Day 16/5 Albergaria-a-Nova to Sao Joao

First thing this morning we took a ride share back to Albergaria-a-Nova, where we left the Camino yesterday afternoon.

From there it was a quick 5km walk to Pinheiro de Bemposta, where we stopped for coffee and the remains of Brenda's birthday cake.

Today's weather was beautiful, sunny blue skies and temperatures ranging from 17 to 25 degrees. For me, it was the toughest vertical day with a total of around 600 meters uphill and some of the climbs being quite steep. My legs are slowly growing accustomed to all the walking and climbing, but not without voicing the odd complaint.

Today we spent a fair bit of time along an ancient Roman road and were treated to a spectacular fountain at the base of the hill in Bemposta. In fact, only Brenda and Ernie were willing to descend and climb the stairs to earn the privilege of seeing this landmark, but they were kind enough to take lots of photos for Anita and me to see.

The little hilltop town of Bemposta turned out to be a fount of historical information. Several signposts dotted the route, pointing out landmarks of interest. There was the town pillory which symbolizes not only the virtues of the church and the power of the Crown, but also served as the place of execution of the non-virtuous. One signpost spoke of the construction of the Roman roads and highlighted the granite blocks that to this day, serve as curbs.

The day treated us to some eye popping vistas, encounters with feathered friends and some odd structures. We spotted a thin, stand-alone building mounted on a concrete base whose usage provided for speculation from The Core Four. Maybe it's an outhouse, perhaps a doghouse, how about a medieval man cave? When we came across a second example, Google informed us it was a Galacian "horreos": a raised grainary.

At around 11:30, we arrived in Oliveira de Azemeis where we checked into our hotel, dropped our backpacks and continued along the Camino to our next stop. It was a treat being relieved of the 16 pound bag, at least for a short while, particularly since some of the longest and steepest hills of the day were yet to come.

As we reached our destination of Sao Joao de Madeira, we spotted Wil a few hundred meters ahead of us and scrambled to catch up with him. We all stopped at a local supermarket and bought some vegan ice cream bars, which promptly disappeared down our throats, before saying goodbye to Wil. We then took a commuter train back to Oliveira and, after a shower and a nap, went out for dinner at a little Mama operated Portuguese restaurant. Pickings were a little slim for Brenda and me, but the food was delicious and definitely prepared with love.

I wonder what adventures tomorrow will bring.Read more