fleetfootkath

It was Anne’s birthday yesterday so she got to lead the pace as we departed Redondela. We took it easy and met up with a father and son who were walking together. The father has walked several Caminos since he retired and feels healthy and fit and at peace. His son said he would like to do one with him because he had a stressful job. The son has been amazed how unstressed he was now. He could barely think of work at all. The walking had also brought him closer to his father. He and Bill had a long chat about languages and other things. Irene commented on how life had become simple while doing the Camino. She felt that she was able to let thoughts go more easily and was more relaxed now too. She had started to feel sorry about finishing soon. We all said our feet and bodies get tired but we still feel better overall.

It was a beautiful walk with a few tough hills to keep us interested and give us good views but mostly we walked through forest and on dirt paths and at last alongside a stream. It was very pleasant and so much softer underfoot.plus the birds are so pretty to hear.

We are starting to see many pilgrims now that the path has merged with the Portuguese Central Way. There are many young people, some in groups, some alone. Many of the girls are travelling solo. There are couples, some oldies and some young, some who walk hand in hand which is beautiful to see. We have met many different nationalities too. I started chatting to a young guy who was with a group of young men carrying a cross. He said he was Italian and he was finding it a bit of a challenge up the hills. They were taking turns at carrying the cross. I tried my basic Italian out and he corrected me politely and we laughed and then it was Arriverderci and Buen Camino and he ran to catch his mates. One young Polish couple we spoke with tried to teach us how to say Mount Kosciuszko with the correct pronunciation. We were not great students but we had a few laughs at our attempts.

As we walked up a hill I started talking with a couple we have passed a few times this day. They were Henry and Lou from Dallas, Texas. He had just retired from running his Chinese restaurant. He was from Hong Kong and was a little surprised when I told him my husband had been from Hong Kong too. It turned out it was his birthday so he and Anne had a photo together to celebrate that coincidence. What would be the odds that you meet someone on the same Camino with the same birth date?

We crossed this old Roman bridge, the Ponte Sampaio, where there had been a major battle in the Peninsula war between Napoleon and Spain and the French were routed and ousted From Galicia. While we were taking photographs a group of Spaniards asked us to take a photo of them at the bridge. They also asked why my husband was riding a bike. I promptly pointed to Irene and told them Bill was her husband. We explained that he had broken his foot and that this was the only way he could join us. We told them we often suggested he scout ahead to save us making the wrong turns! They laughed. The trouble is sometimes when Bill does scout ahead he is watching the road or going up a hill and can’t always see the arrows. He had that mishap yesterday and had climbed a steep hill only to find he had missed the turn off. The good side was the quick downhill to the correct turn off!

We lunched by a fountain. It never fails to amaze me the number of ancient water courses or springs that supply these fountains and still do after hundreds of years. From a country like Australia which always has issues with drought it is a miracle.

We arrived in Pontevedra and settled into our hotel. Another birthday present for Anne was a bath! She had been fantasising about a soak. Fully refreshed we were faced with the dilemma of dinner again. Because it was Anne’s birthday we wanted to go somewhere good and as it was a public holiday (May day) we were unwilling to walk to the old part of town if places were not open. What were we thinking, it’s Europe and Spain and lots of bars were open. Once we found the old town it was abuzz. Pontevedra was one of the first cities to fully pedestrianise its old city centre and has become a showcase for the world winning many awards. It has meant a preserved city but also a flourishing city centre. It has a myriad of charming plazas. This sculpture of famous Gallicians and Anne was at the first square we came across.

This is the famous Chapel of the Virgin Pilgrim which is shaped like a shell.

We had a recommendation for a restaurant from the guy on reception and we were searching for it when we happened on this great Tapas place with a witch on a broomstick as it’s motif. It was modern and the food was fantastic and they served Ruby Port! Another birthday treat for Anne.

Time was moving along so we figured we could fit in another bar before the restaurant but with great delight the bar we selected was the restaurant. The sign said they feed athletes! We thought we were the correct customers then. The maître de spoke with us but said the restaurant was full. We could sit downstairs though on the high stools and we had the best shared plates. This place had a Michelin recommendation so we were thinking the credit cards might be required! While we ate their were queue out the door.

Those were the best pork ribs I have had in years and everything was gorgeous. Best of all it only cost €75 including the wine! Brilliant value, brilliant quality and a great example of modern International cooking. We were very happy pilgrims.

We hit under 90 kms today! The walk out of Vigo was uphill as most pilgrimages are and we soon found ourselves in a road above Vigo, able to see down into the river most of the way. I keep thinking it is a harbour but it is actually the Rio Vigo estuary and it is very wide ( 7 km at its widest) and extends 35 kms north east. It is famous for boating, fishing and shell fishing. We saw lots of oyster farms or mussel farms all around the estuary. It had the most mesmerising blue, especially today because we had a perfect walking day. Blue skies and sunshine, but not more than low 20s in temperature and as well, quite a bit of forest shade too.

Once we left Vigo we had no coffee shops till almost the end of the walk. I saw the sign for a bar and even though it was a stiff 15 metre climb up to it, we decided to have a break. We had completely forgotten the left over tortilla from last night that I was carrying!

The temptation of a chai tea and dark beer chocolate cake was too much for us! It was so nice to get something different to drink (though alcohol is always nice)! Irene even had something lactos free. The young couple were very friendly and used to pilgrims and I imagine pilgrims are their main source of income. Their menu was certainly more trendy with chai and lactos and gluten free options. One pilgrim had left his water bottle on the table and the young man took after him on foot but couldn’t catch him. He said he would go later to town and try a few Albergues. He told us he had cousins in Sydney and was hoping to go in September sometime for about 6 weeks. This place had a magic view too.

We saw this very attractive bridge crossing the estuary.

The descent into Redondela was fairly brutal. Tarmac and steep the whole way. Anne was feeling her feet and hips suffering. Irene was walking strongly but seemed exhausted when we finally arrived. Going down hills is always more difficult on your knees, hips and ankles. I felt my feet getting tender and the knee I had trouble with was a bit tender too. Once on the flat all was okay. Bill had a great day with hardly any traffic and a flat ride till the end.

For the first time when we reached a town we saw lots of pilgrims and there must be at least ten or more Albergues here. We stayed in two apartments that were side by side. On arrival there was one moment of missed heartbeat when we couldn’t find 3 of the bags. They had come early and been put into a cupboard which was then overcrowded with other bags outside. Green walks had not failed us. Our apartment had a washing machine so we promptly washed and spun dry a few garments. I had to scrape a few bits of sard soap into the soap part and then we rubbed sard onto the clothes. They took a while but eventually were washed. It is always a challenge to work the washing machines. Bill has used some laundromats and the water and soap are all pre-mixed! Now that is convenient. We had a clothes horse and heater so we expected the clothes to dry fairly quickly. That is a luxury. In Albergues there is always a clothes line but apartments and hotels just don’t have those facilities so we drape in the bathroom or hang in the cupboards.

We took a wander around town and found an ice cream parlour. With ice-creams in hand we adjourned to a nearby park to relax and enjoy not walking! We were quite fascinated by a steel railway bridge that actually crosses the town in two diagonal lines at above roof height. It is quite attractive actually. I thought about the sky train at home and all the hullabaloo. We also noticed lots of plastic bottles recycled as decorative flowers in the lanes and on the buildings. Apparently there had been a recycling festival in the town for a week. They looked remarkably attractive.

The town has a small old part with winding streets and the shopping always seems to be discreet. Not many have large windows or streets of shop after shop with big plate glass windows. They are even set back from the footpath sometimes.

We had the usual problem of finding a place to eat early enough. Most of the bars open at 5 and restaurants about 7.30 pm if you are lucky. We stopped at a bar for a drink and were given a small plate of cheese and bread with a drizzle of olive oil as well as a bowl of sunflower seeds and a bowl of jubes. This is the custom here and it is usually complimentary. Sometimes you could eat that and have a salad and go to bed!

Everyone was quite tired and we flirted with the idea of buying food from the supermarket but the choices were not as good as we had had in Porto so we ditched that and found a cafe that was offering a €10 meal of 2 dishes, cake, drink and coffee for pilgrims. We all opted for Gazpacho which was fabulous. The peppers filled with seafood had only a mere whiff of seafood but were okay, and the cake was very nice. We had a passable glass of red and a good coffee. Not a bad meal for the price. There was certainly sufficient to satisfy us. By now we were all desperate to get back to the apartment but the town was just starting to buzz. A pilgrims lot is to eat early and sleep well, to rise early and start afresh the next day.

After a three night respite from packing suitcases we hit the road again. Bill had to leave early because he had to ride back to our finishing point yesterday while we ladies were able to catch a taxi. We did take his backpack for him. It was quite busy but he made good time and we were only waiting about 10 minutes before he arrived. It was so misty this morning yet not cold. Bill had a great photo of the harbour as still as a mill pond.it felt a little odd to take off from the middle of our day’s distance but this has been the nature of this trip. The distances have been customised so the walking day is not too long, especially for Bill who has a damaged foot. It is a more relaxing walk and there is plenty of time to see the countryside and the towns.

We had all read our notes and wanted no repeat of yesterday’s confusion. We were determined to be vigilante about yellow arrows. We had a few discussions over interpreting the notes and Bill engaged the GPS app that is part of the kit, but which we have found very hard to use. Eventually we arrived in Vigo after a delightful walk. The sun was out and although cool initially it warmed up towards the afternoon.

This church of San Pedro de Matamá had unusual roof decorations. It was a Romanesque style inside.

At lunch time as we entered Vigo and came across the Parque de Castrelos. Here the notes were so ambiguous we all had different views. In the end after eating lunch and resuming the walk we determined that we had entered a main gate rather than the subsidiary gate and we were actually on track. A woman suggested we visit the castle that was at the top of the hill and as it was on the way we did. The castle Quinones de Leon itself was not open( it is Monday!) but the gardens were and they were beautiful. There were magnolia trees that had trunks like old gum trees! There were camélias that were equally as old and the size of trees. It was such a lovely uplifting garden. They are restoring its maze too. Apparently Marie Antoinette used to visit. This is a magnolia tree!

It even had exposed roots like Moreton bay fig trees. They are hard to see in the shadows.

As we left the castle we saw the yellow arrows again! We followed them for a long time along a little stream not unlike the Philosopher’s Walk in Kyoto. Once again we started to climb and we then had a decision. Follow the arrows or the GPS to the hotel. We opted for the GPS as it was closer by that route and it was warmer now.

When we arrived at our hotel after a bit of Discussion about the best way to cross the four lane road, the manager at reception kept putting the incorrect passports with Bill ‘s! Irene had to say eventually she and Bill had the matrimonial and Anne and I had the share. He just couldn’t get the passports sorted. Not very inspiring and an uninspiring Camino stamp too! When we collected our luggage Anne’s Green walks tag had fallen off and I thought she had lost it so I asked for a photocopy of mine to attach to her bag. He was very quick to do that so that was reassuring. Then when we moved Anne’s bag it had fallen on the floor underneath so we were relieved. The luggage shifting has been excellent. Always there on our arrival.

Bill has walked a lot today and scouted ahead. He has earned his big beer again.

Anne had good news from Sophie this morning. She didn’t need to have the operation to drain the cysts that have contributed to her serious illness. They seem to be draining of their own accord. It seems that very very gradually she is getting better. It is such a relief. We continue to light candles for her wherever we can.

One of the creatures I have met along the way was a very friendly donkey. He just loved having his ears scratched..

We had a budget meal tonight in a cafe because no other places were open. It was a very generous amount of tapas and not great wine. We have tasted better but the willingness of the waitress and the cheap cost compensated. Today we only spent €15 per person.

We are not in the old part of town here in Vigo so it is hard to see its charm. It seems more like a working city. It is one of the largest provincial towns in Spain that is not a Capital of a region. There was this quite arresting statue in the centre of a roundabout as we walked out for dinner. The sculpture is of five horses ascending on a waterfall driven by an intrinsic energy. The sculptor Juan Oliviera is renowned for his horse sculptures and is known as “The Lord of the horses”.

For the first time we had internet and energy to play the Age weekend quizzes after dinner. Now that is an improvement in stamina.

We were expecting a fairly cushy walk today of only 15kms but we were so wrong. The trail was well marked nearly all the way till we got to an overpass. On the way I was interested to see a few fountains that people still take water from. This one not far out of town was restored in 1593-1734 and 1993 and was still being used.We crossed a mid 13th C bridge which had a very amusing folk tale attached to it. The bridge was built with arches for pedestrians to get out of the way of carts. In the middle was a cross with the image of Saint Telmo the patron saint of sailors. On a stone table, the altar piece had three souls. Fertility rites were celebrated upon this bridge. After midnight, women who couldn’t get pregnant had to persuade the first man crossing the bridge to pour water onto their wombs and be godfather to their babies. We think they white washed that tale!

At the highway there were conflicting arrows. One path went beside a little creek and the other went over the road via a blue overpass. Anne and I took the overpass because there were more arrows pointing that way. Bill and Irene who were a bit behind us took the stream. Anne and I waited about 20 mins then rang Bill to find out where they were. Once we had made contact Anne and I decided to continue and Bill and Irene eventually caught us up. We stopped at a grassy spot for lunch and for Irene and Bill to catch their breath.

There was a beautiful brown horse in the yard opposite. Irene had left her sticks against the fence and he started to nibble them. I was chatting to him and decided to give him half my apple. He seemed to be rather excited by that. He was quite friendly and let me pat him and took the apple gently. He must stand there pretty frequently to get the attention and snacks from pilgrims.

Some signs we saw along the way on a wall.

We resumed our path and crested the hill where we found a few bars which our notes suggested would be a good place for lunch as there was nothing till the end from now on. We had no need for more sustenance so we continued up into the forest. There had been many steep inclines through semi rural areas and we all stripped off our outer layers. We made quite brisk time till the hill top forest, then it all went pear shaped. No arrows to be seen to guide us. There were three roads and the notes seemed ambiguous. Bill gallantly rode down a steep incline to see if that had arrows but he didn’t see any and returned UP again, so we took the path straight ahead that a woman had assured us was the way.

Unfortunately it wasn’t. We walked along a dirt road for what seemed like ages. We could see the town below us but no path appeared to take us down. I was tracking our distance and we were almost at our 15 km goal but not the end of the walk. Eventually we resorted to google maps and took a logging track down the hill. It was amidst a blue gum forest and the path was rough and ungraded with loose stones. Anne was anxious about her knee. Bill had to manage the bike and his sore foot and Irene was feeling really tired. As we got further down the hill my spirits lifted because the houses were getting closer and eventually we emerged onto a street at the very edge of the town. We went straight down to find our destination, the 12 th Century Church of St Salvador de Coruxo. And it wasn’t even open. Here we saw a few pilgrims again and yellow arrows.

Others had had difficulty with this stage too so we didn’t feel too bad but we had walked a couple of extra kilometres over really rough terrain. We felt very pilgrim like!

We then found a cafe where we got our well earned stamp and had drinks while we waited for the taxi to come and return us to Baiona. It will bring us back tomorrow to start the next leg from here. Poor Bill had to ride back to Baiona and will have to ride out again tomorrow because there are no vans available to transport his bike. He will have earned his Cerveca Grande( large beer). The next leg will take us on to Viga and we won’t be so blasé!

We had scheduled a rest day in this town and so after breakfast we explored the Monterreal Fort which is at the Monte Bois peninsula. It has been inhabited as a walled precinct for over 2000 years with the Celts, Phoenecians and Romans befor Christian settlement. The town was developed by royal decree from King Alfonso lX and was subject to many attacks from corsairs (pirates). There are really only the walls left of the fort but it is impressive from the land and harbour..

The tourist office had a good booklet of a few historical walks we could do in town or rather use to identify the objects we had seen already! There is a replica caravel ( ship) of the Pinta on which Pinzon and Columbus sailed to the new world and on which they returned to Spain and visited Baiona.

This event was also commemorated in a sculpture portraying the meeting of the old world and the new world and was placed on the area where an American Indian, who had returned with the explorers was buried.

Irene and Bill went off for a rest and Anne and I decided to go and put our feet in the ocean. We walked the length of the promenade to a beach where we found some unique shells and waded in the very cold water. It was lovely to wander on the sand and then over to another sculpture and little chapel.

The chapel of St. Marta had been sacked by Sir Francis Drake, described here as a pirate supported by the Queen of England, Elizabeth 1. He sailed into Baiona to capture Spanish gold and found the town unprotected, but a Spanish army was galvanised and fought back to recapture the town. In the fighting Drake burnt the church which was later rebuilt.

We met Bill and Irene in the bar and headed of for a drink and dinner. After last night’s blow out we were looking for something simpler but after strolling around we saw this gourmet gin bar that served Tapas. It was very trendy and we succumbed to the quirkiness. Anne was feeling all puffy from her cold still and didn’t want any photos so we chose to sit in what had been the fire place. She and I were somewhat concealed by the overhang of the mantle. We ordered fancy cocktails and mocktails which were quite delicious and a few tapas which were all so tasty. We ended up over budget again. Just as well we are getting our lunches free at this hotel!

That night we slept well in our new room insulated from the street and overlooking a skywell-no view. Irene said she had heard us laughing because they are above us and face towards the sea but overlook the lightwell too.

We were assured of lots of cafes on the way today so no lunch required but the toilets were a long way apart! The trouble with a coastal walk is the lack of bushes and the open nature of the walk. There were some tense times for us all. Eventually we headed into the hills and some genuine steep inclines. After all the flat walking it came as a shock. There were quite a few packs of cyclists and some found the rocky decline challenging. It was hard for Bill to push his bike up the hill and then negotiate the descent. I think we all enjoyed the change of environment but we still had glimpses of the coast. This part of the coast of Spain is called the coast of death because of its rugged rocky coast on which many ships had foundered.

We met a few new pilgrims from America and lots of Italian and Spanish cyclists whizzed by scaring me witless. They are so focused on the terrain and they don’t have anything as sissy as a bell.

It was a lovely walk through eucalypts again. They are so common here and in Portugal that it seems a bit surreal. No wonder they are suffering the forest fires that are so familiar to us.

We entered Baiona and stopped at a very old church with most unusual features. We discovered later it was Saint Liberata’s Sanctuary. It was built in 1695 and dedicated to Saint Liberata, her sisters and her nursemaid Sila. She was the first Christian woman to receive martyrdom on the cross. The high altarpiece represents scenes from her life and also an equestrian figure of the Aposttle Santiago.

We stopped for refreshments at a cafe but while the German women pilgrims were there everyone was smoking and nobody was offering service. We decided to move on and round the corner we found a fabulous cafe where the Empanada had just come from the oven and there were no smokers. We saw the Canadians from Victoria B.C. who recommended the pizzas too. It was delicious and such a nice change from our usual fare. They directed us to our hotel which was at the bottom of the street.

Anne and I were delighted with our room because it had a large bath and roomy bathroom. We both took a long soak. I have begun to get into the swing of a good soak after a walk. It is such a treat. After we had bathed and washed our clothes our pristine bathroom looked like a laundry. This place had lots of hangers too!

All spruced up we went for a wander around town. It is a pretty place on a large round bay and with the sun out and the sea sparkling it was very attractive.

We were in the quaint old part of town and eventually we settled on a restaurant that would take us for dinner at 7.30 pm. We had a lobster paella which was delicious though the local lobsters were fairly small. Bill just about catapulted his rice and lobster across the table in his attempt to get the meat out of the shell. It was a messy, delicious and expensive experience. Our budget was blown big time.

Replete, we returned tired and ready for bed. Anne was struggling still with her cold and desperate for sleep. I heard this snapping sound and when we looked into the square we could see the bar putting the chairs away. It was 10.00pm and we were delighted. Our delight was short lived. The street either side of the hotel is sprinkled with little bars and restaurants which only start at 10 pm. The revellers caroused all night till 5.30 am. We couldn’t sleep at all, even with the double glazed windows closed. At about 6 I finally drifted off to sleep, only to be woken at 8 am for breakfast. Irene and Bill had also had the same problem. This is the disadvantage of being in the old part of town!

We both decided we needed to change rooms if we were here for three nights. The guy at the hotel said initially it was a holiday and shrugged but we were not deterred and asked for a room away from the street. By the end of breakfast the reception staff had found us an internal room so we shifted straight away.

What a day! We went from dry to wet all day. Leaving the hotel we were engulfed in a downpour of such ferocity the rain was horizontal. By the time we arrived at the ferry it had passed and while waiting we met a Canadian couple from near Niagara Falls. We shared our common dislike of the cobblestones that have beset us all. I met an Irish guy, Colin later in the day and he called them the hobblestones!

The ferry crossing was uneventful despite the blustery weather. The Minho river is very wide here and there were about 28 pilgrims aboard who seemed to disperse quickly once we landed at A Guarda. It never fails to surprise me how a group of pilgrims can seem to disappear in such a short time. We have started to see some familiar faces now and some are also on the Portugal Green walks organised tours. Because everyone customises the walk we seem to stay at some of the same places or walk different distances.

We soon found a coffee stop for our first Spanish break and after Irene and Anne set off first. Bill and I were still getting organised when another deluge caught us unaware. I made a dash for cover to get my poncho on but missed the arrows. Soon I heard this high pitched whistle and it was Irene trying to get my attention before I went too far. Thanks to Kim who had given her the whistle. I rejoined them just when the lightening and hail started. We sheltered in a doorway for the worst of it to pass and set off again. We seemed to go in a complete circle but it gave Anne and I time to find a church for our candle lighting ritual. More rain then blazing sunshine. After very clear markings we lost the arrows but continued towards the beach. As we emerged from our street we saw a whole posse of pilgrims stream past. We wondered what route they had taken because we haven’t seen any for at least 15 minutes. These were in fact a new group we think started in A Guarda, perhaps a parish pilgrimage. They were of all ages and in high spirits and crowded the path. Anne and I took to the road to pass them but the group engulfed Irene and in her attempt to get out of the group she slipped on wet boardwalk and tumbled down, grazing her arm. We all eventually overtook them and looking back they seemed like a group of zombies after us!

From A Guarda we were on rugged, rocky coastline buffeted by showers, hail and intermittent sunshine. It was quite invigorating but we eventually started to feel cold. In our haste to bypass the Zombies we forgot to stock up on lunch and were contemplating a day of sesame snacks and mixed nuts! We were flagging when we happened on a pop up cafe. An enterprising young lad had converted a container to a shop and added a dome tent for seating and shelter. He offered tortillas, bocadillas, cakes and coffee. It was like an oasis( but no toilet). He sold us lunch with a minimum of words and us pointing to what we wanted. Three? All? €12. He had a captive market and when it was quiet he watched TV or played video games. Soon other pilgrims streamed in and the tent was crowded.

We arrived soon after at Oia. We had met Colin the Irish guy from Donegal who was walking in shorts and sandals and I had enjoyed talking about his walks in England. He was continuing on to Mougás so we wished him Buen Camino and parted ways. We went in search of our hotel and just as we found it we were drenched by another burst of rain.

The private monastery of Santa Maria la Real is a 12 Century Romanesque origins are behind a Baroque facade from the 18 th Centipury.

Oia is only tiny and very exposed to ocean breezes. The wind was blowing so hard you could hear the whistle and howl around the windows of the hotel. Our host at the hotel Raiña was deaf. He used the phone to communicate with us quite efficiently. By the time we got settled we were all cold. Fortunately we had good heating and managed to dry everything overnight. We had a pilgrim menu because we couldn’t bear to go out in the weather again. The waitress was also deaf and with hand signals and lip reading we all managed to get what we wanted for dinner. It was a simple but tasty meal though the wine was a bit fizzy!

We were all happy to go to bed!

Another wet and blustery start but an invigorating walk along the coast with pounding surf. I had heard it during the night but had no idea we were only a block back from the esplanade. Before we set off Bill and Irene went to charge their phones while Anne and I visited the church. The ladies cleaning the church drew our attention to the glass cupboard with a statue of St James and so we were able to get a stamp for our Pilgrim Passport. We lit candles for Sophie, Anne’s daughter and our families. They wished us well and bade us Buen voyage with such warmth.

We also ventured into a jewellery store where the traditional Portuguese filigree jewellery was displayed. I haven’t bought any souvenirs in Portugal so I bought a small pair of traditional heart of Viana earrings. Irene bought a modern pair and Anne bought a pair too. The jeweller was having a good morning! He was also happy to talk to us.

Irene said the young woman who served them at the phone shop was doing the Camino 1 day a month and was so excited to talk to them about it. All up we didn’t leave town till nearly 10 am. We were having a short day though and before we knew it we were in the next town. The cooler weather was easier to walk in and we we are getting stronger. Anne was not so good because she seems to have developed a sinus infection and found today tough. I had added nothing to my boots today and my feet felt fine. No cobblestones and a short day, perfect. Caminha was an important fortress town for the Celts and the Romans. It sits near the mouth of the Minho River. It was a major port until Viana de Castelo was developed as a port. In the 16 th C. Today it is just a small fishing village with a ferry to Spain.

TheTorre do Relogio clock tower dates from the 13th century and was once a gateway to the medieval defensive walls of the city.

We need to catch a ferry across to Spain from here and it only goes twice in the mornings, 9 and 10 am. Hence our very short day. We wandered around town to find a lunch place and until we could check in at 2.30. The weather had turned cold and foul so we were grateful to get into our rooms. This hotel is called the Design and Wine. It is very modern with rooms having musical themed names. Anne and I are in the classic room which has a Mozart digital type print on the glass bathroom wall and musical notes on the wall. It is another hotel where there is no privacy on the toilet. The shower at least has frosted glass but the toilet stands exposed in all its glory. It also has this fancy shower I couldn’t quite work out. It sprays from the wall and the roof too! I couldn’t work out exactly what all the knobs did but I managed to shower and wash my clothes anyway.

I showered first and washed my clothes while Anne took to her bed. She had got some other Sudafed type drug this morning from the pharmacy to help the sinus but felt completely washed out.

The weather outside was like winter so we decided to stay in and eat at our hotel. Everything is very quiet. We opted for a paella tonight and it was delicious. Anne and I followed with a taste of Portuguese which was a Swiss roll filled with marmelade paste( think quince paste like) and cheese and grapes. It seemed odd but the cheese complemented the cake and the grapes were refreshing. All through the meal there was lightening and thunder. We hoped it would be gone in the morning.Tomorrow is a public holiday for Liberation day. We are sorry we will miss the celebrations because we cross into Spain.

We set off in the wet today which is always a bit miserable. The Way was well marked and we soon left the suburbs behind and entered some coastal villages. We were actually travelling in the hills behind the towns and so there were few cafes. Fortunately there was bush for a couple of comfort stops! We walked through lots of Gum trees today and we felt like we could be in Sherbrooke forest again. The path was more varied with muddy patches, rocky tracks and our nemesis the cobblestones. Lots of winding lanes and mossy walls. We could see glimpses of the sea at times and even hear the surf. It was a pretty walk.

By the time we found the second cafe we were wet and cold and so was every other pilgrim! It was a hole in the wall place and jammed with pilgrims having coffees and hot chocolates, standing room only. A couple of locals popped in and watched us and then were served their port or wine at 11.30. There was a great atmosphere. Suitably refuelled we walked on and when the sun came out we decided to take the opportunity and perched on the base of a monument to have our lunch of cheese bread and ham.

Irene was in need of a toilet and a gentleman was walking past and started to speak to us. We had a lot of difficulty understanding him but Irene used her Spanish to ask where some toilets might be. This he understood and offered to take her to his home just a couple of houses away. She was very relieved and grateful. Apparently his wife was there too and they were offering her food and beverages. She reluctantly declined explaining that we had lunch. She was so touched by their generosity. Irene has had some very moving experiences and I think that is Camino magic.

Bill had a tough day with the bike. Lots of stairs, and rough rocky tracks. He stopped to talk to a woman who was going the opposite way. She was walking back from Santiago the coastal way after walking to Santiago the inland route! She said she loved walking and had completed 15 Caminos. She warned Bill the next stage would be hard with the bike and she was correct!

I saw the old wash house which was full of tubs with fresh running water. Very communal but cold in winter!

There were no shelters or seats even until we were almost at the end. Despite that disadvantage we made good time and enjoyed the walk.

We came across some interesting objects in a garden. They were all painted red and many were farm implements or pots or any paraphernalia, painted red. It was a quite amusing collection.

At our hotel in Âncora we were all thrilled to find we had a bath. What heaven to soak in a hot bath then have a shower. Ahhh! Fully refreshed we lounged in our rooms till happy hour where we discovered a barman, Andre, who had a bald head, lush beard and a fun personality. Irene has gone alcohol free again So she had two mock tails but Anne and I wanted something hot. So he made us a hot brandy toddy. It was delicious and warmed us up without knocking us out.

We decided to eat a pilgrims meal tonight. And for €16 each we got Vegetable Soup, Veal stew and mash( yum) followed by lime mousse and it included a glass of wine and a coffee. It was a very tasty meal. It has been a great day.