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El Camino
  • Roch Pelletier
  • Brendaboo

El Camino

A 610 kilometer walk from Lisbon to Santiago de Campostela along the Portuguese coast En savoir plus
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  • Début du voyage
    1 mai 2022
    El Camino

    El Camino

    1 mai 2022, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    No, not the funky Chevrolet half car, half pick-up truck from the '60s and '70s. The Camino de Santiago, the Way of St-James, the pilgrimage routes that end at the cathedral of Santiago de Campostela in Northern Spain.

    Over the winter, Brenda and I met Karen, a woman from Calgary who was on sabbatical and had just recently walked the Portuguese Camino. Because of the pandemic, she said the route was quite deserted and she sometimes went days without seeing any other pilgrims. Brenda immediately began researching the Camino and the desire to tackle the 610 kilometre walk was soon deeply entrenched in her heart.

    Preparation for the trip began while we were still in Thailand: the booking of our flights, buying new backpacks, ultra-light weight clothing, hiking shoes and various other gear. Once we got back to Vancouver, we packed our bags as they will be for the journey and began taking hikes around the city with our loaded packs on our backs. Our departure date, May 1, rapidly approached and we frequently tweaked the clothing we were bringing with us. Do we bring rain pants? How about a poncho instead of a rain jacket? Hmmm... maybe we don't need to bring a long-sleeve merino sweater. Which water bottles do we bring? Maybe our litle umbrellas?

    And so it went until April 30 when Murphy's Law struck. I started feeling a little tickle in my throat on Friday the 29th. Just to be safe, I self-tested for Covid and got a negative result. Saturday I woke up and felt like a truck had run me down, backed up and hit me again for good measure. "Uh-oh", I thought. This isn't good. Another swab of the nose and, the day before we're ready to leave, I get a positive result. Brenda, fortunately, has tested negative at home and at a clinic so she's good to go.

    For me, I'll self isolate for five days while the virus runs it's course. I'll fly out to join Brenda and our friends, Ernie and Anita, next Sunday, a week late. By the time I get to Portugal, they'll already be a couple hundred kilometres into the trip, so I'll only be walking about 400 kilometres.

    Alas, sometimes our very best plans are waylaid by the universe and there's nothing we can do about it but roll with the punches and let the anticipation and excitement build. Which is exactly what I'm going to do for the next six days.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 1: Lisbon to Santa Iria de Azoia

    4 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Our first day on the Camino. 22 kms down and a lot of kilometres to go. Last night when we were looking at accommodations for our first day, everything seemed to be booked or was filling up fast. We ended up booking rooms at the VIP Executive Santa Iria Hotel, a 4-star hotel that is hardly an "albergue" but we were lucky to get the rooms because when we checked in, the front desk told us they were fully booked for the night.

    We started walking at 8:00 am this morning, beautiful blue skies, maybe even a little too warm once the morning chill burned off. Our first stop after the Cathedral Sé was for coffee, our second stop was to use a washroom which meant pastries. I can see when Roch joins us, he's going to go home with a little "pastel de nata" belly.

    Overall, an easy walking day. When we turned off the trail to go towards our hotel, we saw something I didn't expect to see on the Camino: an ostrich!    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 2: Vala do Carregado

    5 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Day 2 on the Camino. Our intent was to walk 25 kms to Vala do Carregado and, from there, take the train to Azambuja where we had confirmed reservations for the night. We would then take the train back to Carregado the following morning to pick up walking where we'd left off.

    It was another hot day, 27+ degrees, and there were many stretches of walking along roads with a fair bit of traffic, but very little shoulder room for pilgrims. We stopped for lunch in Vila Franca de Xira where I discovered that "sopa pedra" (stone soup) is a very bad choice for vegans since it contains a mishmash of meats including bacon, chorizo, and pork rind just to name a few.

    We arrived at Carregado to discover we had just missed a train and so we had to wait half an hour for the next one, which arrived an additional 12 minutes late. When we finally got to Azambuja, we were all looking forward to a nice shower and a glass of something cold and wet. However, when we got to our accommodations, we discovered that our confirmations were bogus and they had no room at the inn. In fact, there was no room at any inn in Azambuja. We had no choice but to go... and drink beer... as we searched for something a little more comfortable than a park bench for the night.

    In the end, Anita found us something a short Uber ride from Carregado so we hopped back on the train to go back to where we were and when we finally made it to our new accommodations it was well past my usual dinner hour and we were feeling tired, dirty and very hungry.

    We were rewarded with a delicious meal at X Food - Anita and I both had a scrumptious mushroom and asparagus risotto.

    We never imagined it would be so difficult to get accommodations, especially since we've hardly seen any other pilgrams on the Camino. As much as I would have liked to have the freedom of booking rooms as we go, we decided that to be prudent, we'd better book several days in advance.

    I wish I could say that all's well that ends well but the truth is, none of us had a good night's sleep due to the incessant barking of a neighborhood dog. It was ruff, ruff, ruff...    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 3: Valada

    6 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We are now 71.8 kms into our Camino. The weather continues hot with a high of 30 degrees. It's forecast to get even hotter in the coming days. Yikes!

    Today, the Camino took us initially along a trafficked road, followed by the relative quietness of a path parallelling the railroad tracks, and lastly, along flat farmland roads.

    We saw what looked like an infestation of snails on our travels today. They were covering everything from plants to walls to Camino waymarker signs.

    We arrived in Valada around 3:30 pm, too early for our 4pm check-in, so it was vinho Verde time!    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 4: Valada to Santarem

    7 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We had a relatively short walk today, 19.8 kms mainly through flat farm lands that have recently been sown. We also saw quite a few vineyards, especially as we neared Santarem. The 16-kilometre stretch from Porto Muge to Santarem was without amenities so we just motored along until our last 2.7 kilometres, which was completely uphill. Talk about heartbreak hill.

    We were happy to finish walking before noon since the weather forecast for the afternoon was for blue skies with the temperature peaking at 31 degrees.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 5: Santarem to Golega

    8 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We started our walk to Golega shortly after 6:30 am this morning, knowing we had about 31 kms to go and a weather forecast of 31 degrees. Today's walk was also mainly through farmlands but with only 2 possible stops for breaks.

    We stopped at the Val'Doce Pastelaria in Vale de Figueira after almost 3 hours of non-stop walking. We all had freshly squeezed orange juice for a mere 2 euros a glass. Anita and Ernie also had pasteles de nata that were still hot since that just came out of the oven. It was a moment of pure pleasure, enjoying the small but sweet indulgences of life. Thus re-energized and with water bottles refilled, we set off for the 3-hour trek to Azinhaga where we planned to have lunch, stopping only briefly to admire all the swallow nests under the eaves of one building as we were leaving town

    When we arrived at Azinhaga, we saw signs that indicated that Golega was only 7 kms away so we took the decision to just have a cold drink to freshen up and push onwards. The day was already very hot and only getting hotter and we were anxious to arrive.

    We stayed at Casa da Tia Guida, a grand and beautiful Manor house that contains 2 private guest rooms with ensuite bathrooms. The guestrooms are on the ground level and the family live upstairs. There's also a games room with a pool table and an outdoor swimming pool for guests to enjoy. I'm starting in the "single" room which is bigger than many "double" rooms I've stayed in. It's full of charm, has the comfiest bed and it's my favourite accommodation I've stayed at so far on this trip. At 35 euros/night, it's also the least expensive.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 6: Golega to Tomar

    9 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The walk from Golega to Tomar was another long 30+ kilometre trek in 30+ sunny weather with nary a cloud in the sky.

    We started gently to ensure any potential sore spots didn't develop into something full blown that would quash our Camino. The first third of the walk went by pleasantly and we enjoyed the relative coolness of the morning. The second third took us through a eucalyptus forest that offered dappled shading and some good climbs. We then slogged through the last third on mainly open roads that mercilessly offered no shade.

    We were so happy to arrive in Tomar, and even happier knowing we were going to take a rest day tomorrow.

    We felt a great sense of accomplishment having accomplished 2 long days in a row under such heat, but we agreed that we would do our best to avoid 30+ kilometre days going forward.

    Total kilometres walked since Lisbon: 152    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 8: Tomar to Cortiça

    11 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today's walk was my favourite up till now. Almost the entire distance was spent on trails and walking paths or quiet country roads with very little traffic. We did have to contend with a fair amount of hills however, accumulating an elevation gain of 751 m over the 28 kms walked. The steepest hill was upon entering Calvinos, a 10% incline which mercifully did not last too long.

    The highlight of the day was when we walked through the town of Sorianda. As is our habit when we pass locals along the way, we call out a "Bom Dia". Today, not only did we get a Bom Dia back, a kind lady picked oranges from her tree to give us for our travels. It was the first time I'd ever eaten freshly picked sun-ripened oranges. They were so incredibly juicy and sweet.

    The Camino trail splits shortly after Calvinos and we decided to take the longer and more scenic route through Areias. We therefore walked closer to 28 kms today but the weather was relatively cooler (a high of 28 degrees only!) so it seemed much more bearable.

    We're staying at the Quinta da Cortiça tonight. The accommodations are fairly new and they're right on the Camino trail. There's a pool for guests to use as well as washing machines, though I wouldn't have enough for a load of laundry even if I were to wash all the clothes I brought with me. The only negative about whether we're staying is there aren't any restaurants nearby so dinner was a small microwaved meal and a salad.

    Total kilometres walked since Lisbon: 178    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 9: Cortiça to Ansião

    12 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We had a relatively short walking day today, a mere 19 kms. The morning was quite cool and overcast which was great for walking. We passed through some very pretty villages with cobblestoned streets and homes with impressive flower gardens.

    We walked with a fellow pilgrim, Wil from Holland who is on his 5th Camino and although he's in his 70's, I literally couldn't keep up with him. We arrived in Ansião before noon and after eating a rather mediocre lunch, we hung out with 3 other Canadian pilgrims (Luc from Montreal, Mike and Leon from Toronto) who, like us were all waiting for the magical hour: 3:00 pm check in.

    We are now 197 kms into our Camino.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 10: Ansião to Rabaçal

    13 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Friday the 13th - what a lucky day.

    We one again had the pleasure of Wil's company for the 19-km walk from Ansiao to Rabacal. Most of the walk was on country roads, gravel paths and tractor lanes, and there were some challenging ascents and descents. At one point, we passed by what looked like a water pump so Ernie decided to give it a crank, or rather many, many cranks. Just when we thought the pump must be out of order, a stream of cold water came gushing out.

    Anita and Ernie are staying in Zambujal tonight but due to limited accommodations, I stopped in Rabacal. I'm actually staying in Chanca, a little town perched high on the hill 3 kilometres from Rabacal. Luckily, my amazing host, Paola offered to pick me up from Rabacal so I didn't have to hike up the steep hill in 31 degree sunshine. Her husband will drive me back to Rabacal tomorrow morning so I can continue my Camino journey.

    Villa Chanca is a beautiful place to stay. The property has a pool, hammocks to relax in, a gorgeous garden with a fig tree, walnut tree, peach tree, wild loquats, wild strawberries and more. But as gorgeous as the property is, the best thing about Villa Chanca is the host. Paola offered me homemade vegetable & chickpea soup for dinner. I sat outside to eat and we chatted and shared stories like old friends. Her kindness was heartwarming and I am filled with gratitude on this lucky Friday the 13th.

    Kilometres walked since Lisbon: 216. We are now approximately one third of the way to Santiago de Compostela    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    At Last!!!

    13 mai 2022, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Well, after two sessions of  self-isolation and twelve days late, I finally boarded a plane this morning bound for Lisbon.

    I had a 9:00 AM appointment to get my fit-for-travel certificate and had set my alarm for 6:00. I needn't have bothered. Like a sprinter that jumps the gun in anticipation, my eyes popped open at 4:00 and refused to remain closed, no matter how hard I tried.
    Needless to say, I was at my appointment on time and, by 9:15, I had my travel certificate in hand.

    Protocol for international flights requires arrival at the airport three hours before departure. By the time I checked in and cleared customs, I was still three hours from flight time. What happened to the  long lineups they had last week? In the end, my 1:00PM flight finally got off the runway at 1:35, but still made it to Toronto in just over four hours.

     Once I get to Lisbon, I'll make a beeline to the train station downtown and take a two hour rail ride to Coimbra, where I'll finally catch up with Brenda, Anita and Ernie.

    Despite speaking with Brenda almost daily and religiously following her blog posts, I remain very disappointed to have missed out on so much of the Camino. On the plus side, it looks like the recent heat wave is subsiding and temperatures will be much more bearable for my first  few days on the trail.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Sete restaurant, Coimbra

    14 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We had arrived in Coimbra after a long, hot day of walking, and although we had taken several refreshment breaks along the way, we really hadn't eaten a proper meal. Roch had also had a long journey with very little food served on both his flights. As dinner time approached, we anxiously awaited restaurants to open so we could eat!

    On the recommendation of our guesthouse hostess, Ana, we went to Sete for dinner. Not only did they have vegan options on their menu, they opened at 7:00 pm which is early for Portugal.

    Anita ordered the Rabaçal cheese stuffed potatoes with almonds and vegetables. Ernie opted for the smoked pork tenderloin with sweet fennel and pear. Roch chose the mashed sweet potatoes with julienne vegetables and chickpeas, and I had the mushroom feijoada flavoured with thyme. Everyone professed how delicious their dish was. None of us could resist ordering dessert, nor could Roch resist the suggested Tawny Port pairing to go with his rice pudding.

    We left Sete with full bellies and contented smiles.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 11: Rabaçal to Coimbra

    15 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I started out shortly after 6:00 am from Rabaçal knowing I would have to make up the 3.9 kms that Anita & Ernie had walked yesterday when they continued onwards to Zambujal. I thought I would be trailing them until we got to Conimbriga, the site of Portugal's largest and most impressive Roman site that Ernie was keen to see. As it turned out, they had gotten off to a later start than anticipated so I caught up with them just as they were leaving of Zambujal.

    On our way to Conimbriga, we crossed paths with an oddball barefoot "priest" who gave us our scripture reading for the day. The passage urged us to love our family, love our friends, love the people we work with. In essence, the importance to love others. We weren't sure if this was the priest's shtick to ask us for money, but he continued to say that happiness was found within us, not the outside world, and that we should be tortoises and not hares on our Camino journey. He then got us to each ring a bell 3 times for luck and we continued on our way. We weren't sure what to make of him, but he didn't ask us for anything in return, and his words certainly resonated true with me.

    We stopped at a cafe in Conimbriga for our first break of the day only to discover that we had already overshot the Roman ruins by 1.1 kms. I hesitated to retrace my steps, adding extra mileage to a day that was already proving to be a scorcher. In the end, I couldn't resist, nor could Ernie so we went back to see the ruins while Anita decided to carry onwards.

    When we got to the ruins, we were so disappointed that we wouldn't be able to access the site until 10:00 am so we had to content ourselves by touring what we could from the exterior.

    As a result of our desire to see the Roman ruins, Ernie and I ended up playing catch-up with Anita for most of the day. We finally met back up in Antanhol for the last 6.3 kms into Coimbra.

    We arrived tired and hot and as we walked through town to our accommodations, we saw a sign telling us it was 14:45 and 35 degrees. With the backtracking we did, I walked about 32 kms today. It was a real sense of accomplishment, and the cherry on today's cake was when I saw Roch hiking up the hill to our guesthouse.

    Distance covered since Lisbon: 252 kms.    En savoir plus

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    Francesinha festival, Coimbra

    15 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    When we were onboard the heritage train, Roch noticed an outdoor festival taking place shortly after we passed the Botanical Gardens. Curious to know what it was about, we retraced the train route and found the Francesinha festival in full swing.

    The Francesinha is a Portuguese sandwich originating from Porto. The literal translation for its name is 'Little French Girl' but it's only little in name. It’s a rather large sandwich filled with layers of beef steak, cured meat, fresh sausages, topped with cheese, covered with a beer sauce, and typically surrounded by French fries. It is, apparently, the Portuguese adaptation of the French classic, the 'Croque-Monsieur'.

    Since the festival had stalls offering vegan versions, how could we say no? The sandwich was indeed very yummy. The vegan cured meat tasted surprisingly like bacon. It all washed down tremendously well with a cold beer.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 12/1 Coimbra

    15 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After two flights, a metro ride, a two hour train ride and a 2.1 km uphill hike, I finally caught up with Brenda, Anita and Ernie at 6:00PM in a bar next to our Coimbra accommodations. The only thing better than that cool beer sliding down my throat was the hug and kiss I got from Brenda upon my arrival.

    Having had very little sleep during my journey, I managed to get in about 10 hours on Saturday night, finally hauling my butt out of bed at 8:30 Sunday morning.

    Thankfully, the gang agreed that Sunday would be a day of rest to allow me to acclimate and give them a well deserved break from the trek.

    With our late start, Ernie and Anita were out exploring long before us, so Brenda and I broke fast together before joining up with our companions. We met them at a cafe by the waterfront where I had my first Pastel de Nata of the trip (surely not my last).

    We then decided it would be fun to ride the Comboio de Patrimonio, a tourist train that gives a guided tour through the narrow and hilly streets of Coimbra to the main points of interest.

    After the train ride, Brenda and I decided we should continue our exploration of the city on foot and climbed back up a very steep hill to the University of Coimbra, which dates back to 1290. While there, we visited the very ornate "New" Cathedral, which opened its doors in 1640. At the cathedral, I received the first stamp in my Pilgrim Passport.

    Next, we walked down the hill in search of the Festival de Francesinha, which I had spotted while on our train ride. On our way, we saw the remains of the Roman aquaduct and made a short tour of the very lush and verdant botanical garden.

     We arrived at an intersection and were faced with three possible routes to follow, one of which would take us to the festival. However, neither Brenda nor I could recall which of the three the train had followed. As we stood there pondering our choices, we heard a familiar clanging of bells. Lo and behold, the train came around the corner to lead us to our destination, where we shared a vegan version of a Francesinha and quaffed a couple of beers.

    Back to our hotel for a siesta before meeting up with Anita, Ernie and fellow pilgrim Wil for aperitivos in the town square.

    We capped our day off with a spectacular meal at Maria Rio, a hillside restaurant we stumbled upon while on our way to the university.

    Who could ask for a better first day on the Camino?    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 13/2 Coimbra to Mealhada

    16 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    For my first true day on the Camino, we traveled 23.3 kilometres from Coimbra to Mealhada while climbing 219 metres. According to my companions, this was a relatively boring leg as it was mostly over flat, paved terrain. For me, it was the perfect introduction to the Camino, particularly since the bulk of the distance was done under overcast skies with temperatures in the low 20s.

    Along the route we met up with the Dutchman, Wil, as well as Scott and Judy from California. All three drifted in and out of our group over the course of the day, until we reached Mealhada. At that point, Scott and Judy planned to travel back to Coimbra via train for the night and return to Mealhada in the morning.

    At about the 12 km mark we stopped for coffee and Pastel de Nata in Sargento Mor and then powered our way to lunch at Lenis-Bar in Mealhada. For €7.50, we had soup, a main course, salad, wine, dessert and coffee, all of which were delicious. We then checked in to the Oasis hotel and I had a deep afternnon nap before going out to buy supplies for breakfast in the morning. While at the store, we were unable to resist a bottle of tawny port for €5.99, which Brenda, Ernie, Anita, Wil and I promptly polished off in an impromptu gathering in the hallway outside our rooms.

    For dinner we gorged ourselves on some delicious vegan fare at Floresto do Leitoes.

    After dinner we waddled back to our rooms and prepared ourselves for our next early morning departure.

    A great first day on the camino    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 14/3 Mealhada to Agueda

    17 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today we walked 25.6 kilometers with 90% of our journey over paved roads. It wasn't the most scenic part of the Camino, but the weather was perfect for a long hike; mostly overcast with a slight breeze and temperatures in the low 20's.

    The short time we spent on the unpaved trails saw us go through areas forested with cork and eucalyptus trees. The aroma permeating the air in the eucalyptus grove was heavenly. I was just a little disappointed with the lack of Koala bears in the trees.

    We got under way this morning at 6:45 and couldn't stop for coffee until 9:15 in Avelhas de Caminho, 13.5 km into our walk. Sadly, by the time we arrived, the entire Pastel de Nata inventory had been sold and I had to content myself with a rather inferior pastry. I was happy to find they also had a gluten free cake for Brenda which, in the end was also less than satisfactory.

    Our next pit stop was just 4.5 kms later in Aguada de Baixo, after which we marched the remaining 7.5 kms into Agueda.

    Brenda, Anita, Ernie and I (The Core Four) were periodically joined throughout the morning by Wil and a young German woman, Maren, who is doing a solo Camino.

    When we arrived in Agueda at 1:00, The Core Four grabbed a table at a cafe right next to the trail, ordered some ice-cold beer and waited for our companions to arrive.

    We lunched at Balance Fitfood and had dinner at the upscale Manjar de Helena before calling it a night at 9:00.

    These early starts and long walks call for hitting the sack well before our regular bedtime.    En savoir plus

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    Day 15/4 Agueda to Albergaria a Nova

    18 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We started our day at 7:00 in a light mist and 18°C. Not wet enough for rain gear, but humid enough to cover my glasses with water. Our plan was to do a short 16 km walk to Albergaria-a-Velha and then Uber to Aveiro to enjoy a better choice of restaurants and accommodations, because today was no ordinary day on the Camino. Today my lovely wife turns sixty!

    As soon as we left Agueda, the path took a sharp upward route and had us climbing up 75 meters in only 3/4 km. My companions, who tell me they've already contended with much worse, made the climb look easy. Me, not so much. Our first opportunity for coffee came only 4 kms into the walk, so we decided to move straight on to the next, only 7.6 kms away.

    As we passed through the little town of Mourisca, we were astounded by the size and beauty of some very old mansions along the way. Some were pristine, others need a little TLC and a couple were abandoned and in complete disrepair. One looked like it could have been lifted from a Hitchcock movie. We had to wonder why so much wealth was at one time drawn to this out of the way little burg.

    After Mourisca we were treated to a short time on an ancient Roman road, flanked on both sides by a completely intact stone wall. On one side was a beautiful pond dotted with lily pads and off in the distance, atop a hill, was the local place of worship.

    As we traversed a bridge, overlooking the landscape in the distance we couldn't help but admire nature's beauty, despite being partially shrouded in mist.

    Since our 7km coffee stop turned out to be non-existant, we continued on to the 10km mark where we finally succeeded in getting an infusion of very good, and very welcome, caffeine. While there, the group decided it would be a better idea to finish our day in Albergaria-a-Nova, 7.5 kms past our original destination. We arrived there at around 1:30, stopped for a quick celebratory pint and then Ubered into Aveiro, straight to Cha & Bolachas, where we had lunch. Brenda had found this little restaurant that offers vegan and gluten free options, so it was a must for her special day. Although we all wanted a light lunch, the different bruschetta plates we all ordered were very substantial and so good that our plates were virtually licked clean. Before leaving, we all ordered a slice of gluten free cake to take away to top off tonight's dinner.

    After checking in, we started the birthday celebrations with a bottle of Vinho Verde at The Iron Duke Pub. Champagne was in order, but when in Portugal...

    Dinner was at Food K'Ort, an Indian restaurant located a one minute walk from our hotel. The food was delicious, plentiful and served by the most entertaining waiter I can ever recall having. We topped off the meal, and the evening, with a resounding version of Happy Birthday, as much of the gluten free birthday cake as we could eat, and a complimentary glass of Brandy from the chef. And just as we were about to leave, Happy Birthday and an accompanying video began playing on the house TV.

    A pretty darn good day all around.    En savoir plus

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

    19 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    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.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 17/6 Oliveira de Madeira to Grijo

    20 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    When we checked into our hotel yesterday afternoon, we were pleased to learn that it was four star rated AND breakfast was included in the room rate.

    As a result, The Core Four took full advantage of the "free" food and, by the time we completed our Uber ride, didn't arrive back in Sao Joao de Madeira to start our walk until 8:45.

    The day started out at 18 degrees and slowly crept up to 27 by the time we arrived at our destination in Grijo. The walk today had an elevation gain of 268 meters, considerably less than yesterday, and a distance of just 19.69 kms. In pilgrim terms: a relatively easy day.

    We spent most of the day walking through residential neighborhoods, but, to add some spice to our trek, on our first rest break at about 7kms, the cafe owner offered us some delicious cinnamon toast to go with our coffee.

    We also had various periods following the ancient Roman road, which somehow always brings me to reflect on how many others have trodden these same cobbles as I.

    At one point, we came across a group of bikers who were leaving their mark on a metal wall simply by writing on it with a finger, and I felt obliged to do the same.

    We arrived in Grijo shortly after 1:00 and took an Uber into Porto so that we can enjoy the charms she has to offer while we overnight here today and tomorrow.

    One of these charms that had Brenda salivating all day was a gluten-free bakery that offers GF Pastel de Nata. However, when we arrived at the shop, there were no Pasteles to be found! Forrunately, we were told a fresh batch would be ready within the hour, so we decided to go for an early dinner. Of course, dining in Europe before 7:00 is out if the question and two vegan restaurants we tried to patronize informed us they were closed until 7:00

    We ended up dining in the first place we found that offered a vegetarian burger and some typically delicious fries before returning to the GF bakery for Brenda's dessert. Although the crust didn't live up to the standard puff-pastry crust, Brenda thoroughly enjoyed the treat.

    We capped off our evening with a round of drinks on an outdoor patio with Anita and Ernie.

    Tomorrow we pick up where we left off in Grijo and will enjoy one more night in Porto before moving onward.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 18/7 Grijo to Porto

    21 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We took a very fast Uber ride from our Porto accommodations back to where we left the Caminho in Grijo yesterday afternoon, Mostreiro do Sao Salvador de Grijo.

    Our 16.25km walk was completed under overcast skies on a warm and very humid day. It felt like a storm was brewing all day long. Fortunately, no rain fell until we were back in Porto having lunch, as always, the Caminho took care of us.

    Today we walked along a very lengthy and steep stretch of Roman road, saw a rather erotically suggestive cactus and, before ending the pilgrim trail for the day at the Porto Cathedral, stopped for Port wine tasting at Calem Cellars on the south bank of the river.

    The tasting consisted of two wines from Douro, a red and a white, a white port, a late bottled vintage and a 10 year old tawny.

    We then crossed the bridge to the north bank and climbed many stairs to the Cathedral where we got our pilgrim passport stamped.

    Brenda and I went for lunch at a Brazilian restaurant and had tapioca crepes stuffed with pesto, cheese and tomato and an acai bowl for dessert.

    By coincidence, Anita's sister, Irene, and her husband, John, were also in Porto and we joined them for a pre-dinner drink before meeting Wil for supper at a very authentic Mexican restaurant. Who knew: good Mexican grub in Portugal?

    The Core Four wrapped up what felt like a day off with one last glass of port on a patio with Wil, who will continue his journey tomorrow on the Central route, while we switch to the Coastal route. We vowed to reunite once our paths reconvene further down the road.

    Another marvelous day on the Caminho.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 19/8 Porto to Vila do Conde

    22 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today we set off onto the classic Caminho coastal trail as we make our way north into Spain. Yesterday's weather forecast had called for overnight thunderstorms and light rain all Sunday morning. Brenda and I dutifully put the rain covers on our backpacks and had our umbrellas and raincoats close at hand when we departed Porto at 7:00. Anita went for full protection, wearing her rain jacket and rain pants.

    We had only gone a couple kilometers when lo and behold, we once again came across Wil, who was seated in a bus shelter. Yesterday he mentioned he had developed some pain in his right toe, and had gone to a clinic for some treatment. Sadly, this morning the pain was too great for him to continue and his fifth caminho came to a sudden end. He was waiting for his son to make arrangements for him to fly back to Amsterdam this afternoon. We're not sure if he or we were sadder about this development, but we wished him well and promised to stay in touch before saying au revoir.

    By 10:00 we had felt only one or two raindrops and the skies were turning blue. An ounce of prevention, I guess.

    We had planned to stop for coffee at around the 6 km mark, but made an early pit stop only 4 kms into our hike because we came across a pastry shop where people were lined up out the door. We weren't disappointed. I had the best Pastel de Nata yet, still warm from the oven, and Brenda's Bolo de Arroz was a big hit, much better than the one she had the other day.

    Our next break was at 12 kms at another very popular pastry shop where I couldn't resist having one of their almond tarts.

    The walk out of Porto was very unexciting, mostly through residential areas and industrial parks. We walked a very short distance along a Roman road and eventually came into an agricultural area where corn was growing everywhere we looked. We came across a small free-run farm where chickens, goats, pigs and even a peacock happily ran around the barnyard. It was nice to see animals being treated so well.

    Our third stop had been planned for around 18 kms, but there were no cafes or restaurants to be found, as is often the case on Sundays in Europe. At 22 kms we found a large shopping mall and stopped there for a surprisingly delicious lunch at the supermarket food court.

    The next 7 kms were mostly under bright sunshine and I was very happy when we stopped for a cool one at a patio filled with people only 400 meters from our hotel. We'll all be returning there for dinner tonight to take advantage of their 8 euro pilgrim's dinner special.

    This was my longest day on the Caminho and I was grateful the elevation gain was slight and gentle. Nonetheless, I'm pretty certain I'll sleep well tonight.

    Distance walked since Lisbon: approx. 402 kms    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 20/9 Vila do Conde to Esposende

    23 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    With another big walk ahead of us, we hit the road at 7:00 this morning under overcast skies and 17 degrees with a forecast of rain from 8:00 to 11:00.

    The first few kilometers of the day ran through residential neighborhoods with little excitement except for a trio of ducks waddling down the sidewalk. But, before we knew it, we were strolling oceanside along the longest boardwalk I've ever seen.

    We had planned to stop for coffee at A Ver-O-Mar, but found nothing open this Monday morning. We pushed on to the next town, Aguçadoura, located at the 10.9 km mark, and still had no luck until Brenda found a "top-rated" pastry shop 8 minutes off the Caminho trail. And that's where things got interesting.

    Yesterday, during dinner, one of Brenda's dental crowns disintegrated. We called our travel insurance provider who confirmed this was not covered by our plan, but gave us the name of a dentist in Esposende. While at the cafe in Aguçadoura, I managed to reach the dentist and, with my one month's Duolingo Portuguese training, succeeded in communicating Brenda's need for an emergency appointment that afternoon. And then the receptionist responded and totally lost me. Brenda turned to the couple seated at the table next to us and asked if they spoke English and they kindly offered to assist us. As it turned out, the woman is from Agaçadoura, but has been living in Toronto with her husband for the last eighteen years! Unfortunately, the dental office had no appointments available, but we were once again treated to the unbelievable kindness of the Portuguese people. On top of that, the pastries were outstanding.

    That little detour and chat with fellow Canadians put us far behind Anita and Ernie, but we caught up with them in Apulia at the 17.6 km mark. While we were chasing them down, the skies opened and we had our first real exposure to rain since I arrived. We walked for about ninety minutes in the rain, which was quite heavy at times. I'm pleased to report that my quick-drying clothing worked extremely well and was not even damp when we started back on the trail for the final 7 kms to Esposende.

    As luck would have it, Brenda managed to book a 4:00 dentist appointment and had a temporary crown installed on her exposed tooth.

    Tomorrow is another long day: 26.4 kms to Viana do Castelo as we get closer and closer to the Spanish border.

    They say that The Caminho will always take care of you and, with all our good fortune today, the proof was in the pudding.    En savoir plus

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  • El Camino

    Day 21/10 Esposende to Viana do Castelo

    24 mai 2022, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Our walk today started under cloudy skies with a slight wind and a cool 12 degrees. A fairly long 27 km journey was on the agenda along the Caminho's coastal route. Despite the coastal monicker, most of today's travels were on inland trails, with a couple of fairly long, steep stretches over difficult terrain. Other parts were through beautiful forested areas alongside a rapidly moving stream. The final couple kilometers were over a heavily trafficked bridge, high over the river where we were buffeted by extremely high winds. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the north shore.

    Brenda and I stopped for coffee at the 9.15 km mark in Belinho where we rejoined Ernita (our new name for Ernie and Anita) who had taken a route that more closely followed the coast. We didn't stop again until Chafe, 19 kms into our walk. We had a very substantial lunch but were seriously overcharged for the meal we had. On the plus side, it was very delicious and filling.

    On our journey today we saw a cactus on the verge of exploding into fill bloom, a trio of crucifixes where we suspect an annual recreation may take place during the Easter season, a lemon tree laden with grapefruit-sized fruit, several lovely and/or historic churches, a shrine to the Caminho, and, at our destination, Viana do Castelo, a hilltop cathedral, a street adorned with colorful umbrellas and a statue of a monk on his ass (donkey, that is).

    We wrapped up our day with a great meal just a stones throw from our hotel.

    Tomorrow is a short 18 km walk to our next destination. Let's hope it warms up a little before we hit the road on the morning.    En savoir plus

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