From a Distance – Oct. 11, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 28 / Vigo Baja to Redondela
  • Distance: 9.6 miles / Total 384.1 miles
  • Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
  • Ascent: 738’ Decent: 766’
  • Weather: 60-78 foggy becoming blue skies

The most advantageous views of Vigo, a bustling commercial harbor, is from a distance. Fog was suspended between the ocean and sky. The view down was tremendous.

Clouds over water.
Clouds over water.
Clouds over water.
Inspiration from today’s café.

Tap, Tap, Tap – Oct. 10, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 27 / Ramallosa Nigran to Vigo Baja
  • Distance: 13.7 miles / Total 375 miles
  • Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
  • Ascent: ?’ Decent: ?’
  • Weather: 60-65 degrees, rain becoming overcast

Tap, tap, tap…the sound is coming from the church. Its door is cracked open so I slipped inside. Restoration is a never finished task.

Iglesia San Salvador
Tap, Tap, Tap
Restoration
Iglesia San Salvador

Both’s Better – Oct. 10, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 27 / Ramallosa Nigran to Vigo Baja
  • Distance: 13.7 miles / Total 375 miles
  • Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
  • Ascent: ?’ Decent: ?’
  • Weather: 60-65 degrees, rain becoming overcast

Why have one or the other if you can have both? Start the day in the woods and end on the beach. Merging two routes is a bit dicey. One minute I’m spot-on according to the GPS and minutes later I’m way off base. A local offers gloriously simple redemption, “Just keep walking any street that goes down and you’ll end at the beach.” I pocketed my devise and let gravity lead the way.

In the woods.
On the beach.
Why let a little rain get in you’re way?
By land or by sea, my feet still ache.

Baggage Service – Oct. 8, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 25 / A Guarda to Mougas
  • Distance: 12.9 miles / Total 350.5 miles
  • Time: 6 hours
  • Ascent: 737’ Decent: 772’
  • Weather: 62-72 degrees, clear & sunny

Not wanting to end the day with exhaustion and sore feet, I used a baggage service. It was easy enough to purchasing a $4 zipper cloth bag for the nonessential. I’ve risen to a new standard. Happy feet!

Sweet deal… €6 ($5.85) per transfer.
Pebble Painting.
With a 6:00am start, two people were ahead and four were behind me. Our headlights glowed like fireflies against the black sky.
Coastal Route.
Sadder times.

No GPS – Oct. 7, 2022

  • Distance: 13.2 miles / Total 337.6 miles
  • Portuguese Camino: Day 24 / Vila Nova de to A Guarda, SPAIN
  • Time: 7 hours
  • Ascent: 604’ Decent: 610’
  • Weather: 62-77 degrees, clear & sunny

Few pilgrims use the variant I chose. Hence, it doesn’t warrant GPS tracking. How is it that the simplest of written directions can be so baffling? When all else fails, Google map to the rescue.

Walk by the river.
Collecting pine tree sap.
Love the colors and angles.
A Guarda harbor.
Sun street art.

Baby on Board – Oct. 6, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 23 / Vila Praia de Ancora to Vila Nova de Cerveira
  • Distance: 14.7 miles / Total 324.4 miles
  • Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
  • Ascent: 681’ Decent: 644’
  • Weather: 62-73 degrees, clear & sunny

Baby on board. Stackable…backpack, baby seat. When mother and baby took the bed beside me, I admit I was less than hospitable. Think about it from the mother’s perspective as she could never set the baby down. No showers or trips to the toilet without infant. Feeding is simple…breast feed. But what about the diapers? I can’t imagine a box of pampers in her backpack. I hadn’t the constitution to ask.

Mom and baby nap after early morning feeding.
Osprey baby- backpack.
Eight month old baby girl. FYI Mother buys Pampers on the Way.

Double-Up – Oct. 6, 2022

  • Portuguese Camino: Day 23 / Vila Praia de Ancora to Vila Nova de Cerveira
  • Distance: 14.7 miles / Total 324.4 miles
  • Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
  • Ascent: 681’ Decent: 644’
  • Weather: 62-73 degrees, clear & sunny

Strategic planning lets me double-up. After today’s 14 mile walk, I grab a train followed by a taxi to Tui, Spain. It’s a crown jewel on the Portugués Camino Central Route. The second time I walked past the convent, the door was open. Inside I was greeted by a visitor. She explained the five resident cloistered nuns made and sold the most delicious cookies. Who could resist? To prevent interaction with the secular world, a revolving pass-through door was used. This enabled the nun (50-years in residence) to sell me cookies without setting eyes on me.

Convent
Some never leave once they enter…
Passageway.