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Coastal Camino

May - June 2018
Coastal Camino also known as St James Way has its origins as a pilgrimage, these days though people do it for religious and many other personal reasons too. My walk is to start in Porto, Portugal and finish in Santiago De Compostella, Spain. Read more
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  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 2

    Oh no tomorrow is the big day

    May 15, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Last day to get things done, finalise work matters before I go galavanting, sort out all the last minute details and then saying good byes, trying to get my head around what on earth am I doing. Where in the world do I get these ideas and what makes me think I can do it. Once I come back to NZ I am going to get my head examined by a shrink. Big thank you to Hamish for his patience and help, you my man!! are a star. Thank you too to Huyi for his help with getting the little things sorted.

     I was on an adrenaline high and managed to get all things crossed of my trustee lists, lists and more lists. Managed even to get some house work done, as I was leaving a man in charge of the house. 💁🏾 I am WOMAN. 🤣.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 3

    Beginning of the big adventure

    May 16, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Finally the culmination of all the preparation and planning. Will be a good test of how good a travel organiser I am.

    Last night I got no sleep. Was up early sorting the iPad due to a last minute decision to take Colin's Samsung tablet instead of my iPad.

    Col and I got to the airport well on time the flight to Sydney was all good. flight entertainment was out of commission. But was good to catch up on some much needed zzzzz.......😴😴😴😴

    Attached our some photos of flying over Alice Springs. Got my Camera out a bit too late, so no photos of the city area, but this is supposed to be the farmland surrounding AS.

    Now at the lounge in KL, waiting for the next connection to London. Been close to 24 hours of travelling already, not too tired though as I have slept and rested more than anything. It's been good for the body and mind. But missing Colin and Shanalee.

    In my mind the adventure really starts once I get to London. As I have been to London with Malaysian airlines before, I am comfortable with all of this. Going to Poland and finding my way there and then getting to Porto hmmm.........    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 4

    What a day

    May 17, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Getting to London was all good, the flight from London to Austria got delayed. A seat away from me was an old gentleman, and he was all stressed about the flight getting delayed as he had a connecting flight from Vienna to Ukrane. My thoughts were he was stressing for nothing. Other than the stressing overkill he was a lovely old guy. We spoke most of the flight. He has travelled a lot. So it was interesting to speak with him. He thought I was in my late 30's or early forties, even more nicer to talk too😋

    Anyhow when we landed in Vienna a ground staff came to the plane and said this gent and some others who had connecting flights were going to get transferred. But nothing about me. So I took off at break neck speed. Went through Europian community passport control but the officer was nice he stamped the passport and off I went looking for my flight. Well guess what happens next, the flight took off without Mrs James in it. Honestly I could not believe it. Both flights were on Austrian airlines, but they could not hold the flight, so off they went. I cried with disappointment as I had less than a day in Poland. The earliest they could get me there was 4 hours later from my original time, which was going to be first to Frankfurt and from there to Krakow. My pre planned, pre booked taxi booking was going to be useless. You get the picture. Honestly!!!!.

    Finally when I got to Poland it was dark, raining , gloomy just like my mind. Having a shower was the high light of the day. Mind you this was now 48 hours of travelling. So I needed that. For a women who has 2 showers a day going without is preeeeety hard work.

    Was so tired, and all the food I had been having in the planes would keep me going for the next few days. I kept telling myself it was not the end of the world, but hey karma is a bitch, I had been thinking the old guy was over reacting, well come to it he had good cause to feel the way he did.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 5

    Divine Mercy Sancutary

    May 18, 2018 in Poland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This was a side trip that originated as a result of a conversation I had with my God Mother, Nilanthi akki. She had told me about the Divine Mercy (DM) Chaplet, and her faith and work around the DM.

    It was raining in Krakaw, but I got up early and organised my self. I had familiarized before hand as to where every thing was in the sanctuary area as it was a flying visit litararily. It was one of those places within half an hour of being in the chapal I decided I need to come back. The place was calming, soothing, and so much like St Anne's in D'Auray, Brittany, France. A sense of being in a place of worship, which was not commercialised. I just wish I had more time. The old church was a work of art. Sadly I had only about 3.5 hours, but I had time for a church service at the Basilica, and coincidently not by any thought or plan, but by shear luck it was the birthday of the much loved pope St John Paul the Second who came from Krakow himself.

    St Faustina's room was so simple, and to see nuns dressed in the way when I was a child was very nice.

    Taxi that had been pre booked, was late and I was starting to panic, and luckily for me, he had been parked in the wrong area of the sanctuary and a security guard had asked what he was doing. So that person had sent him my way after that.

    A useless bit of information _ the Frankfurt airport has 3 wings to it and 2 of those are over a kilo meter long each way, the other one is not quite a km. I got back into getting my walking up to speed after the previous 2 days of sitting in a plane. In 2003 when we went to Frankfurt. The airport was a miserable place, but now boy oh boy it has gone through some changers and it was also very busy place. Masses of people every where. In 2003 we left our passports, cash and vedio recorder in the taxi. Thanks to the people who got their act together that day, a taxi coming to the airport picked it from the taxi going away from the airport and we were reunted with our belongings.

    No surprises, the plane to Porto was delayed by an hour. So was just on mid night when I got to the hotel in Porto.

    I love air travelling and the pampering in my snooty business class, but planes do get delayed, luggage does get lost what ever the class you travel and you can do nothing other than understanding that's air travel. If you can; get to places you want to get to earlier, leave room for travel mis- haps, and most of all remember no point getting stressed, that is not helping you.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 6

    Porto

    May 19, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 18 °C

    When things go wrong they don't just go wrong they go majorly wrong. And when things go your way they just keep coming your way. Today was a testimony to that. Just around the corner from the hotel was the bus stop. I needed to go and get my Samsung gear watch looked at, as it had gone to watch hell. Got to the stop. Thought I will ask this gent if I could get a ticket on the bus, as in Italy you needed to get it before you got on the bus. This nice human being not only gave that information but also asked where I as going to, and then informed me I was standing in the bus stop going in the wrong direction. So he crossed the road and showed me round the corner where I should go to in order to catch the bus. All good so far. 10.00 minutes later the bus comes. And when I ask the driver he tells me no I should be where I had been. Confusing!!!!!!.

    Back I go, a bus comes along. After 3 stops that's it, the bus is not going any further. Not where I should be at all. So back to the place I just got down from. Now what there was a metro station there too. I asked a couple who were seated. These two were also super helpful. The man even went down the road asking people if they new where I was looking for, he got the necessary information and informed me, drew a diagram where I should get down etc. His partner made sure I got in with them when the metro came and so on. All good.

    Now I come to where I need to get off the metro, looking looking no such place as what I want, but I need a SIM card too for my phone. And there is a Vodafone shop. I had read it was best to get a SIM card from Vodafone while on the camino. I go in there and the guy serving me spoke very good English, and handsome to boot. He was super friendly too. We discuss what I needed and he had done the camino 4 times. The last time was from Spain on a bike 1200 kms. He gets the SIM card for me, and then things turn bad.

    I blame it all on Colin. I had gone to the main farm with him in his truck and was going to walk from there to blue mountains and back. When getting out of his vehicle he made a wise crack and I dropped my phone. My screen protector cracked at that time, which I replaced. But what I did not know was that it also damaged the SIM card tray. The darn thing could not be opened how ever much handsome dude tried to get it opened. Which meant no SIM card could be put in. So what now. Either buy a new cheap smart phone or get it repaired. The place he thought might be able to help when I went there was closed. So back to Mr Handsome and I asked him how to get to the Samsung shop I was originally supposed to go to.

    Got there by another metro ride, but this time I bought a ticket that was valid for 24 hours. Got to the Samsung shop and to coin a phase used by Barbs a lot. "These guys were as useful as tits on a bull". Went to Waltens an electrical and appliance shop. The sales rep was of the same caliber as the Samsung guys. But there was a repair area too. And that man tried his best to get the phone opened. No luck. But he suggested I go to another shop of theirs in the same mall but a larger one. Mind you this was as big as Harvey Normans. In Lower Hutt. He said there they had a Samsung repair station. So off I went. This man was hopefully regards the phone but not the watch. It needed to have the software installed in NZ. By now I could not care a hoot about the watch. He said leave the phone with him for 2 hours.

    So after a bite to eat I thought I will go to the Porto city centre, using my metro ticket. Got there and walked out of the metro station and realised oh bummer I do not have my phone for taking photos, so what's the point in going anywhere. Back into the metro station, when I spotted an information officer (IO). Thought I would ask about a place I wanted to visit the next day. I knew I needed to take a train to get there. When I explained where I wanted to go to he said oh no that is in the next metro station. I said no, and he said no, in the end it was better for me to listen to him after all he was the information officer. But I knew he was wrong!!!. Where I needed to go was a long way out of Porto. This man also told me that there was also a train station a few stops away which had the entire foyer in painted tile murals.

    Back to my phone repair place and he had good news for me, my phone was back on the job. No cost to me either. I thought I will go to the first place the IO had recommended. Well it was lovely. Might not be what I had read about, but it was yet, fully worth seeing. The avenue getting their was very busy. Something for the rich, the poor and the average alike on the same street. Walking down the street towards the end came to a "beautiful old church". I have a feeling those three words are going to used a lot in this journal.

    Month of May is dedicated to our lady . And normally in the evenings on each day the rosary is recited in most catholic homes. This was just about to happen in the church. So I stayed for that, and did mine in English. Then there was Saturday vigil mass which was also the Pentecost Sunday mass. After that feeling very Pious and Holy I went on a different route. Annoyed a Ching Chong China man by trying out a few articles of clothing and not buying any of it. Then saw a building which had a large tourist map on the window. Went in their out of curiosity in case it was an information centre. It was actually the train station that my IO had told me. So talk about the blind finding things in the dark by fluke. The Green lady in the photos is a still miming person.

    After that had a jaunt around that area, which had a lovely square and back on the metro to get back to the hotel. My day was done.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 7

    Valega and Porto

    May 20, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The church of Valega was a place I had read that was highly recommended for its painted tiles and the beauty of it. So I had it in my plan to visit. The previous day I had got the train information finally. I got a metro to the train station, and I had plenty of time before the train, so I went and got some crackers for lunch ready for the worse case scenario. The train and everything else seems to come on time. Metros are down to the minute. So all good. Valega pronounced Vulgar was in the middle of nowhere. I had been chatting to a few Germans in the train and they were going to Aveiro. But they had flown to Porto for the weekend from Munich. The plus side of living in Europe personified.

    There was a taverna kind of place ( I don't think taverna is the correct word need to find that out yet). Asked the locals sitting doing nothing, other than watching the world go by. One guy could speak a smattering of English and he pointed to the one and only road, said walk in that direction. So with that piece of valuable information I took off. How long I had asked, he said 1 km, Google was saying more like 2.5 kms. What's the difference on a soul that was going to walk 300 plus kms.

    After about 15 minutes I could see the church from a far. And it looked as lovely as seen on the internet. A renewed spring in the step. The roads were deserted, it was the typical day as one might see in "moving to the Sun" tv programme on buying a house in rural, France, Portugal or Spain. Nothing on the road, now and then a car would go past, the roads were cobble stone more than tar on it, the birds were singing loud as, and the heat of the sun was just lovely not scorching. There were a few old character houses for sale. One for me, one for Nino and one for Barbara. We are sorted guys. Let’s move to Valega

    Coming closer to the church there were people outside. Ok so it was Pentecost Sunday. But surly why all of this crowed. No one spoke English. So after admiring the church from the outside for awhile I thought I will peep into the church to see what was happening. It was jam packed inside. And the reason for the crowed was that it was first communion celebrations for the little boys and girls. Brought back memories of SL. It is very much a celebration day in SL too. Party afterwards, all relations and family get together ,everyone dressed grandly, the little ones in white lovely long dresses, and the boys in white and black trousers and bows etc. What a blessing to see this. The loft had been opened to accommodate the crowds, so got this bright idea as soon as mass was over to sneak up there and see the inside of the church from a vantage point. This area too was also all in painted tiles. That was great, to see it from that view point Priceless!!!. Must be my lucky day.

    After a photo shoot, and prayers I had to head back quick smart to catch the train back. It was once each hour. Getting closer to the station I thought I had got it wrong , false alarm I was a few minutes ahead of time. There had been one stall selling refreshments at the church, I had bought this kind of something between a cake and a biscuit. After eating some of that while waiting for the train, all washed down with some water. I was sorted.org.

    Next stop was the port wine cellars. My favourite drink Sweet Port or Sherry Wine. Don't hold that back I sleep after 2 drinks. That's my limit. 😴. The famous Porto cellars ( so many to choose from) "home of Port wine" was on the way back. So I hop off from the train, asked a gent who again was very helpful, and he said to come with him as he was going to the metro too, he didn't mind missing the metro that came by in order to help me. Thought I will go to the Sandeman cellars as I have drunk their Port wine. The Next English tour was at 6,00pm. And the time was around 3.00. Bugger that. You could have just wine tasting. That was good enough for this alcoholic who had never ever been drunk at the age of 58. BUT that was soon to be remedied.

    So I thought I would first try the ruby you get 3 glasses of this for tasting, and a human being explains about the 3. Well liked 2 not much about the very old one which was 10 years old. So in for penny in for a pound I would not get another opportunity like this on this trip, so went back and asked for another tasting of the other 2 different ports. White, and Tawny. Hmmm my head was feeling light, and no way could I have walked a straight line. Yeppiiii I think I was as high as I would ever get.

    Most of the first 3 was yet remaining. They give you a glass of water to cleanse you palette. Emptied my wee bottle of water into the glass, and a another glass. Poured the rest o f the two I liked from my first tasting to the bottle and I was out of there before I went to sleep.

    In my best interest I needed to eat some food. It was on the river side, and not sure if it was like this everyday but there are stalls and cafes galore. Stopped at one of the cafes sat out side and ate steamed spiced squid. The life of the rich and famous drunk, sunning one self, and watching the world go by. Could get used to this. (There is one photo where I am just about sleepy sun bathing at the café). Wish I could be a "kept woman".

    Even after all of this time I was yet not fully in charge of my faculties, but I found a quick cure for drunk or slightly drunk, and that was climb a steep hill. I could have crossed the river on a bridge at that level, but I needed to get back up to get to the cathedral where I was going to get my Camino passport stamped for the first time. Well by the time I got to the top of the road again I was as sane as my normal self would ever be.

    Walked the bridge and crossed the river, found the cathedral, got the stamp, and now had to start my walk. As my hotel was about 8 kms out of Porto in order for me to be true to my self I needed to walk that part so I could say I started my walk in Porto. That was a lovely walk. Part way I took a old tram to experience that too.

    Back at the hotel, getting laundry done was on the agenda. By now it was close to 7.00pm. Had a quick chat with Colin and went to the laundromat. Everything was in PORTUGESE. So went off looking for someone to help. Found these 3 boys and a young girl who came back to the self service, but even they could not work it out. Then a lady came to the self service and helped me out not just to work it out but gave me .10 as I was short of this. While that was happening went for some dinner. The Manager there was so helpful, I had asked about the fish having bones. Once the meal came to my table he cut the fish up for me and took off the bones. ( I was loved by this stranger who cared for my well being ) and gave me complimentary fried squid to try as well. I think I need to move to Portugal!!!!!.

    A long full on day. I sure know how to rest on my holiday!!!!!.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 8

    Matasinhos to Vila do Condo

    May 21, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Up and early today. Today was "The Day" 22 km on my own, on a prayer and a wish, with much good will in my heart I stepped out. Leaving the familiar room of the last 3 days was scary. Hmmm.......... . The pack was full, but not too heavy on the back. As it was going to be a long day I was caught wanting to pack for every eventuality in to my day pack, My main luggage was being transferred. It is very well organised these days. I often think I would have loved to live in the 1800s but living in today’s world has it’s plus points huh.

    The photos speak of the walk today. The white sandy beaches are endless. The walk , was great, 98% of the journey is on walkways built over the sand. I am glad to be alive and well.

    My plan is to keep to 4 km an hour, and also have rest periods each hour. That worked out fine for the first hour. I needed to attend to a toe that had been playing up. ( ie just needed to put a sticky tape, no blood and gory yet). But more importantly I needed to find a toilet. Well that was going to be hard at 8.00 in the morning. Along the coast once I left the residential and commercial area it is all high rise apartments. There was the familiar golden archers of Mc Donald's, but they were not opened. Just as I was leaving they opened. So great timing Mrs James. In NZ I am in the habit of scouring public toilets from 1 to 10. I smiled to myself Colin would have sure asked what the score was if he was with me.

    But I walked an extra 3 km on top of the 22 as I had to keep drinking water, but then it also meant I had to find toilets. Rather than contemplating or meditating, my reflections were of how and where is the next toilet was going to be.😂

    One time I was tired and there were little fish that were no longer than 3 inches but rather than swimming they just shoot from the bottom and jump and get the food, and then go down and just stay vertical. It was mesmerising to watch. I stopped to look, sat down on the walkway gave my legs a break by leaning my legs on a walkway post that was good to get the blood going the other way. That was a yoga posture. See learning comes in handy.

    Into the accommodation at 2.00pm. The relief of a hot shower. Legs were hurting and getting stiff. Up goes the legs on the wall, Hot water bottle on the legs, 2 hours later good as gold, no aches no pain, no stiffness. Went for a walk round the block. Other Camino travellers were coming in to the city looking tired, stressed and tired😀 and I felt good, that I had got in early, and had a rest already. In the middle of the night , the sole of the foot was hurting. Applied some cream, and this morning good as gold.

    Whether wise the day was breezy, a bit cold, needed my jacket on for most of the day.

    It is 4.30 in the morning, everyone is sleeping and I am writing my travel journal.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 9

    Vila do Condo to Apulia Praia

    May 22, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I had been told the day before by this useless as receptionist when asked if I could have breakfast early in a take away bag. No problem that would be left out side my bed room door that evening. Well it was not there, and the reception was closed ( no 24 hour service at this place.). I sent an email, but no answer, so when breakfast served the next morning it was 8.30, the owner was apologetic, she gave me a packed breakfast had a cup of tea and I was on my way.

    Another day of 18 km to walk according to Google,. I ignored the route google was informing me, instead I was going to walk along the sea front. The walkway was not known to Google, made sure by asking locals and following the signs. Walking along the way and I was happy as Larry. Even managed to clap my hands and walk to the sound of the surf on my left. Interestingly when I walk in NZ I normally listen to audible books, or meditate or tell the rosary. Well the last 2 days I have said the rosary but not listened to a single story book.

    Met an American lady walking with a French guy. She was limping, no accommodation booked, but was going to Santiago before me. She was not a spring chicken either. Had been to India 7 times and thought there was something in India that called to her. She was carrying all of her pack, which was smaller than my day pack. Go figure that. Quite an alternative thinker. Was interesting making small talk with her. Her partner in the mean time was walking ahead of us bellowing French songs.

    After about 11 km I thought I would stop for lunch. The previous day in my haste to get from A to B I didn't stop at this small taverna which had a lovely aroma of fried sardines. I should have but didn't. So today I thought I will stop on a way side restaurant not a taverna. The food was average. The Portuguese use a lot of Olive oil. The food is literally swimming in oil. But you would not use the word obese in describing them, Interesting.

    Well after a few more km of walking things turned bad. Started off by my switching off the mobile phone to reserve battery when having lunch. When I tried switching it back on it wanted the SIM card pin number. Which I didn't think I had in my back pack. Once back in the hotel I found out I did have it the back pack. Durrrr and grrr......

    I came to a point where the walkway ended. And where do I go. Ini mini money moo. There was a car park and a few surfers around. Picked 2 that were together and asked these guys. They were from France and spoke English. And were lovely. Both looked up where I needed to go and were willing to take me to the hotel. Several times they asked. They were so sweet. But I said I needed the exercise as they had not heard about the Camino walk, was easier rather than explaining it all.

    Now I was walking along market garden area, kilo meters of it. I stopped to ask ever so often. I was told to carry on walking on this road. After a while this woman who spoke very little English who was working in one of these garden places, told me to go back a bit and take a dirt road. Honestly the road was so off the beaten track I could see no hotel, the road was not even a road, and my pack was heavy, I was wondering what on earth was I doing, would I have to walk all the way back to where I turned to come down this road.

    I had, had enough. I came to a junction which kind of had a better road. A car came by, I waved my hand and he stopped. But he spoke no English and did not know my hotel or the where about of it. Just then another car came by. I stopped him,, he had a t shirt that had the name Patrick. So I asked him, and he spoke no English but said get in. He was in a 2 wheel drive Ute. Wanted me to put mu pack on the deck. No way. I was holding on to my pack I had the walking poles. These were my surviving and fighting tools. ( I had contingency plans). This fellow was happy and tried to get too familiar, so I showed him my ring finger. He smiled and was good about it and took me all the way to the hotel. This must have been at least another 4 more kilo meters. Wow that felt good to be at the hotel.

    The hotel could not find my booking, what ? So showed then my booking confirmation, they were good about it, they rewarded me by giving 5 star service due to that. All's well and ends well.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 10

    Braga

    May 23, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    So today the plan was to go to Braga. But I was also hoping to get some rest for the weary body. Had a relaxed morning and then breakfast at around 8.30, wrote my journal for the previous day caught up on NZ etc. I had got the bus time table, but had glanced at it saw that buses left each hour So went off to catch a bus at 10.00am. Well surprise surprise the buses left each hour till 9.00 in the morning. After that the next bus was at 12.45. Ha ha should have read the entire time table properly. But no stress back to the hotel, and caught up on my writing.

    Then off to catch the bus. One and 3 quarter hours later in Braga. This is one of the oldest cities in the Iberian peninsula. The Romans fortified it long long years ago. Both in Spain and Portugal when you see something old, you apparently say “it's as old as the Braga Cathedral”. The city of Braga was set up in 3rd century AD. The cathedral was built around the year 1089. Mmm cathedral old, me young.

    In the city they were enacting a Roman camp and days of old. With Roman music etc. The choir loft and the piped organ flutes were gob stopping. How on earth did people do these marvelous feats in the last hundreds of years. As usual when travelling in Europe you need to get some tape to stop your jaw dropping down and dragging on the ground.

    I had also wanted to go and visit Bom Jesus. Meaning Good Jesus. It is on top of a hill, and you can get there from Braga and either go in a water powered tram or climb 116 stairs. Other than the beautiful location on top of the hill, the sanctuary and the gardens, it is the Baroque Stairway that is so unusual. I think I gave Speedy Gonzales and Road Runner a run for their money. The last bus back to my hotel was going to be at 6.15 from Braga. So I wiped around Braga and Bom Jesus in 3 hours. Would have been nice to have more time. But it was not to be.

    All through this walk so far what I have noticed is the vegetable gardens people have in their homes. Some have flowers and veggies. But it is more that they seem to grow their vegetables rather than flowers if it came to a choice. Every little bit of garden space seems to be used by the industrious folk who are into that kind of life style. Very nicely done too.

    Back at the hotel by 8.00, the restaurant was closed, but the receptionist sent me to a local. Well you had to wait in a que to get in. And the food was par excellent. The prawns were fresh, you forget what true prawns should taste like in NZ. These were more like those you find in SL.    Read more

  • TravelerCoastal Camino
    Day 11

    Apulia Praia to Esposende

    May 24, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Up nice and early even though I was only walking 12 kms. The food and beverages manager at the hotel was very nice. Normally they do not serve breakfast till 8.00 but I had asked for an early breakfast and was served at 7.00am. As a special treat he had a custard tart for me. A few days ago Shan had asked me if I had eaten any of these yet. I had not. She said mum it is a speciality you have to eat these. So here you go, I got given one without even asking for it. it was very nice too. It's called Pastel Belem. It is a trade name that can only be used in Lisbon. So out side of Lisbon it is called Pastel but the second name is different.

    On the beach side were these buildings which looked like silos, but they were actually houses, and also the Pohutukawa tree are presently starting to flower. Along the route you see yellow arrows and at times the scallop shell image. This shell image signifiers the different roads that meet in one final destination which is Santiago de Compostela. Some others also say that when the body of St James was brought back to Spain the ship got caught in a storm. When his coffin got washed ashore it was covered in shells. Hence the reason most pilgrims have a shell on their pack. Others also say that in the medieval times it was versatile as it could be used as a spoon, and a scoop for water etc.

    Today too I ignore uncle Google and kept to the ocean on my left. It started to spit a bit of rain, but not enough for me to put my poncho on. After about 5kms I hit the same road the bus had taken yesterday. Saw a church and went in and boy it was so nice. So beautiful to look at, but so peacefully and serene. There was only one other person in the church.

    After praying for a while I thought I would go to the café and have a cup of tea, and of course the famous toilet stop. After that I went back to the church which was just across. 10 steps at the most. And I stepped in and took off my pack sat and talked to God. I was on my own, in my father's house. Could have stayed there for a long long time. It was so very nice, balm to the soul, peace to the mind, and I did not want to leave.

    After a very long time I had to tell my self well you better make a move. So onwards and forwards I went. I saw a lady with a pack in the distance by the bridge which I had to cross. I thought my first sighting of a fellow pilgrim for that day. When I got to the bridge she was seated and was looking up Google making sure she was on the correct route. Stopped to talk with her. Her name was Catrin and she was from Germany. She spoke good English. So we started walking together. She was going to the same destination as in the area as me, but she had not booked her accommodation yet, was hoping to find a place once she got to Marinhas.

    As we walked she explained how she had done the French Camino last year. Walked 799 kms. But this year she had a problem with her legs and she was taking it slowly. So I asked her if she wanted to come and stay with Shyama and I. Shyama was joining me on my Camino walk from today on. We had a 2 bed roomed apartment for the night. She was very happy with that. So we kept walking and stopped for lunch and to give her leg a rest. Then it started raining and there was quite a bit of thunder too. No lightning at all, or maybe just couldn't see it, though it was a gloomy kind of day. Before leaving the café we had to put our ponchos on and I even had my back pack cover on.

    After a few more kms we found our place of accommodation. It is a very nice place . Catrin was very happy that she had decided to stay with us. We had plenty of time to get sorted, and then have cups of tea etc. Shayama was due to arrive around 4.00pm , ( Syama is my cousin's wife and she was joining me, and was flying in from SL). but her plane had got delayed for the sector from Lisbon to Porto, so she came in around 6.00pm. And now my walking buddy had arrived.

    Catrin had gone out and brought dinner rolls and fillings, I had a bottle of port that had been purchased 2 days ago. We had a simple but lovely dinner, and now winding down after a relaxing day. The other two have gone to bed. I will follow them very shortly.    Read more

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