Day 6 Viana do Castelo 22km

It has been said that the camino is changing, and not for the better. For one thing, it is busier. It is the end of the season for the CP, but it's still busy. It is also changing in the attitude of pilgrims. I have noted that there is far less consideration for other pilgrims than in previous years.

Last night was a case in point, with people coming in late when most pilgrims were in bed and making lots of noise packing their backpacks. Quite a few were lying in bed watching stuff on their mobiles, which lit up the whole room. We also noted that a few did not remove the disposable sheet and pillowcase from their bed. There was just a general lack of care.

We set off earlier than planned because of people's mobile alarms going off. Pretty much everyone was up by 0630.

Today's walk started off ok, my legs didn't ache as much, and my pack felt lighter, although thst could've been because of my stuff I put in Carol's backpack when she was sleeping 😉

The walk turned out to be quite gruelling. About 75% of it was uphill, some of it quite steep. It felt like every time we turned a corner, there was another hill. Not to mention the miles and miles of cobblestones.

On the way down the mountain, we were surprised to meet a group of Christians who had set up a stall to provide coffee and biscuits for pilgrims who hadn't died of exhaustion climbing the mountain. They offered to pray for anyone who wanted thst, and fome pilgrims did. It was another example of how the kindness of strangers can reveal the heart of God.

At some point, the walk was no fun anymore, so we just kept doggedly putting one foot in front of the other until by some miracle we arrived at the albergue.

We were among the first there and were given excellent beds. The albergue is the best I have stayed in on this trip, and certainly in my top 10 albergues.

By the time we had showered and done our washing, most restaurants were closed until after 7 pm, so we went to a pizza place that opened at 6 pm.

We were too tired too much of anything, so we decided to forego our usual stretching exercise routine. Maybe tomorrow, when we will have to do it all again.Read more