and left.

We used our walking poles for the first time today. Our legs were still stiff and sore from the previous days walking, and we needed the assist.

It was very windy but we were glad of it. Today's walk was an uneventful mixture of miles of boardwalk and miles of cobblestones. We walked about 6km to the village of Faō and stopped at the first café we came to. We were very ready for coffee and something for breakfast.

The rest of the walk was a mixture of cobbles and gravel, but we made good time and stopped again for a ham and cheese toastie. We had thought we might walk further today than planned and try to book into a private albergue. However, in the three villages past Marinhas, the accommodation was 50 to 80 euros each. So we decided to pick up the pace and get to the parochial albergue, which did not allow reservations but took in pilgrim a first come, first served basis. As it happened, we were the 3rd and 4th pilgrims to arrive. Having said that, it filled up quite quickly.

We managed to get some dinner and some supplies for tomorrow. I think it will be an early night as tomorrow we will walk 21km, and again have no accommodation booked.Read more