Viana do Castelo

It was a long day but it didn’t feel as hard as yesterday. Weather was fantastic. Sunny, temperature below 20, and sometimes a good breeze. There were fewer cobblestones and and there was more shade. And it finally felt like we had made it to the countryside.

Today’s featured pilgrims: Louise from South Africa, who is a kinesiologist (I teach in a kinesiology department and I can’t say I know any actual kinesiologists!); Miriam from Germany, with her carved and decorated walking stick; the two Polish sisters and their friend, all of whom walk very fast; the Canadian woman from Alberta, who walks while her husband follows by bike. There was a brief cameo by Niko from Holland, and a quick check via what’s app by Yuning and Florence, whom I will see again tomorrow. Lots of people passing by anytime you stop. But it doesn’t feel overwhelming ( she writes in her quiet private room). And there were two good long stops. One in a crowded bakery where the staff were very nice despite being run off their feet. Every second person came in to buy a fancy cake for Easter, the kind with shiny tops. One of the polish sisters found a €50 note on the floor! Stop #2 was in a kind of depressing taberna around 2:00. The place picked up when the men who’d been playing soccer across the road came in for post game drinks. They were super friendly.

The day also featured chapels and churches decorated for Easter, a gazillion cats, 2 men riding horses, one of them ( the men) dressed in some kind of nineteenth century outfit, a huge walking group, a pond full of frogs, and a dog who got itself tangled in a vine - on its own driveway- and then could not get out. I asked a woman to stop and then she rang the doorbell of the house several times ( this was before 8 am on a Sunday) until a woman put her head out the window. There were also many scruffy brown sheep and at least 100 male cyclists, most in groups, out for their Sunday morning rides. Do women not ride bicycles ? It’s too weird. The two women cyclist that I did see were travelling with a man who was pulling a baby carrier that was a holding big golden retriever. He, the dog, was wearing a vest with his (boy) name on it, but I can’t remember what it was. Those 4 were on their way to Santiago.

It was a good day for wildflowers and also for the ubiquitous calla lily. They have been everywhere since Porto but today you really got the sense of how invasive they are. Same deal with the big huge yellow angel trumpet flowers ( I think).

I am staying in a room 1.3 km past the medieval bridge. It seemed like a good idea when I booked it. I knew it was not right on the Camino, but I clearly did not register how far away it was. It’s fine and my feet made it here. It’s very simple. Some kind of old residence. Things laid out for breakfast. $35 for the single room. It was a day to eat the food I’ve been carrying around.

All the next days are short. Tomorrow I’ve booked in at a place that has communal dinners, O Ninho. I have not done that camino thing in ages!Read more