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Camino Portuguese
  • Jill Hill
Oct – Nov 2018

Camino Portuguese

Starting from Lisbon Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 16, 2018
    Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Taking off from Heatrow at dawn
    Star InnKoala greets me at Lisbon Airport!

    Arrival

    October 16, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    I am now in the Star Inn which is a modern luxury hotel, a two minute walk from Lisbon airport. Just what I need. Completely whacked after a long flight from Sydney. Wonderful full-on rainfall shower does fabulous things for the human spirit! As did my first pastel de nata with good Portuguese coffee. I’ve washed my smalls and now intend to burrow under the snowy white sheets, turn on the tv (movies in English with Portuguese subtitles) and stay put until daylight tomorrow.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Police doing early morning rounds
    They like blue housesBridge too long to see the end, River TejoRainha Caterina de BragançaPink houses tooAnd yellowPretty tiles - and historyThis gorgeous house needs rescuingAll over blue tilesBeautiful covered market

    Closed for the season.

    October 17, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    I had intended to stay at Alpriate but when I arrived I found the albergue had closed for the season. So I just kept walking. And then called Uber. Thank you Luis! With his help I made it to Vila Franca de Xira - where the first hostel was full, the second choice (a pensión) was closed but the third took me in. And has provided not only a bed (not a bunk) but also clean linen and towel and soap and washed my clothes - all for the princely sum of €15. Sharing a room with a very well travelled peregrina from Cataluña and another pilgrim yet to arrive.

    Body tired but feeling OK. Freshly squeezed orange juice and pastel de nata were delicious.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Breakfast of champions
    Only 100 km to go - for those other pilgrimsA lot of thisLovely helpful peopleThe albergue in AzambujaTypical narrow street

    In the rail corridor

    October 18, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    A rather dreary walk along roads and beside the rail line through industrial buildings, enlivened by a bit of felonious activity. I failed to see the turning arrow and continued along a rough path beside the railway line and eventually found myself locked into the rail corridor - main line with all kinds of trains rushing past! I definitely should not have been there. I wasn’t going back - but could not get out due to high walls. Continued until the next platform another 3km. Flung poles and pack up and scrambled on. Phew!

    Tonight I am in a good municipal albergue in Azambuja with lively company - and an enjoyable restaurant meal together. Lots of Italian speakers, so that’s a challenge for me. My first taste of pulpo, Portuguese style.

    Somehow I have grown the most enormous blister on one foot - I think my feet are baby tender from winter. My body feels pretty fit but obviously the cross trainer does not toughen the tootsies. So considering my options for tomorrow.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    The women get the worst jobs
    History in blueThere's a bit of a saint in this. They say.Melbourne Cup Day hat ideas?1I liked this oneBeautiful coloured marble. And tilesCathedral ceilingAltar surrounded by tiles. Very pretty churchEntrance to church

    History, art and food

    October 19, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Here I am in Santarém, with a humongous blister on my foot, having a lovely time sitting in the plaza drinking fiercely strong Portuguese coffee...waiting for the Cathedral to open.

    The pastry shops in this town are just amazing. One small almond tart (a “celestial”, and it was), I could not resist.

    I love the blue tiled art works on railway stations and other public buildings - a great way of teaching as well as bewitching the eye.

    The cathedral was lovely. A great painted ceiling. I also visited some very nice churches. And a museum with a few things that amused me.

    My time being short and not wanting to destroy the rest of the walk with a serious injury, today I took the train.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Laura! Yum2

    Knights Templar and Henry the Navigator

    October 20, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Tomar is a lovely place, and I had a great day being a tourist. Tomar was having a fiesta - I never did find out exactly what about, but it was fun. Firstly there was a procession of men on horseback, all dressed as caballeros and the horses decorated richly. Then flowers thrown into the river that flows through the town. Women also dressed up, some in traditional clothing, some in 1920s gear. After watching that I hiked up the top of the hill and explored the Knights Templar castle, and the home of Henry the Navigator, then visited an exhibition from what was said to be the oldest synagogue in Spain (still in use but closed for restoration) and stayed at a good hostel.

    Dinner with another pilgrim, from the UK - an old fashioned radical lefty trade unionist. Interesting take on Brexit.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    A miacle! Rainbow over Fátima
    The shrinePilgrim approaches on kneesCandles - many prayers

    Faith and miracles

    October 21, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After much planning, today I am off to Coimbra, but decided I could not miss Fátima on the way, as it is only a 30km detour, so got an early bus and am here now. Extraordinary place, horrible and awesome at the same time. A church (or cathedral) built with semicircular arms (rather like St Peters square) reasonably unexceptional, in front of which is the shrine itself - basically a statute under an awning. People approach it doing the last 100 metres on their knees. Beside it is a stand on which there are so many lit candles that all the wax melts and it’s like a fire pit. Then a vast new monolithic concrete building - the new church. Horrible! Looks like a prison - no windows visible, nothing decorating it - just a huge circular pile of concrete.

    The town is crammed with shops selling every kind of Catholic symbolic item imaginable.

    Never experienced anything like it. Faith or superstition - your choice. But whichever, it’s seen here on steroids.

    Now waiting for bus to Coimbra. After planning and looking at the possible stages, my time constraints and my physical ability, decided there is no point in trying to walk from further south than Coimbra. As that means some buses I may as well see a few things on the way!    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Coimbra, a literary fall

    October 21, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Great view of the river from the terrace of the Portagem Hostel, where I stayed. Coimbra is a beautiful small university city, and the Joannina library is a must see in a lifetime experience. It’s exquisite. Has a colony of micro bats that live within the library and come out each night to eat the insects that would otherwise destroy the books (furniture is covered each night to protect from droppings). I visited it and the surrounding university two years ago with Robyn, so this time I concentrated on the 12th century Sé Velha Cathedral and the lively city streets below.
    Those stone sets sure are slippery when wet! Lost my dignity and some skin. No major damage.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Not for vegetarians

    October 22, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Mealhade does not have much to offer except restaurant after restaurant specialising in - suckling pig! I tried it but have to say I think my version is at least as good. A rather forgettable walk to Sernadelo (just after Mealhade) from Coimbra - some of it beside a despondent smelly canal and road. The one excitement was a herron like bird that kept flying off just as I was about to capture it on the iPhone camera. And about 6km through a eucalyptus forest. Came across two crews of timber workers cutting and removing trees - cheery waves and questions. The Portuguese find it very odd that a woman would be walking solo anywhere - let alone all the way to Santiago. But they have all been admiring and wished me well.
    The weather is unseasonably hot and my red umbrella is up much of the time.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Day of the bug

    October 23, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    I woke this morning to see a big fat bedbug climbing up my sleeping sheet. Yuk! Squashed it between my fingers and sure enough, it had just feasted. So a report to the hospitalero, who was very grateful to be told and reacted exactly as one would hope. He said an albergue between Coimbra and Mealhade has a real infestation and the priest there refuses to get proper eradication or control because it costs too much. Which causes a problem further up the line with pilgrims being inadvertent carriers. He drove me to the big laundromat in town and I did the hot dryer thing with bedding and clothes. Luckily I had kept a sealed dry bag of clothes just for this contingency - so changed into those - rather proud of that - it was a Mr Bean effort in front of a plate glass window beside a busy street. The skills one learns at boarding school! No bites showing up yet but I’m prepared with antihistamine at the ready.
    Then another rather trying walk to Águeda where I have a lovely room in a good hotel.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Its hot Mama!

    October 24, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    A short 16km walk today after a delicious hotel buffet breakfast. I was planning to walk another 10km but by the time I got going it was quite late, and the heat pulsating waves. Everyone is commenting on how unseasonably warm it is. The forecast for next week is an average of 10degrees lower, a much better temperature for walking.

    Again, a not very exciting walk - lots on road surface, a suburban linear sprawl, one long road bridge over a ravine and a rather insignificant river, a pleasant coffee stop in a nondescript village, and an easy walk through another eucalyptus forest (they are everywhere). Other than a closed ethnographic museum, and a couple of grand houses, one of which had a magnificent fig tree, on which I feasted, there was nothing very much to show.

    I am assured the walk gets better after Porto. Let’s hope so!    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    1

    Luxury hotel

    October 26, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    A good 20km walk today. Almost all on hard asphalt with a very short section through eucalyptus forest - so still not great walking. Lots of short stops on the way in village bars for a refreshing mineral water. With the hard surfaces my feet really start to whinge at the 20km mark so I was glad to stop then. The only reasonable accommodation (unless I walked another 10km) just happens to be a four star hotel. Lovely! Big bath, air conditioning / and no bedbugs.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    1

    Hats off

    October 26, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    My guide book said I’d be mad to miss the hat museum, and indeed it was terrific. A great personally guided tour. Once the largest producer of hats in the Iberian peninsular (in the days when everyone wore a hat) São João de Madeira still has a few craftsmen making fully handmade velvet felt hats. I want one!Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    And suddenly, delights

    October 26, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Porto is the most beautiful small city - with lively friendly people, charming narrow steep streets, a bustling riverfront with cafes, bars and myriad stalls to beguile the most reluctant shopper, and perched high above the river the cathedral, the castle remains and old walls, all looking over the river.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Senda literal

    October 27, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    A day walking by the sea - glorious sunshine but a cold wind blowing hard from the North. Just my kind of walking weather! In fact so good I surprised myself, and comfortably walked far more km than intended. Which had something also to do with missing the good albergue and being determined to get to this great little hotel.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Wind in my hair
    Church to start the dayImpressive acqueductBarracuda restaurants everywhereThe carnival is overChristmas is comingBeach volleyballLots of thisPicking leeksView from my accommodation as the sun sets

    Bracing wind, pumping legs

    October 28, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Another great day of walking, mainly on boardwalk beside a white capped Atlantic, but with a few detours inland beside greenhouses and commercial vegetable plots. Wind still blowing strongly from the north, but sun shining again. Wonderful stuff!Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Boat pulled up by tractor
    The fishing fleet safely ashoreThe catchCemetary - the women do the cleaning!Church artOrnate ceiling2Not sure what these are for, but picturesque!The dreaded bridgeRiver estuary1The catch today

    The boats are in

    October 29, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I was happily waylaid today, eating a late breakfast in the sun, watching the fishing boats come in, wandering down to watch them being dragged up the sand by tractors, and then the fish - so fresh - being sold. The tractor driver told me that after pulling the boats up in the morning, he was driving inland a couple of km to help with the vegetable harvest of cauliflowers.

    Later, as I was walking I met up with someone who walked with me earlier in this Camino, and he persuaded me to stop early and try this albergue. Fingers crossed against the bedbugs!

    My one achievement is that I did conquer my fears and walk over a bridge I was dreading.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Finding the way

    October 30, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    The albergue last night was excellent, although freezing cold. I’m so glad I packed some extra clothes!
    For most of today I had a lovely walk and talk with Regina from Munich, nice girl. The way was beautiful - rural and through the forest, beside a small river, and small villages. We were so engrossed in conversation that somehow I got onto the wrong path and had to do some route finding across country. Regina was turned onto the beach route but I’d booked into a Casa Rural further inland.
    To get to it it I took a pathway that led me through an encampment of people (Romany?) obviously surprised to see me, as were their dogs. But they were very kind and helpful in pointing me the right way and wishing me Bom Caminho.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Azul tiles, gold, and a funicular

    October 31, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    A lovely walk to start the day, a bridge crossing a wide river, then the fabulous fishing port of Viana do Castelo. Took the fun funicular ride to the top of the mountain to see the church perched high over the town - spectacular views - then down to the old town where I visited the local museum - with a great exhibition dedicated to local peasant costumes. Good collection. Also explanations and exhibits about cloth making and embroidery (mainly on wool and linen - flax was grown locally) and the very pretty gold heart jewellery worn in Northern Portugal. Unfortunately photography was strictly prohibited. Then to see a church I’d been told was a “do not miss” and indeed it was a glory of blue tiles and gold. Walked out of town through the port area (I do love a serious working port!) and a few kilometres along the way until I discovered a problem with my phone. Which resulted in me backtracking to find a Vodaphone shop - and I won’t bore you with telling what followed!
    The end result is that I walked 17km from last nights accommodation - but have progressed only 7km. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll do better!    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    My lovely hotel

    Bend ze knees!

    November 1, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Decided today that walking on the flat boardwalks beside the sea was nice but would not get me fit. So opted for the route that runs a couple of kilometres inland. Lots of ups and downs. A few too many hard stone and cobbled streets for my poor feet. Portuguese asset management must run on very long cycles because every road and track, except the major motorways, is cobbled or laid with granite stone sets. There were a couple of kilometres of nice walking in eucalyptus forests, and lots of pretty streams, stone bridges, and a couple of little waterfalls. Every now and then a lovely view would emerge, with the sea and pounding waves in the distance. Magic.
    A lot of the time I was walking and talking with the charming Maria from Denmark - a great fan of our Mary - and the km slipped by.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Sculpture by the seaVery neat rows of vegetablesFerry across the River MinhoLast glimpse of PortugalSpainGetting closer

    Last day in Portugal

    November 2, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Walking well and enjoyably. Today I had an absolute feast of white figs, three trees in a row on waste land beside a railway track. Who could resist? Let’s hope my tummy copes! For my last day in Portugal I was back beside the sea again.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    They do colours in Spain too

    November 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Loved the town of A Guarda. Houses tumbling down to the port and beach, obvious pride in the town, lively residents. Stayed in the municipal albergue and it was great - clean and with all the facilities a pilgrim needs, plus good company. One fellow, a Hungarian boy, was walking back from Santiago de Compostela after finishing walking the Norte. He’s obviously very fit, and had covered over 40km that day - all the way from Vigo. He put away a very large bowl of pasta!
    I walked into a church after landing on Spanish soul, and there was no doubt about the country! Massive heavy decorative overload in silver and gold.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    My weird hotel

    Wild weather walking

    November 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    A big walk today, trying to stay ahead of the rain forecast for the rest of the week. I took the route around the sea and it was spectacular - huge waves rolling in from the Atlantic. Saw a few surfboard riders braving the swells. I’d stayed in a rather weird hotel the night before - very cheap and I know why!Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese
    Don Quixote and Rocinante
    No passarán

    Rain, rain, rain - and cold!

    November 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    It was Altus on, head down, and rev up the walking machine! Past gun turrets pointing out to sea (too far away for photos) and the lovely town of Baiona with its fortress castle - invaders from the sea will be repelled! Then a pretty C15th bridge and the beachside suburbs of Vigo. Just as I’d had enough (and it was teeming - rains simply pouring off me) I saw a restaurant with a fire going inside - and “habitaciones” upstairs. What a find, what relief. Ate the most wonderful meal of soup (with grelos - the local green vegetable, and potatoes) followed by mariscos, coffee and oruja de hierbas (herb flavoured fire water). I then staggered upstairs to my cosy warm room, with underfloor heating. And watched Netflix as the rain continues to pour down.Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Pride goeth....

    November 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    This post is retrospective. After reading Kirsten Harley’s recent exploits I feel like a complete fraud, but there needs to be some explanation of the gap in my footprints.

    A wonderfully fulfilling, if wet, day yesterday, and a peaceful warm night in my little room over the restaurant, I set out once again in the rain. Altus on, umbrella up.

    Not far into the day, before the first coffee stop, I completely failed to see the pavement had a bite out of it (for garbage bins, I think) and wham! Down I went - twisting as I fell - landing hard on my right knee and arm. Two women came rushing to my aid and helped me up. No major damage but a knee that did not feel very happy. Certainly not to walk. So a taxi was called and carried me into Vigo where I spent a day resting, icing and elevating my knee.

    Dramatic views of Vigo.    Read more

  • Jill HillTravelerCamino Portuguese

    Dear friend

    November 7, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today I met my friend Annette at Vigo airport and we walked from there to Redondela. Before arriving at our albergue we spied a restaurant crowded with people. It obviously needed us! So a delicious meal of stuffed calamari in its own ink, followed by a platter of desserts. Luckily we were very close to our destination along a peaceful stream. The sun was shining!Read more

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