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Camino Portugues
  • Uncle Woully

Camino Portugues

A restart adventure with the extra time, trying to rejoin my friends on the Camino Frances. Lue lisää
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  • Matkan aloitus
    23. syyskuuta 2023
    Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Porto at night

    23. syyskuuta 2023, Portugali ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Just arrived and got settled into the hostel. Met Gordon, an Aussie and immediately dove into Camino talk, he has hiked from St Jean and it's doing the Portugues next. Twice. Once solo and then with a friend he met in Japan who has done Shikoku, which he encouraged me to follow up on as I told him I was going in March next year. He shared his pizza, we are both are coming out of a difficult relationship.

    I went out on the city as it is Saturday night and there has to be live music somewhere. The scene in Porto consists mostly of DJ bars, but I found a great busker and enjoyed the late night street food vibe.    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Porto to Esposende

    24. syyskuuta 2023, Portugali ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Right now I feel like a king leaning back into my recliner at the pool. But the day wasn't like that.

    I'm glad for the great lodging suggestion from Melanie who I met on the bus to Porto. 5 stars indeed.

    The Porto hostel was not a pilgrim hostel. Two to a bunk room we did our share of snoring deep and loud. Real man stuff. But this morning I woke to find my one bunk mate to be a woman and the song by Lou Reed - A Walk on the Wild Side - started playing in my head.

    I don't feel a thing about last night's late sortie on the city. The cup of coffee supplied by the hostel does wonders. I ride out without consulting any kind of map, as usual I let things unfold organically and I end up on the wrong side of town. I see a real day to day Sunday morning in Porto. Eventually I find myself on the Pedestrian bridge with the incredible views of the city. It's impressive and there is just a regular handrail which makes it truly airy.

    Pilgrims abound even as they blend into the tourists. I have a few short conversations but nothing serious. They walk, I ride so we can't stay connected. The summer weather and the vibe is comfortable.

    At the market on the way out, a piece of cheese got my goat and I had to return to get a second piece.

    The light house on the corner at the estuary gets hammered by the swell of an open ocean. It's a spectacle that receives the attention of thousands of hours of video daily. I bet it's all over YouTube.

    The vibe is not pilgrimage as I ride solo, it's really more of a gentle ride along a touristy beach and I feel like laying on the sand and get a tan. But I ride on and I get tired, the lack of sleep requires another shot of caffeine and I make my reservation to the albergue about 30km away. I think I can make it, but to be safe I take the busy rodeway. I managed to hammer it out but I had some doubts whether I would make it.

    It's a strange start for a Camino considering the absolute magic I experienced on the Frances. But I do hear great stories from the walking pilgrims, so I'll chalk it up to the bike mode. This one is much better to walk then bike.    Lue lisää

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  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja
    1

    Esposende - Caminha

    25. syyskuuta 2023, Portugali ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Yesterday's busy Sunday traffic subsided, I found quiet paths along the shore. I was definitely not on the Camino. The 88km intention melted under the warm sun and before I knew it I found myself on the beach.

    Got the take out lunch from the Aldi and they had nuts labeled for Trader Joe's. The entire haul was under 10 euro and a wonderful seaside lunch ensued. I had to get myself motivated to make a reservation somewhere and then buck up and ride. But first another beach side nap, then a lazy 40 minutes ride. It's vacation time. Camino?

    Camino walkers trend to drop into their bunks upon arrival and stay there. I need to get out and see the town. I go to dinner in the wonderfully laid out square and the Canadian couple, Roger and Trudy, next to me engages in a cross table conversation. Nice folks, he's is just retired at 54, she loves her job. No kids and loving their lives.

    They leave and I delve into writing this diary. I hear a polite 'excuse me'. It's the young Czech lady who walked into the hostel right behind me and I wasn't to shy to ask if she has dinner plans. She sits down with me and we have a beer. Clara is a teacher already 2 years working away from home in various places. She is wondering if she should go home or keep traveling. It's a very nice conversation. Back in the hostel she has some goat cheese that needs to be eaten and she whips up a nice salad. Meeting someone new and having a conversation like this is what the Camino is all about. Camino!    Lue lisää

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  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Caminha to Vigo

    26. syyskuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Two days ago I was King on a recliner at the pool, today I am a bum on a bench in a busy port city.

    This morning the fog rolled into the estuary. The bridge is gone, the ferry is broken, and so is the Portuguese government, incapable of fixing anything. But there is a funky little boat, the peregrino taxi boat taking 5 at a time across the 2km stretch of water. In the fog we couldn't see any land at all, lost at sea? Have trust in the captain, he knows the way. Suddenly we land on a sandy beach trudge ashore and find the boardwalk that leads through the Atlantic pine forest.

    This section of coast is absolutely gorgeous, just this part is worth doing the entire Camino Portugues for. But the rest isn't bad either, even entering the huge port city of Vigo has been made as good as it can be.

    Baionne is a resort city, but it is dominated by an impressive fort surrounded by 3km of defensible walls, I can't even imagine the building of it.

    I'm just about 2/3s done with this Camino and tomorrow is a rest day. It's time. I'm getting on a boat.

    Tonight is chill time. Read some and go to bed early.    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Isla Cies

    27. syyskuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today I need to solve a situation, where can I leave the bici while I'm on the island? Can't take it with me, can't leave it at the pellegrino albergue. So I found a sailboat moored on a cay out of the way and put it there as if it belongs to the boat. I had a nice chat with owner, he sailed all the way down from Sweden and he was tired, the big waves were hard on him and as the other captain said, either too much wind or none. Then there are the Orca pods. Incredibly they attack the rudders of small boats, break or bend them and strand the ship off shore. Forcing a distress call. I would think that should be an isolated incident but he mentioned over 100 boats had this happen in the last 2 years. Apparently a new phenomenon.

    Caught the boat to the Isla Cies. Got off. Found an isolated corner and laid down on a rock, wind in my hair, I rested there, solo, perfectly content just to be. What an awesome spot and how nice to remain motionless for the first morning in a month.

    Then I hiked to the peak and got some ocean views in. Upon return to the marina, the bike was still there. Tifa had bought a wifi extender and the French told me they were on their way to Madeira, Canary islands, Caribbean, Panama, the Pacific all the way to Fiji. That got my imagination going and I would have jumped on board in a second.

    I got lucky on my route finding to the hostel in Rodondela, solid legs and the utter best track by chance combined lead to a still reasonable dinner time. I would have liked Clara's cheery company for dinner but she is one town back. I made some notes in my little book and enjoyed the best ravioli of my life, a fantastic dinner but quiet.    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Rodondela to Villanove Arousa

    28. syyskuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Got up late after messing around with some reservations for the bus to Porto in order to fly out to the Azores, the boat reservation for the final part of the spiritual leg of the Camino Portuguese, as well as an albergue for tomorrow.

    9:30 start but it's okay. I'm not going to go all that far today, maybe halfway off the spiritual there are some hostels there. The legs are feeling really good after yesterday's rest and I'm cranking up the first hill, after already one wrong turn that cost me at least a few hundred extra vert. The Camino is loaded with pilgrims and a few large rocks for good measure. The coastal and the regular have combined after Redondela and it's busy.

    Pontevedra has a good lunch spot in the square with the doves and I set out on the spiritual. It is a huge climb that just goes with a few false summits. Being close to the ocean I didn't expect it nor had I checked for it.

    Once over the hill I still feel so strong that I decided to go all the way to the coast for 75km today and see if I can change tomorrow's reservation to today which turned out not to work out and I ended up in the publico. At least I have a bed and I'm dry. Can't change the boat either, so I might do a short local pedal or just stay put. Another test day can't hurt.

    The spiritual leg is absolutely stunning. I could not make any headway because I had to take pictures every fifty feet and I ended up carrying the bike quite a few times. The wet rocks were definitely not rideable.    Lue lisää

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  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Beach day

    29. syyskuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Drop dead gorgeous summer day in September. I'm getting so mellow on my own.

    Spent three hours at one table in a cafe.

    Spent five hours lazing about on a rock at the waters edge and got in a swim.

    A nice call with Eric and now watching the sunset from a different cafe with a French man who is now also on the phone. The conversation is pretty mellow and non-consequential.    Lue lisää

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  • Uncle WoullyCamino PortuguesMatkaaja

    Arousa Santiago Lugo

    30. syyskuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Exciting stage today taking the boat up the estuary to Padron and from there bike in about little over 20K to Santiago and that will be the end of Portuguese.

    On a bike it is sure a fast week to get that one in and it has been interesting to say the least.

    It's a wet morning with the few point near the ambiant temperature making for lots of fog right on the river and the hills but the rising sun is shining through for great light effects. Standing on the front deck powering into a headwind makes for a cold wake up call but it's so beautiful you cannot avoid standing there to take it all in. It's definitely a highlight of the coastal Portuguese Camino and the spiritual variant.

    Back on the bike I pass lots of pilgrims who come from the regular route. There is not much steep terrain and I make fast progress into Santiago. I had to good idea to ask Zuzanna if she was still there and to my surprise she is.

    First I go through the square and pick up my second Compostela. I had not crested a lot of emotion into this one after the Camino Francis being so amazing. But standing in the sun on the square it still gets me. There is so much emotionally charged energy from all the arriving pilgrims, that it's easy to pick up that vibe. I'm also fairly dehydrated at this point and getting loopy.

    It was really great to see Zuzanna again. I saw her last way back in Fromista. But we loosely kept in touch. She is an empath and is incredibly in touch with the magic of the Camino probably the most of anyone I have seen, then again everybody has their own intensity and experiences. Hers touch the mystical. She is a beautiful human being from the inside out I think the picture says it all.

    I got kicked off the ALSA bus due to my bicycle, that is not a friendly company. But Monbus was able to take me without any trouble for half the price. Phew, travel, you never know when you are thrown for a loop.

    Lugo is fully circled by a huge Roman wall, lots of activity on Saturday night and lots of young families. It's hot and dry and it's the opposite from this mornings clammy cold boat ride, it feels great.

    I meet Susanne from Minnesota and we chat a little in the park. She's on the Primitivo and she's feeling strong for her age. Eric isn't here to ask the insightful questions and the conversation fades. I'm hungry for some pizza and feed the monster.

    It's time for a shower and some live music, see what I can find.    Lue lisää

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    Matkan lopetus
    30. syyskuuta 2023
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