• Mike Savage
  • Mike Savage

Caminho Português Central

Une aventure de 48 jours par Mike En savoir plus
  • Début du voyage
    29 août 2017

    Salt Lake City Airport

    29 août 2017, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Once again I am blessed being able to walk another pilgrimage. I am at the airport waiting for the plane that will take me to Boston where I will meet Dave whom I walked with last year. This always seems to be a contemplative time, hoping I will be open to all the lessons a pilgrimage has to offer, hoping I am able to physically meet the challenges, and hoping to grow spiritually. I have high hopes.En savoir plus

  • Boston

    30 août 2017, États Unis ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    It rained all night then cleared up late morning. Dave and Paulette showed me around Plymouth where Dave lived before he retired. Nice small town and we saw Plymouth Rock which is quite small and not much to look at. It could easily fit in the back of a truck. Almost two hours waiting in line to get our boarding passes and check our bag. Now waiting to board our flight to São Miguel.En savoir plus

  • São Miguel Azores

    2 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Made it to the Azores. Flew all night (5 hours) from Boston to Ponta Delgada São Miguel Azores. Very small airport. It is very green and the streets are very narrow in some small towns. We wet through one small town during rush hour. Cars were coming at each other then at the last second swerve in to a wide spot and barely squeeze by. Dave was very uncomfortable about it but I was driving and we lived to tell about it. Dave was also uncomfortable with me walking the Roman Aqueducts. He is not comfortable with heights and it seemed fine to me. Beautiful views from up there too. Hydrangeas are everywhere and there are a lot of tree ferns which remind me of Mom since she used to grow them in San Leandro.

    We had coffee in São Miguel and found the church. They have a Saturday vigil mass at 6:30 so I will go to mass tonight because tomorrow we will be on the plane to Lisbon and train to Coimbra.
    En savoir plus

  • Lazy day.

    3 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    I was not feeling real well yesterday (Saturday) but I did go to mass. I enjoyed it and the priest spoke clearly and I was able to understand some of the words in Portuguese that were similar to Spanish. The rest of the day I just walked around São Miguel, rested and did laundry.En savoir plus

  • Coimbra

    5 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Old university town on the side of a hill. It is actually on the river but the albergue is up a very steep hill with slippery cobblestones. I don't know how you could walk if it was wet. It rained all night but the streets were dry by morning. It is picturesque in some places and very old and run down in other places. Coimbra dates back to at least the 400s, and the university was established in 1290.En savoir plus

  • Aveiro

    6 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I was able to visit the church of São Gonçalino the patrón of Aveiro. As far as I know his name does not translate to English. He was born in 1190 and was a priest known for welcoming and marrying people who were living together without being married. Unfortunately I did not get a picture with my phone. The church was built in 1714. I am staying next to the Aveiro Catedral and was able to visit and pray there today too. Very peaceful and pretty. Lots of tourists in this town.En savoir plus

  • Porto

    8 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It was great seeing Ana again who helped me last year when I was in the hospital and called the ambulance. Ana and Dave and I went to her friend's restaurant for dinner. It is maybe 15 feet from the Clerics Tower and serves traditional Portuguese food. Very good and only $10 per person! She has her own photography business and is putting on a huge week long show starting Monday so we were lucky that she had time to meet us. Horrible room last night right on a major street. Between the road construction, the alarm on the pharmacy directly across the street, and the traffic all night on the cobblestone road it was nearly impossible to sleep.En savoir plus

  • Vilarinho

    9 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Made it to Vilarinho today. Stone roads all the way and they are uneven and hard. This makes them hard on the feet and knees. I could see the smoke from the many forest fires burning in Portugal and smell it in the air. Quaint Albergue with apples right from the tree. They were very small and very sweet.

    There were people from Brazil, Germany, Madrid Spain, and the Netherlands. We didn't see anyone while we were walking through so they must have been ahead of us.
    En savoir plus

  • Pedra Furada

    10 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    More narrow streets and cobblestones today. The weather has been perfect with cool evenings and mornings and very warm afternoons. A band was playing in front of this church about 8:00 this morning with 3 to 5 minutes of loud fireworks then the hurriedly got in a van and were gone. I have no idea why. I came across a facade that looked like a church but there is only vacant land behind it. Very strange. The goats and sheep were coming right down the Camino path the goats gave me a quizzical look but I made sure to stick with the sheep just incase they were being separated with the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.En savoir plus

  • Barcelos

    11 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Beautiful town and so many churches and a nice historic town center. The walk here was short distance but long on time. Dave is in pain from the muscles in his right leg near where he had his knee replaced a few years ago. I walked around town and visited some churches. The main church I visited was Igreja do Senhor Bom Jesus da Cruz (Good Jesus of the Cross) which has its own legend and also has a statue of the Pilgrim Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. This is also the town that is responsible for the Roosters in every Portuguese home.En savoir plus

  • Portela de Tamel

    12 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Much nicer walk today with very little cobblestones. The rest was a mix of dirt trails and asphalt. Saw very few Pilgrims on the trail but the albergue is over full with many dozen in bunk beds and at least a dozen more sleeping on the floor in the vestibule and common area. There are at least 80 people and Dave and I are the only two from the US and no one else knows much English.

    There is a church right outside our window and the bell rings every 15 minutes. It is loud enough that it sounds like it is in our room. I hope it doesn't ring during the night. The date on the church says 1614 though it doesn't look that old. The local baker came by at 6:30. Two-6 inch rolls/loaves of bread (soda bread?) tasted wonderful and cost 15 cents total.
    En savoir plus

  • Vitorino dos Piaes-Casa da Fernanda

    13 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Interesting walk today with bulls, circus tents, Stevie Wonder the dog, Jao the pig, and Fernanda our host. A friend from the Netherlands told me about Fernanda and Jacinto and their home that is open to Pilgrims. They have a room in the yard with 10 beds for Pilgrims and meals are served around their kitchen table. You must call ahead as they are full every day as the word of their hospitality has traveled far and wide. Food is all cooked by Fernanda and grown in their community garden. We met the bulls along the Camino, the circus tents were set up on an empty lot and we could hear the animals in the trucks as we passed. Fernanda has quite a few small dogs including Stevie who only has one eye and a pet pig that was wandering around the garden. I helped her coral the pig as she didn't know it was loose and it will follow Pilgrims as they pass and it will not be able to find its way home. Stevie and I are already best friends.En savoir plus

  • Ponte de Lima

    14 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Ponte de Lima is the oldest Vila in Portugal founded March 4,1125. Some cobblestones and hills today but not too bad. Started out foggy again but it warmed up after an hour or so. Made it here by 1:00pm and the albergue didn't open until 4:00pm but I didn't want to push on to the next town as it is over 17km away. (10.5 miles) I guess I will have to do laundry tomorrow as it is too late today for it to hang dry. I guess I can't complain as it is only $5 per night. 24 beds in my room tonight. Beautiful Roman Bridge here that the town is named for. Notice the picture of the exercise equipment in the park. There are quite a few parks like that in Portugal and Spain and I do see people using them sometimes.En savoir plus

  • Rubiães

    17 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    What a tough day walking up mountains on trails full of boulders, then no beds so we slept on the tile floor in the reception area, then no internet. It was good to have a warm dry place to sleep though as it was getting cold outside by 1:00pm. As we were eating dinner, about a kilometer away from the albergue, we started talking with the German lady sitting alone at the next table who was also staying in the albergue. She introduced herself as sybile and when she heard I was from Utah asked if I was Mormon. I responded that I was Catholic and walking for religious reasons as many people who walk are just on holiday. She said she was Anglican and also walking for religious reasons. She sure was shocked when I said Sybile Yates? I know her from the Camino forum and her husband is an Anglican priest. She lives in Santiago de Compostela and has two rooms for Pilgrims. I had no idea she was walking the Camino and was already planning to stay with her in Santiago. It turns out that she is leading a group of Pilgrims on their Camino to Santiago for two weeks and will be there the day before us.En savoir plus

  • Valença

    17 septembre 2017, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    It was very cold this morning and I was wearing three shirts as well as my hiking shorts and pants. It did warm up in a couple of hours fortunately. We had planned to go to Tui Spain today but the albergues have been full so we stopped in a less popular spot just two kilometers sooner in Valença Portugal on the south side of the river which is the border of Portugal and Spain. Plenty of room here and Dave's legs need a rest after climbing the mountain yesterday then cobblestones all day today. My legs are very tired and a little sore too but not too bad.

    Sybile happened to be at the same albergue as us as the group she is leading is staying in a hotel down the road. She told me there is a Catholic priest in here group who is saying mass tonight at a local church two kilometers away so I am going to mass at Santa Maria Dos Anjos tonight. (Holy Mary of the Angels) Tomorrow we go to Porriño.
    En savoir plus

  • O Porriño

    17 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Mass was very nice last night and was in Portuguese and harder to follow than last time. The priest that was traveling with my friend's group did not show up for mass. They found that he had had a heart attack and passed away in his room. Her group happened to be in O Porriño tonight too so I was able to go to the memorial service they had for him.En savoir plus

  • Ourense to Cea

    18 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    It is good to be back in Galicia! Portugal is wonderful but I am tired of walking on cobblestones and the albergues are full. We took the train to Ourense this morning and started walking to Santiago. Light rain today but everything is pretty and green with soft trails and lots of shade. So far only 4 of us in the albergue and we only saw two other people on the trail. No internet again tonight.En savoir plus

  • Castro Dozón

    19 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I am definitely back in Galicia. Cold foggy morning,still very foggy at noon then about 1:00 no fog and immediately very warm. Quite a few towns of 100 people or less today. Typical Albergue for this region with large stark rooms with many bunk beds and communal showers where you have to hold the button in for water to flow and it never really gets warm enough to make it enjoyable. There is the typical laundry tub for washing by hand then hang dry. I was showered and had laundry hanging by 3:30 so if the weather holds out it should be dry by bedtime. Still it is home and for 6 euros a night is a great value. They even have kitchens and sitting areas but no heat or blankets. You normally have to call the hospitalera in this region to have them come unlock the door and they come by around 6pm to collect your money and check your credential to see if you are really a Pilgrim and allowed to use the albergue. Fortunately it was open when we got here today as we have no phone service nor do we speak Gallegos. (Many of the people in Galicia speak Spanish as a second language)En savoir plus

  • Camino Sanabres

    19 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Just to clarify things. After O Porriño Spain I left the Camino Portugues Central route and took the train to Ourense Spain to walk the Camino Sanabres. I walked the Portuguese Coastal Camino last year and it joins the central route at Redondela which is just above O Porriño so I have already walked into Santiago de Compostela from there.En savoir plus

  • A Laxe

    21 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Dave was sick last night and today so he could not walk. He thinks it was something he ate but who knows for sure. I got a late start then covered the first 10 miles in just over two hours. After waiting for Dave for a half hour without internet I walked the remaining 5 miles to the albergue where I still did not have internet. Internet is our only way of communicating. I finally found a place about a half hour away that had internet and got a message from Dave that he was still waiting for a taxi. By the time I messaged him back he was in the cab and had no internet. Finally about two hours later he found me. I knew he would get the message as soon as he had internet so I did not leave so he could contact me. He expects to walk tomorrow so we will see how it goes in the morning. It is a little shorter distance but I know there is a 70% chance of rain tomorrow. Lots of climbs today but pretty trails so it was nice and there was not any fog.En savoir plus

  • Bandiera

    21 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today was not particularly tough but after yesterday it sure felt tough and a couple of miles longer than the guide suggested. I had a nice conversation in Spanish with an older couple. They had walked quite a few different Caminos and wanted to know which ones we had walked, where we started, etc. The weather was mild and misty but it did not start raining until about 1/2 hour after we arrived which was a blessing. Dave feels better today too. I startled an Iberian Boar this morning and he squealed and grunted and ran a short distance. Seems he was content to eat acorns and grunt at me. I could see both tusks and they were not more than a few inches so maybe he was young. He sure looked well fed and I did not want to be part of his diet. Dave was a ways behind me so didn't see him. There were some beautiful Roman Bridges today too.En savoir plus

  • Outeiro

    22 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Pretty long day today with some steep downhill then sharply uphill at the end. The albergue is 3 miles from any food or services and has no internet but it is warm outside and dry inside with showers. Tomorrow we will reach Santiago.En savoir plus

  • Santiago de Compostela

    24 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Pretty good day walking until I took a break as we were entering town. My back was a little sore and I stretched it out and heard it pop. I walked the hills into Santiago with no problem and sat down at Pilgrim House welcome center and a little while later I could hardly stand due to the pain in my lower back. I am so thankful I made it to Santiago with no problems. It felt a little better after some Ibuprofen and I slept well. It feels quite a bit better now. I found Sybille at an outdoor Cafe with Alex Walker from Norway whom I have talked with quite a few times over the last couple of years but had never met in person. Sybille called Johnnie Walker who has written a few books about the Camino and somehow manages the local Camino Association. Soon there were 8 of us from the Camino forum sitting together drinking coffee. What a great afternoon and end to walking the Portuguese and Sanabres Caminos.En savoir plus

  • Santiago hospitality

    24 septembre 2017, Espagne ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Rainy day today in Santiago de Compostela. Johnnie Walker invited us to noon Mass at St. Agustín where he plays organ and Steve sings. He took us all out for breakfast afterwards. Johnnie, Steve, Sybille, Alex, Dave, myself, and Sister Kathleen from Cork who worked in the Pilgrim Office with Dave and whom I met after walking the Camino Francès in 2015. At 2:00 Alex, Dave and myself explored town and had some wonderful tapas at O Bispo while the rest of the group went to a Camino de Santiago meeting. My back has felt quite a bit better today. Tomorrow I will decide whether to continue walking or rest another day.En savoir plus