Portugal
Praia da Duna do Caldeirão

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  • Day 12

    Tag 12: Nahezu perfekter Tag…

    March 12 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Strecke: Estela - Carreço, 37 km

    Leise verlassen wir den Schlafraum, um den Kerl mit den 6 Blasen an den Füßen nicht zu wecken und verlassen um 7 Uhr die Herberge Richtung Meer.
    Der Camino wird etwas angepasst, um noch etwas länger an der Küste zu bleiben. Als wir ins Landesinnere einbiegen treffen wir Anne wieder, die letzte Nacht in der gleichen Herberge übernachtet hat. Wir laden sie zu einem Kaffee ein und machen eine der berüchtigten Pausen, die unseren Tag meist deutlich verlängern. Es gesellt sich noch Peter aus GB dazu. Gemeinsam laufen wir weiter.

    Das Wetter ist besser als erwartet. Wir genießen den üblichen Wechsel aus Blödsinn und ernsteren Gesprächen. Der Camino durchzieht heute ein größeres Waldstück, welches weitestgehend aus Eukalyptusbäumen und Korkeiche besteht. Der Weg ist teilweise traumhaft schön.

    An einem Fluss machen Alex und ich Pause. Essen geklaute Zitronen und ein paar Snacks, Alex geht sogar baden.

    Gegen Mittag kommen wir Viana do Castelo an und machen nach 26 km eine längere Mittagspause. Anne, Peter und ein paar andere stoßen dazu, doch es wird leider Zeit, Lebewohl zu sagen: Wir wollen noch weitere 11 km gehen, die Anderen haben ihren Tag beendet. So ändern sich die Menschen momentan täglich, mit denen wir zusammen laufen. Das macht das Ganze abwechslungsreich, gleichzeitig ist das Abschied nehmen manchmal auch etwas traurig. But thats part of the camino…

    Die letzte Etappe gehen wir am Meer entlang und rätseln über die Magie, die es auf den Menschen ausübt. Es sind wunderschöne Stunden.
    Gegen 17:45 Uhr erreichen wir die Herberge in Carreço, die eine der schönsten hergerichteten Herbergen ist, die ich bisher kennengelernt habe. Morgen stelle ich Fotos ein. Alte Steinhäuser, viel Liebe zum Detail, viel Platz. Die Atmosphäre forciert einen förmlich dazu, gemeinsam eine Flasche Wein zu öffnen. Zusammen mit Salina verbringen Alex und ich den Abend und wenn wir uns weiterhin gut benehmen können, will sie morgen mit uns starten… Wie schön :)
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  • Day 12–13

    Santa Luzia de Viana do Castelo

    December 11, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Nach unserem Länderwechsel wollen wir in Viana do Castelo noch auf den Berg zur Kirche Santa Luzia. Heute will ich nicht bergauf laufen, deshalb nehmen wir die Seilbahn. (wann bietet sich schon mal so ein verlockendes Angebot‼️) Bergab wollen wir dann einen Wanderweg entlang der Levadas runter spazieren. Wie so oft war auch dieser Weg nicht wirklich ein Spaziergang. Denkt komoot eigentlich wir wären 2 junge Bergziegen⁉️🥴 Egal - der Weg war wunderschön und wieder nur durch Eukalyptuswald.🥰 Zur Belohnung für den 11km Spaziergang! gab's wieder Tapas😋 und eine wunderschön weihnachtlich geschmückte Altstadt. Diese Illuminationen kann man kaum toppen und überall hört man Weihnachtslieder aus Lautsprechern, die in der ganzen Stadt installiert sind. Wir sind etwas überwältigt von so viel Adventsstimmung. 🤩Read more

  • Day 7

    Day 6 -23 km to Viladesuso

    October 25, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    So long Portugal, Ola Spain. Today was a mix of wind, rain and sun. It also got a bit colder. Maybe the time of year and maybe because I’m moving North. Regardless, the walk, vistas, ocean breeze and roaring waves were uplifting. This morning I was thrilled when the water taxi driver said he has family in Halifax and NFLD. He’s one of the few people I’ve met that knew eastern Canada goes beyond Toronto or Montreal. He was quite chatty but sadly I didn’t understand much. After about a five min ride we started walking through a beautiful park along the coast. It was a variety of well marked and maintained trails all day.. The infrastructure across much of Portugal and Spain to accommodate Pilgrims is quite unbelievable. Very well done.. The trails, the albergues, the cafes ( some in unexpected locations) make the adventure (except the walking) quite easy and more enjoyable.
    I loved the walk today. It was one of my favourite. But, i was glad to settle at a nice, clean shared hostel
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  • Day 9

    Day 9 Caminha to Villa Nova De Cerveira

    September 29, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Today was not as enjoyable as the previous days. I walk through some very hilly residential areas and then down by the river. I am now at my hostel I was pleasantly surprised that I had booked my own room. There’s nothing like having your own room when you’re used to sleeping with a bunch of people in bunkbeds.Read more

  • Day 5

    Caminha Pt 2

    September 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    What a day, what a day.

    After another night of restlessness, thanks to a few winners in the hostel, I was up early today (like real early) and on the road before the sunrise. My plan was to get to Caminha, which I was able to do, but it was a long day on the road. Unfortunately, there really is a race to find a bed at the next stop, as all of the pilgrims from the central Camino have migrated to the coast due to the wild fires. Thankfully, I've booked something ahead of time for tomorrow.

    Being a bit of a competitive person, I have a difficult time stopping or resting because then I have to watch people pass me on the trail. This means I also don't stray from the trail to find a washroom, and I only stop when it presents itself. Today, there were no such washrooms, and after 10+ kilometers on the trail, I was getting desperate. At the top of a trail in the forest, with no one visible behind me, I found a little space behind a rock on the left side of the road. I put my stuff down, did my business, and when I stood up and turned around, there was a couple sitting on the stone wall directly across from me. Normally, I would be mortified, but at that moment, I just laughed, put my stuff back on, and said, "Buen Camino!".

    Tomorrow, I begin my trek inward, leaving the coast to connect with the central route. In 24 hrs, I will be halfway through my journey, and in 48 hours, I will be in Spain!

    31.2 kms + 56 flights of stairs
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  • Day 5

    The Labyrinth

    September 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Walking the Camino is a bit like walking in a maze, but without a centre. You just walk on and on and follow the little yellow arrows to the best of your ability. I got lost this morning when I was leaving the city because the damn arrows were pointing in every direction. Who knows how many added kms I've put on an already long day.

    Most of the time, you see the arrows pointing the way, but sometimes you see a big yellow X, which clearly means do not go that way. The number of times I have said to myself, "If she'd have gone that way, she would have gone straight to that castle!" is absurd. Thank you, David Bowie🫶

    Hopefully, 8-10k more to go today. And I've decided, cobblestone streets were the devils doing.
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  • Day 4–5

    Viana do Castelo

    September 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    When I woke up this morning, I was tired. Even though I had been in bed since 9pm the night before, sleeping in a hostel keeps me awake half the night. Even with my eye mask and ear plugs, I definitely don't get a full night's sleep. C'est la vie.

    The first 5k was, well, shit. Walking up and down tiny cobble stone streets over and over again, I was really getting to the point of, "I'm too tired for this today." But then a tiny little café appeared in the wall, and after practically running inside (running, ha!), I got a pilgrims coffee and cookie for 1 Eur and got to pet a cat. It changed my mindset for the day.

    I left the shop feeling much more myself and then low and behold, I turned a corner, and I'm heading into the forest. The real forest! I actually said out loud, "This is what I came for!". I spent probably two hours alone, walking/hiking a path that reminded me very much of the Na'apali coast in Hawaii. I was honestly thrilled and excited to be in the trees and working my body harder than I had the first 3 days. This was the best part of my walk so far.

    I met a man in the middle of the woods. He didn't speak any English, but he offered me a coffee and told me to follow him down the path. Just around the corner, a tiny shop appeared with fresh fruits, coffee, trinkets, and other things. He gave me a coffee and a nectarine but wouldn't take my money. I asked if I could make a donation, and he pointed to a box and said, "Okay." I gave that man 5 EUR.

    Little did I know, I would spend almost 3 hours going up through the woods, and then another hour going up the (damn) cobble stone streets again. This was the hardest part of my walk so far. Clearly this part of the journey is more difficult on people than other parts, because you not only encounter the coffee man like I did, but you will also find random bottles of water in the ditches and farmers offering you fresh fruit. It's pretty incredible how the locals look after you on your journey.

    Life lessons on the Camino so far:
    1. Never pass up the opportunity to use a washroom.
    2. Always stop to pet the cats.
    3. If you ever come upon a mountain in your life (figuratively or literally), just start climbing. Don't think about how hard it will be, don't think about what is at the top and don't think about what's on the other side, because on the other side could be an even bigger mountain, or it could be a valley that goes on for miles and miles.
    Take your time, allow yourself to rest, but keep climbing because you can't live there.

    22.3 kms + 83 flights of stairs
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  • Day 8

    Viana do Costello

    September 10, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    Today was no joke on the Portuguese Coastal Camino—17 mostly uphill miles from Esposende to Viana do Castelo in the blazing sun. ☀️🔥 Sunburn? Check. Blisters? Check. Exhaustion? Check. But we made it! 💪 Grateful for every step, even the tough ones. Rest day tomorrow to recover and gear up for the next leg of this wild journey. 🛌🌊 #CaminoStruggles #EsposendeToVianaDoCastelo# #RestDayNeeded"Read more

  • Day 9

    Caminha

    September 9, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I spent the morning online trying to book the rest of the trip. That wasn't the plan at first but it's too busy and we've heard of people sleeping on the street. Not our style lol!
    Then I took the train from Carreco to Caminha - 16 minutes for 2.05 euros hahaha. My back is so much better today but not yet fit to carry my pack for 19 km. Tomorrow I will also take the train, but will try to get a day pack and luggage transfer after that. 🤞
    Tonight is our last night with the young German people. They are each wonderful humans and I feel privileged to have been able to spend time with them 💖
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  • Day 8

    23.192 Schritte inklusive Abendessen

    September 6, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Wir sind heute in Vila Praia de Ancora noch mit Musik verabschiedet worden.
    Die Strecke nach Seixas war nicht lang, zur Regenerierung der Fußkranken. Übernachtung ist zum ersten Mal in einem richtig echtem Pilgerheim, haben wir bisher noch nicht geschafft. Wir haben zwar einen Schlafsaal mit 3 Stockbetten -bisher alleine-, aber es gibt einen großzügiger Aufenthaltsraum mit Balkon, große Küche und Waschküche für Handwäsche im Freien.
    Abends noch Pilgermenü: Suppe, Sardinen mit Kartoffeln und Salat und leckeres Super Bock Stout (die Unwissenden dürfen raten, was das ist).
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