Home to Porto

A long day.
Smooth rail journey to Manchester airport. Slightly delayed flight to Lisbon. Then we got bumped off an over booked connecting flight to Porto, booked onto the next which in turn wasRead more
Ponte de Lima

Brief trip to central Porto to buy the pilgrim passports (credencials) we'll need on our trip.
Train and bus to Ponte de Lima. Modem comfortable hotel - Imperio đo Norte.
Very filling meal at aRead more
Rubaies

Cool until 9:30, warm while climbing Alto de Portela Grande. A cooling breeze while descending. Bagged places in a private hostel early on. Very hot after that so no reason not to sit in the shade andRead more
Tui (Spain)

Communal self-service breakfast requiring cooperation between different nations.
Cool start but by 9:30 am it was hot.
Last stop in Portugal was Valenca - touristy, so we carried our tired bodiesRead more
O Porriño, Spain

Stone buildings on stilts are grain stores - quite common in the area even in modern homes.
Bread is delivered like the post.
Constant battle between two competing routes into o Porrino which startsRead more
Redondela

After a broken night's sleep we left early, just after 7am while it was still dark.
The day instantly picked up when we found that a lovely panaderia was already serving breakfast.
SecondRead more
Pontevedra

Last of the hot days? National icon, the Horreos (grain store on stilts), appears everywhere.
Roman bridge at Arcade.
Pleasant walking along the Tomeza river.
Post box in Pontevedra (it must beRead more
Caldas de Reis

A pleasantly cooler day and only gentle climbing.
Breakfast in hotel comprised coffee and pastries from local panaderia plus muesli in cups. Cereal so important to a good start.
Pontevedra veryRead more
Padron

Last of the hot and dry days?
Mausoleum en route is like a left corpse facility.
Padron quite industrial except for one section of river plus promenade and a small old town. Hotel tucked away andRead more
Santiago de Compostela

Longest day's walk but it didn't feel bad, knowing it is the last day walking with a heavy pack. Graveyard along the way festooned with flowers.
Santiago cathedral displaying opulence and a wellRead more
Santiago city break

Hunger and thirst after righteousness. Lunch at a fish restaurant with Julia Bonny and Deidre after the pilgrim's mass.