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Signs along The Way

Posted in Camino 2017, It's my life, My European travels, project 101, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged Camino de Santiago, camino portuguese coastal route, my life, Portuguese Coastal Route, signs along the way, Travel, walking the camino, wordpress, writing on October 10, 2017| 2 Comments »

The signs along The Way are many. When I first started planning my Camino I joined a number of Facebook pages and groups and started reading blogs. And, although I saw a few photos of the Camino waymarkers and some of the yellow arrows, I didn’t realise how plentiful they would be.

Bom Caminho Buen Camino Good Journey

My initial impression was that you would HAVE to follow the guide books and to that end I bought one about the Portuguese Coastal Route, which I studied intently, meaning to take copies with on the journey, but forgot. So, while in Porto, in a panic and before I started, I had my daughter photograph each relevant page and whatsapp them to me. For no reason. As it turned out, the signs were virtually every 500 meters.

The Way is incredibly well marked with arrows, the Camino scallop shell signs and waymarkers showing the distance in kms, until they didn’t – weirdly they came to an abrupt end just as I reached Santiago.

Update: 24/11/2017 – I just found out who paints all those arrows and maintains the various markers along the routes. They’re on Facebook as: Asociación Galega de Amigos do Camino de Santiago. A big shout out to them for all the hard work they do to keep us pointed in the right direction.

Leaving from the Sé Catedral in the old town of Porto, a remarkably historic building in it’s own right, it made a fitting location to start my journey. It was also recommended in the book. Now I didn’t go in ‘blind’, I sussed out the route a few days before – didn’t want to get lost on my first day on the Camino LOL. So, on the day I left, at approximately 07:30, it was easy to follow the downward spiral of steps to the riverfront.

Sé Catedral, Porto, Portugal, view of the river and of the route, San Tiago, a pilgrims shell and hat, my passport with stamps from the 8th

The route down from Sé Catedral to the riverside

Although I didn’t see any arrows or markers at that juncture, and since I took the bus to Foz do Duoro, having already walked that section beforehand, the first time I saw anything resembling a ‘sign’, that I recall anyway, was well after I had left Matasinhos at about 14:13 – a yellow arrow painted on a lamp-post. Now, I’m almost certain that there were many others before then, but either I didn’t see them, or was so intent on walking that I didn’t stop to photograph them…that aspect changed further along on my journey.

The first arrow that I noticed on the Portuguese Coastal Route

Truthfully, what I did was ‘follow that pilgrim’. For most of my journey and where applicable, I followed the pilgrims up ahead.

Follow that pilgrim

There was one place where I came unstuck, on the road to Esposende, and I’m still not at all sure how, but I just trudged along following the footsteps in the sand. There was one set of shoe tracks that I could recognise, so I followed those all the way through along winding sandy paths, and shrubby land till suddenly I could see, in the distance, a road and some buildings…at last civilisation. I was beginning to think I’d be wandering around there forever!! And at some stage along the route I ended up walking through thick brush and undergrowth with zip, zero, nothing and nada around me except for undergrowth, thick brush, trees and deep sandy paths. I did see a few diggers and excavation equipment but no people. It was weird and a little unsettling.

But to get back to The Way and the arrows. They are plentiful. In some areas there are 3 or 4 and in other areas you have to have faith and search.

Tilting at Windmills – spot the arrow! If you’re not concentrating…

Most of the time I walked I was enjoying the scenery or in a day-dream, so occassionally I ended up suddenly stopping and realising I hadn’t seen any arrows or scallop shells or waymarkers for quite some time. This usually brought me to a standstill and a panicked look around! Did I miss the arrows?

How could you possibly miss this!!

At that point I’d stand still, take a deep breath and having faith that I was still on the correct route, I’d walk on and sure enough there it was; whether a small arrow painted on a rock, or a faint outline on the road, maybe even, as in one spot, painted on an ivy covered wall…..the ivy carefully cut away around it like a frame! The Signs were there. Marvellous.

Learning where to look and eventually knowing where to look

There was one day however that I did seriously go way off and as I was swinging along, I heard distant shouts “Senora!! Hello. Hello. Hello.” Eventually I stopped to look around and see what all the fuss was about, and about 500 yards away, distant figures were shouting and gesticulating wildly in my direction then pointing along a path that was not where I was on? LOL Initially a tad confused, I suddenly realised that I had been so deep in thought that I’d not kept my eye on the route. I scurried back laughing and we all agreed I could have ended up who knows where, but it wouldn’t have been Santiago. I still wonder that if they hadn’t drawn my attention, where on earth I’d have gone to?

In case you were not aware…this is the Camino de Santiago..weirdly these signs were all in Spain

But on the whole, the route was amazingly well marked. People have been really inventive in where they painted the arrows and or made the markings to show which route you’re on.

Camino de Santiago – signs along The Way

Camino de Santiago – signs along The Way

Camino de Santiago – signs along The Way

In fact I often wondered about the person/people who painted the arrows and made those markings, or put up the scallop shells and installed the waymarkers. All I can say is ‘thank you’. Whoever you may be, you were in many instances blessed by me. 😉 I got really excited when I came across the Caminho Beach Bar. I’d seen photos of this on the Fcabeook page and the board of shells (behind me), so I stopped, bought a shell, put my name on it and hung it up…@notjustagranny was here 🙂

Camino de Santiago -portuguese coastal route

Caminho Beach Bar – Santiago de Compostela 265 kms!!

As I said, most of The Way was very clearly marked and I seldom had any problems, especially after 3 or 4 days, in locating them up ahead…although some were far between, if you just keep walking you will eventually discover them. One of the things that I enjoyed was discovering the yellow X! Sometimes you’d be walking and what looked like the logical route, is not. Then you’d see a big, or as in many cases, small yellow X – this not The Way. So you’d look around till you found what you were looking for…a Yellow marker…this is The Way. My favourite markers were the brown metal plates with yellow arrows.

X says “no, this is not the way” – even though you may be tempted, but no…this is not The Way

As you wind your way along the Potuguese Coastal Route the signs are varied. Once you get into the forests and hills, you have to be a little more inventive in where you look.

keeping your eye on the route, sometimes you had to just be a little more aware, they were not always pretty

A tiny yellow arrow pinned to a tree trunk, a scallop shell attached to a wall,

show me The Way to go home…oh wait, this is my home!! I loved these ceramic wall plaques

and frequently just two little lines, one yellow, one white to say ‘don’t worry, you’re going the right way’.

Crossing Paths – the Portuguese Coastal Route blends with the Littoral Route

I loved seeing the different signs, some were freshly painted, others a very faint outline that if you were not looking you could miss it altogether, and others were right across a busy road that needed to be traversed.

sometimes it was right in front of you, and others …..well suffice to say, you kept your eyes peeled

The waymarkers were the best, I loved seeing the kilometers measured out, and note my progress… my steps eating up the miles.

Santiago 165kms – my 4th day of walking and I still had 165 kms to go. Ouch

I think I photographed about 95% of them all the way from Valenca in Portugal to the last one at Santiago. Weirdly though, the very first concrete waymarker I saw showing the distance, was in Valenca; 117,624 kms to Santiago. I saw countless after that. Perhaps they only have them from that point.

Following an ancient route in modern shoes – leaving Valenca, last town in Portugal before crossing to Tui in Spain – 117.624 kms to Santiago

I loved the many many scallop shells that decorated O Porrino, one of my favourite overnight stops.

The scallop shells of O Porrino, Spain

And I really loved the signs that showed there was a rest stop nearby!!

Refreshments along the way…

One of my favourite places (of which there are quite a few) along The Way was Mos.

Mos. Oh what a delightful stop this was. A small but pretty little town with a church, restaurant and shops.

Admittedly though I was very disappointed coming into Santiago from Padron. All along the route I had seen yellow arrows, scallop shells and waymarkers, and then suddenly I didn’t.

the signs along the way. I found these to be most helpful. It was also fun to see how the kms were going down. down. down 🙂

I was expecting the countdown to continue right up until you reached the 000.000 kms to Santiago and frequent arrows or scallop shells….but no….the last one was the last one and it wasn’t 000.000 kms. The last waymarker I saw on the perimeter of the city said 2,329 kms. After that, the scarcity of arrows and scallop shells was very disappointing. I think perhaps they feel that once you reach the outskirts of the city, you can jolly well find your own way LOL.

I saw very few signs after this. They seemed to get scarcer the closer we got to Santiago

But a few pilgrims felt the same way I did…or did I just walk the wrong way? I don’t know.

But what I do know, is that they were a life-saver. There was something incredibly reassuring about finding/seeing the signs. I’m on The Way to Santiago de Compostela.

Camino de Santiago – I’m on The Way

Trust, that was one lesson I learned on the Camino, to trust in the signs, to trust in the route, to trust in myself. And I made it. 🙂

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Places I stayed on the Camino

Posted in Camino 2017, My European travels, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged accommodation reviews, albergues on the camino in portugal and spain, blogging, Camino de Santiago, My European travels, places to stay on the portuguese coastal route, Portuguese Coastal Route, the central way, Travel, walking the camino, where to stay on the portugues coastal route, writing on October 3, 2017| 17 Comments »

Hola dear reader. It’s been 4 days since I returned from my first Camino in Europe. What an extraordinary experience. It was so amazing, if I’d had sufficient funds I would have cancelled my flight home and set off to walk another route….that time will come. I did try to post articles about my journey while I was there, but after starting my walk, within a couple of days, by the time I got to the albergue after an 8-12 hour walk, all I wanted was something to eat, a shower and bed. Not necessarily in that order. LOL

My first Camino was along the Portuguese Coastal Route from Porto to Caminha. From Caminha I took the train to Valenca and then followed the Central Way from Tui to Santiago. I loved every step of The Way.

The road to Santiago do Compostela; my Pilgrim’s Passport, the Compostela and my Certificate of Completion

Seriously though, the days were exhausting and one of the things I was grateful for at the end of a long day was not having to search for accommodation. I pre-booked all but 2 nights of the 11 days of my journey, and in retrospect, I’m really glad I did. I was brave though and left 2 nights to chance. Both of which I’m glad to say were easy enough to find a place to sleep.

Since I have a back-log of about 8 days of walking adventures to update, I thought I’d start with the places I stayed at while on my journey….since sleep is definitely a pilgrim’s best friend.

The accommodations were varied and depended entirely on whether or not I was planning on just passing through or staying for a few days and wanted a bit of luxury and very definitely based on spoiling myself after a long day 😉 I seemed to have hit the nail on the head in most places.

I will list them, not in order of when I stayed there, but rather based on which I thought was the best.

1) O Recuncho do Peregrino – Estrada de Soutoxuste 45, 36810 Redondela, Pontevedra, Spain.
Tel: +34 617292598. Proprietor: Miguel.
I have listed this venue first because this was for me one of the nicest places I stayed. This was one of the nights where I had not booked ahead, but relied on the Camino to provide the best place. I spotted Miguel’s advertisements a few times on that day, but it was only at the very end of the day with just on 1.5 km to go till I reached Arcade that I finally stopped and phoned the number. He had a room available. Hoorah!! The accommodation itself is unfortunately right on the main road, but was easy to access without having to search along tiny, confusing lanes and almost immediately after you exit the route from the mountain. The albergue is simply furnished but very comfortable. Cleanliness was of the highest standard. I booked a double room which was furnished with 2 single beds each with a side cabinet, and the communal bathroom, also very clean, was just down the hall. It was one of the few places I stayed where I felt I could actually walk barefoot and not get my feet dirty. There is free wi-fi and a garden leading to the seashore (10 minute walk). Miguel provided a beautifully set out and substantial continental breakfast for 2.50euro at a time that suits the pilgrim from 6am onwards. He provided a same day wash&dry laundry service for 8 euro. What impressed me the most about this accommodation was the host; Miguel, the personification of the perfect host; kind, gentle, helpful, accommodating and a really humble person who was keen to ensure that his guests were comfortable and had all they required. I give this venue a 5 * rating based on how lovely the host was, cleanliness and comfort. For me it’s not always about luxury and facilities, but very much on how I felt at the time. And this certainly fit the bill. Miguel is a superb host and has also done the Camino, albeit on a bike.
I phoned ahead on the day to book and was very lucky there was place available. I notice that they are on booking.com
The website: http://orecunchodoperegrino.com/

O Recuncho do Peregrino Albergue – Miguel our host; the best

2) Erva Doce Guest House – R. do Cais das Lavandeiras 39, 4480-478 Vila do Conde, Portugal
Tel: +351 919 058 715 Reception: Susana.
This was without doubt my 2nd favourite place to stay. Located right on the marina within easy access from the pilgrim’s route into Vila do Conde, I received such a lovely welcome from Susana, so I simply have to list this as my 2nd favourite place to stay. The guest house is a delightful, tiny abode over 3 floors with an outside and inside eating area/café, it is very clean and comfortable and the beds were made up on arrival. I went for a bit of luxury here and had a private bathroom which was wonderful. The room I booked, CINNAMON BELICHE caters for 3 people which made the beds very close together, so expect to have very little privacy if you are sharing a room. But it was only 15euro with breakfast included. I stayed here 2 nights and shared with 2 different but lovely ladies. My bed was very comfortable, albeit a single. I shared supper with 2 of the people I had met along the route the first day, both of whom were also staying at the guest house. The café serves pastries and small meals and offers a quiet, friendly location for breakfast, lunch or supper. Vila do Conde is lovely town on the Portuguese Coastal Route and offers much to see by way of history. I’m happy to give this venue a 4.5 * rating as it fit the bill in terms of friendliness, cleanliness, location and facilities.
The website: http://www.ervadocehouse.pt/

Erva Doce Guest House, Vila do Conde – my first night on the Camino

3) Albergue Corredoiras, Corredoira da Barca, 10 baixo 15900 Padron (A Coruna), Spain
Tel: +34 981817266
I stayed here on my last night on the Camino before reaching Santiago. Without doubt, this was the most well-organised and efficient venue I stayed at. You are welcomed at the reception by an extremely organised gentleman (I missed his name unfortunately) and given a complete run-down of the small and compact albergue. The beds are all located in one large communal room and accommodates 26 pilgrims. Each berth is big enough to sit upright in, is solidly built so no disturbances from a restless sleeper above, has its own locker, fresh clean linen, a spare blanket and an extremely comfortable mattress (which I wish I could have taken home with me), and has a small light and a curtain for privacy. You do however have to make your own bed. The locker has a socket for secure phone charging. There are communal bathrooms and a small kitchenette with all mod-cons a pilgrim would need. You are welcome to make yourself a hot refreshment on arrival with one free serving of milk. This albergue was super clean and you are required to remove your outdoor shoes before going into the communal sleeping area. A cabinet in the hall caters for shoes. There are 2 communal computers if needed, free wi-fi, a library and a small reception area with chairs and loads of informational pamphlets and they provide a laundry service for a minimal fee. I had sent my backpack ahead on this day and it was safely packed away in my dedicated locker. There is a lights-out and a ‘be quiet’ deadline of 11pm for which I suspect most pilgrims were grateful. The albergue is easily found just a few yards from the church and river, and virtually right in town for exploring. An exceptionally clean and pleasant venue in a good location just a few yards from the start of the pilgrim’s route to Santiago. I can easily give this venue a 4.5* rating for price (16 euro), cleanliness, general organisation, location and convenience.
Website: http://www.alberguecorredoiras.es/index.php

Albergue Corredoiras, Padron

4) Hostel Eleven, Rua Narcisco Ferreira 57, 4740-281, Esposende, Portugal
Tel: +351 253039303
Towards the end of a very long day, I received a phone call just as I reached Fao, which was the last town before Esposende; it was the host of the hostel enquiring as to whether I was okay and if I needed any help. It had taken me that long to get there, he was beginning to think I wasn’t going to show up. LOL Hostel Eleven was a very fresh, clean and hospitable venue with super clean facilities, a welcoming reception area and free wi-fi. The rooms catered for 4 occupants but I didn’t find this an issue as I was lucky enough to share with only 1 person. Each bed had its own locker with a key which is very useful and I found the bed linen to be clean and fresh and the bed was made up and comfortable. Hoorah. The kitchen and bathroom facilities are well organised and very clean and you are able to prepare a simple meal for yourself with your own provisions and make a hot drink with the hostel’s provisions; milk and tea/coffee ingredients available. I found the bed to be extremely comfortable and it was a pleasure to not have to make my own bed. Located along a side road just off the pilgrim’s route, I did find it quite difficult to locate, but I suspect that was because I was extremely tired and unable to read my map properly. But a quick phone call and I was soon there. The area was very quiet and also within easy reach of the town centre. I am happy to give this venue also a 4.5* rating based on hospitality, cleanliness, facilities, and location. I paid 16 euro and this included a very good continental breakfast.
The website: http://www.hosteleleven.pt/

Hotel Eleven, Esposende – I loved this venue. Bright and airy

5) Hostal Anosa Casa, Entremurallas, 9, 15702 Santiago, Spain.
Tel: +34 981585926
I found this hostal to be very comfortable and I had a super room. Very conveniently located just a 5-8 minute walk to the cathedral, the hostal is located down a side alley and fairly quiet albeit near to a main thoroughfare and close to the traditional pilgrim’s route into the city of Santiago. The lobby is quite dark and small and there are no remarkable features, but the room I was in was pleasant and I had a lovely double bed that was extremely comfortable with lovely fresh linen. The luxury at this venue was having a private shower/toilet area, although it was very tiny it came with lovely fluffy towels, shampoo and conditioner and shower gel and a shower cap. I had a table, wardrobe, bedside tables, a T.V. and free wi-fi. The walls were quite thin and I could hear the occupant of the next room moving about but since they were relatively quiet it wasn’t really an issue. The staff were friendly and they offer a same day laundry service of 8 euro for 4 kgs. The area is close to shops and restaurants and cafes with many small squares and much to see and a very short walk to the Alameda Park. I paid 55 euro per night with no breakfast. I can comfortably give this venue a 4* rating for location, comfort, cleanliness and facilities.
The website: http://anosacasa.com/?lang=en

Hostal Anosa Casa, Santiago

6) Residential Arca Nova, Largo Sidonio Pais, 4910-120, Caminha, Portugal
Tel: +351 935390402
Again I had booked a room for myself and found the venue to be perfectly adequate for my needs. The room was large and clean with a very comfortable bed, fresh linen and a private bathroom with towels. The brightly decorated dining area had a cosy snug off the area and a large verandah. The hotel was close to the station and a very easy walk into the centre of the town and not too far from the river. The venue was clean and the staff very friendly. I paid 40 euro for this room and a very substantial breakfast was included. I rate this venue at 4* for cleanliness, location and the facilities. They don’t appear to have a website but they are on booking.com

Residencial Arca Nova, Caminha

7) Alojamiento Camino Portugues, Av. Buenos Aires, 40, 36410 O Porriño, Pontevedra, Spain
Tel: +34 886 13 32 52
This was the second hostel that I phoned ahead for on the day and was fortunate enough to get a bed. I had seen it recommended on a facebook page and decided to wing it on the day 🙂 The young lady who welcomed us (a group arrived at the sane time) was lovely and very helpful and had us all marching in time; very efficient. LOL I really enjoyed my stay here and although the rooms were of the mixed dormitory type and we were 6 in the dorm, they were clean and comfortable with comfy mattresses and clean fresh linen. We were also required to leave our outdoor shoes in the entrance hall on each floor, so the floors were clean. The bathrooms were of course communal and there were no lockers, so it was a case of leaving your bag next to your bed but not your valuables. The venue was close to restaurants and an easy walk into town and not far from the pilgrim’s route. I was quite happy with my stay here and happily rate it a 3.5* for location, comfort, cleanliness and friendliness. I paid Euro 12.00, no breakfast.
The website: http://www.alojamientocaminoportugues.com/

Alojamiento Camino Portugues,

8) Hotel Poveira, Rua da Estacao, 56, Campanha, Porto, Portugal 4300-171
Tel: +351 22537 9844
This was the first venue I stayed at in Portugal. A very short walk from the Campanha Station the hotel is large and the gentleman who welcomed me was very friendly albeit with limited English, but even so, with my very limited Portuguese we managed to communicate quite well 😉 I had a private room and bathroom with a bath and shower and clean towels with little bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Although I’m not a fan of plastic and would prefer if hotels did away with them, they were useful. There was a t.v. in the room with a BBC news channel and free wi-fi. The room was large with a small balcony and the bed, a double was fairly comfortable. They did a good continental breakfast at an extra charge of 2.50 euro and offered a next day laundry service for a very good rate. The venue was clean albeit quite noisy and close to shops, restaurants, café and a local transport. I walk a lot so of course I walked into town whenever I went out to explore, but it is quite far from the town centre. The area is pleasant, albeit not scenic. I rate this venue at 3.5* for access to transport, cleanliness and good facilities. I paid 45 euro per night with no breakfast which I thought after seeing the venue, was quite high after all.
The website: http://www.hotelpoveira.com/ Please note that their website has a slide show of images of Porto, they are not near the centre of the city even though the images give that impression.

Hotel Poveira, Campangha, Porto

9) Residencial S. Giao, Avenida S.Teotónio 17, Bl. 2 1ºandar -594 Portugal, 4930 Valença, Portugal
Tel: +351 251030040
This location is hard to rate. It is located fairly close to the main station hub, an easy walk, and is located right on the doorstep of the walled city. The apartment was part of a high-rise building with no lift to the 1st floor, although obviously this wasn’t an issue for me, it could be for someone less able. The ‘apartment’ was made up of a number of rooms on the same floor. There was nothing at all interesting about the reception and I only saw the proprietor for the few minutes it took to check in and pay and show me my room. The room was pleasant with a lovely comfortable double bed, clean linen and fresh towels and a private shower room with toilet etc. Facing onto the street it was unfortunately very noisy and I had street lights shining through the blinds all night. There was a wardrobe and dressing table and bedside cabinets and free wi-fi. I think, but am not sure if they offered breakfast so can’t comment on that. I paid 30 euro and feel that was a fair price considering the size of the city and its location. The walled city was a 5-8 minute walk and provided all that I needed in terms of shopping, restaurants and sight-seeing (in fact it was brilliant and one of the most exciting discoveries of the whole journey). The venue is located very close to the pilgrim’s route and is about a 10-12 minute walk to the bridge that crosses into Spain. I will rate this a 3* since the apartment itself was very utilitarian, but the location, cleanliness and room were good.
The website: http://www.residencialsgiao.com/

Residencial S. Giao, Valenca

10) Motel Caldas, Follente Bemil, s/n, 36659 Caldas de Reis, Pontevedra, Spain
Tel: +34 986 53 00 11
This venue caught me out; it was 1.6 kms outside of Caldas de Reis and I had to take a cab to get there. It is in every sense of the word a motel. There was a heavy metal gate across the entrance with a speaker phone which was not very welcoming. Initially I thought I had stumbled into a private gated community of apartments. Each apartment has its own garage and separate staircase leading to the room. I eventually located the proprietor, who was very friendly and kindly brought me a free coke when he saw how exhausted I was. But the room was amazing; a very large room with a fantastic double bed, a marvellous mattress, lovely pillows and fresh crispy linen and fluffy towels and a private bathroom with the most divine bath and shower. This was a real luxury after what had been a 32km day. There was a small dining table with bench seats, a wardrobe, bedside cabinets, a t.v. and free wi-fi. However it felt the way it looked; like a motel. But the staff were friendly and helpful even though we had to resort to google translate to be understood. I had a very good night’s sleep and for the 22.50 euro I paid which included a basic breakfast of coffee and croissant, I felt it was satisfactory. I’ll rate this 3* as well since the room was wonderful. But it was far from the town centre, I couldn’t see any restaurants close by so didn’t get to eat much that night, although the proprietor kindly made me a sandwich and a drink. Not quite what this pilgrim was looking for after a 12 hour and 32 km walk, but the bath and bed were marvellous. They don’t have a website but are on Facebook.

Motel Caldas, Caldas de Reis

11) HI Hostel Viana do Costelo. Okay, so I’ve left this one till absolute last. The only positive aspect of this hostel was the location; just off the bridge over the river and to the right as you cross into Viana do Costelo. I found this place to be quite unsuitable and unpleasant and even though I only paid 12.00 euro, it was the same price as a couple of other venues that were of a much higher quality and a more friendly environment. The reception staff were very nice and helpful but the venue itself only had one thing to offer…location. The building is a bland, blank 60’s concrete edifice. The reception area is okay but the rooms were utilitarian, cold, blank and very unwelcoming. Although we did each have a locker the lock was broken. There was only one electrical socket to service all the occupants, and the facilities, both bathrooms and kitchens were not of a very good standard, and I had to try 3 different showers before I got one that worked; the water was tepid and only came out the pipe in short bursts. If I had to rate this place I’d say 1.5* rating and that would be for location and that the linen was clean, although you have to make the bed up yourself. The room had a small verandah which was nice and had lovely views over the harbour, if you can overlook the massive car-park right in front. I cannot under any pretence recommend this location except if you’re looking for cheap and can’t find anything else. Viana do Costelo is however an amazing city with so much to see and do that I was quite worn out by the time I eventually went to bed, which fortunately was clean. I have not put address or telephone details since this venue was such a huge disappointment. They are listed on Booking.com

HI Hostel, Viana do Castelo

And that concludes my article on places I stayed on the Camino. It was as I expected; some were very good, a couple were wonderful and one or two not so good. One of the main issues was cleanliness and on the whole that was not a problem. I had heard some real horror stories of bed bugs and dirty linen and took along a travel pouch for sleeping in which I never used. The albergues I did stay at were very very good.

I’m planning on walking another route in 2018 and hoping to walk either the English Way or the Frances route so I’m sure my experiences will be very different.

I hope you find this list useful. If you have any good locations from the Portuguese Coastal Route or The Central Way from Tui, please do leave a comment and let me know. Thank you and Bom Caminho and Buen Camino 🙂

The Camino Provides – 2017

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Day 11 – Valença to Tui

Posted in Camino 2017, It's my life, lifestyle, memories of days gone by, My European travels, photography, project 101, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged blogging about my travels, Camino 2017, Camino de Santiago, good walking shoes, how to avoid blisters on the camino, notjustagranny, peto de animas, peto de animas galicia, Porto to Santiago, Portuguese Central Way, Portuguese Coastal Route, project 101, santiago de compostela, souls’ money box, the spirit of the camino, Travel, travel writing, Tui Cathedral, Tui Galicia Spain, Tui to O Porrino Galicia Spain, walking the camino, wordpress on September 17, 2017| 6 Comments »

Day 11 Sunday 2017.09.17 – Valença to Tui and onto O Porriño (part 1)

A Sámi proverb states, “How it goes with the first day’s travelling, so it will be with the rest of the journey.” – and in this instance that proved true; I had an awe-inspiring journey, an mix of early mornings, beautiful albeit tough terrain, cool air, peaceful forests and joyful greetings. I was on my Way.

This was day 1 of 5 walking from Tui to Santiago de Compostela; no rest days inbetween. With my alarm set for 6am, I woke with an overwhelming sense of anticipation, finally the day had arrived for the push through to Santiago de Compostela and excited beyond belief, I felt like I wanted to run every mile and jump with joy. I didn’t of course 🙂

medieval city valenca spain, camino de santiago, portuguese coastal route, portuguese central route to santiago, walking the camino, porto to santiago, walk 1000 miles, over the hill and still travelling, baby boomers, silver surfers, the boomer generation, things to do in your 60s, bucket list for the older generation,

117.624 kms to Santiago – this was the first of many such route markers I saw along The Way.

I set off really early at 06:43 while it was still dark, and made my way to the walled city. Thank goodness I had found the route last night. Thanks to Mel for the heads up!

Although still quite dark I could see the sky lightening in the east. The streets were eerily quiet and while navigating the city I saw only 3 people the whole time I was walking through. The air was fresh and cool with the wonderful stillness of pre-dawn. I faffed around taking photos of each section of the route, recorded the church bells (because I am like that!) and took a few selfies while keeping an eye on the time. I was keen to watch the sunrise from the bridge into Spain.

Fortaleza de Valença do Minho (Valença do Minho Fortress) boasts over 800 years history.

The city felt timeless as I made my way along the quiet streets, stopping briefly at the Roman milestone and Santa Maria dos Anjos church. If you walk this way look out for the Roman milestone dating from the 1st century AD. It marks 42 Roman miles (62 kms) on the road from Braga to Tui, and has the following inscription:

TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS CAESER AUGUSTUS GERMANICUS PONTIFEX MAXIMUS. IMPERATOR V CONSUL III, TRIBUNICIA POTESTATE III. PATER PATRIAE BRACARA XLII.

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A Roman milestone dating from the 1st century and Igreja de Santa Maria dos Anjos; the mother church of Valença do Minho consecrated in 1276

Finally I set my compass for Spain, my ‘Camino eyes’ carefully scanning for the yellow arrows as I trod gingerly along the cobbled lanes, down numerous stairs, through tunnels and beneath the fortified walls; muralha primitiva. It felt primitive.

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along the narrow lanes of Fortaleza Valença – a fortress started at the beginning of the 13th century and relating to the reign of King Sancho I

Fortaleza Valença – a fortress started at the beginning of the 13th century

It was thrilling thinking about all the thousands of pilgrims who, through the aeons, have walked that route before me. The history of this awesome place is mind-blowing.

Then suddenly I was on the bridge and standing on the border, with one foot in Portugal and the other in Spain. My excitement knew no bounds. 🚶‍♀️👣🚶‍♀️👣🚶‍♀️👣👏👏👏

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Tui International Bridge (known in Portugal as Valença International Bridge), completed in 1878 is on the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela

Tui International Bridge leading to Spain (known in Portugal as Valença International Bridge)

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Tui International Bridge leading to Spain crosses the River Miño from Valença in Portugal. In the distance to the right you can see the cathedral of Tui on the hilltop

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In the past, pilgrims coming from Portugal had to reach Galicia, Spain by crossing the river Miño on a boat, but lucky me I could walk across via the bridge 🙂 These shoes are made for walking…

Tip: when you walk across the International Bridge from Portugal into Spain, be sure to walk on the right-hand side looking upstream, for the markings on the walkway. A footnote (pun-sorry LOL): I was so impressed with my walking shoes; a last minute buy a couple of weeks before I left, these shoes have done me proud: 123 kms so far…good support and no blisters!! The socks; brilliant combination of IsoCool liner socks and double layer anti-bacterial socks worked really well for me. But back to the sunrise…..

The river Miño flows between Portugal and Spain.

Tui International Bridge leading to Spain crosses the River Miño from Valença in Portugal. I watched a magnificent pink-hued sunrise, took dozens of photos and finally once the sun peeked above the horizon in Portugal, I walked the final yards into Spain…. Hurrah, now I was on the Camino Portuguese Central Way to Santiago de Compostela. (Compostela (comes from the Latin “Campus Stellae” (i.e. Stars Field) – love that!!! ❤

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España 🙂 finally I was in Spain for real and on my way to Santiago de Compostela – Camino Portugues – Camiño de Santiago

Unbeknownst to me at that point, I was also going to be walking along sections of the old Roman Road ‘Via Romana XIX’ – see pic in top right hand corner. I just liked the design without realising the connotations 🙂

Tui, one of the seven capitals of the ancient Kingdom of Galicia, is the first town in Spain on the Camino Portugués Central Way and has an awesome cathedral just waiting to be explored. I met two ladies who told me the hotel; Parador Nacional San Telmo, would stamp my passport so I popped in and got my first Spanish pilgrim’s stamp. There was no way I was going to leave without visiting and getting a stamp. Hint: It’s advised that you get your credential (pilgrim’s passport) stamped at least twice a day between Tui and Santiago de Compostela to qualify for your certificate. This is not too difficult as there are so many churches and restaurants etc enroute where you can get a stamp (sello).

Tui was the capital of a province in the Old Kingdom of Galicia, Spain.

Parador Nacional San Telmo where I got my pilgrim’s passport stamped, the view across the River Miño and a final photo of me before setting off

Then it was a strenuous but picturesque climb up steep winding streets to the cathedral.

Benvidos a Tui – Welcome to Tui on the Camiño de Santiago Camiño Portugués : 115.454 kms

Tui, Galicia in Spain – 1st town on the Portugués Central Way to Santiago de Compostela

the medieval narrow cobbled streets and lanes of Tui. I loved it 🙂

Tui has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Evidence of this are the sites found during construction of the highway Vigo-Tui, on the border with Porriño. The medieval city was composed of three elements; the cathedral, its hamlet of dwellings, and its city walls. After a very steep climb I finally reached the cathedral.

Catedral de Santa Maria, Tui. On the top of the hill, the cathedral, begun in the 12th century, preserves Romanesque elements and has a Gothic façade.

Wowwww what an awesome church. Begun in the 12th century, during the Romanesque period, it has a Gothic façade, one of the first in this style in the Iberian Peninsula. The interior is, like most of the churches I had seen so far in Portugal, very elaborate with a number of chapels, altars and shrines to various saints. There’s a fantastic scallop shell as you enter the church and a number of references to St James and decorative scallop shells. In a corner near the front of the cathedral interior is a statue of King Alphonso.

I explored every corer of the church and the museum. It’s absolutely beautiful

The cloister is also of Gothic style; the oldest in any Galician cathedral. Along the walls and over the archway of the 12th century Chapter Room are a number of intriguing Roman numerals.

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The Cloisters and Romanesque Chapter Room of the 12th century, the primitive meeting room of the canons of the first temple of the city. Just mind-blowing.

The Cloisters of Catedral de Santa Maria, Tui

I had my pilgrim’s passport stamped at the Tourist Information Centre next to the church, my 2nd of the day in Spain…too exciting. I paid the €4 entrance fee at the cathedral which gave me access to the church, museum, cloisters and battlements, and spent a good 45 minutes exploring and, despite saying no more climbing towers, I climbed the tower battlements for some amazing views. The steps were so high you almost needed a step ladder to get up them!!! Going down was tricky.

climbing the church tower of the Cathedral of Tui

the view across Tui, the river Mino and in the distance the International Bridge and on the hilltop, the walled city of Valenca, Portugal

I was, at about 9:20am, startled to discover the time!!! Wow, I figured that I had been exploring the church for 2 hours, but in fact I had forgotten that the clocks went forward by 1 hour between Portugal and Spain LOL. Whew. Nonetheless, it was time to get going. As I was leaving I stopped to photograph the elaborately carved doors and noticed the cross pattée (?) carved into the walls on both sides of the entrance…intriguing.

A cross pattée carved into the walls and the elaborate doors

As the bells chimed 10, I reluctantly left the cathedral area and made my way along steep winding picturesque streets, only this time downhill. I looked out for the Camino markers, which were plentiful and believe it or not, I photographed every one of them all the way through Tui and just about the whole 18.39 kms to O Porrino…just because. 😉

looking back at the cathedral, charming little pilgrim sculptures, streets of Tui

I just loved the little pilgrim sculptures on the walls.

a little pilgrim sculpture shows the way. if you look above his head you can see a faint yellow arrow

I passed the Hospital for the Poor and the Pilgrim’s, past the Convent of Las Clarisas where I saw my first rather large groups of pilgrims, walked down stairs, through tunnels and along deserted downward sloping streets and lanes. It seemed spookily deserted!

Tunel das Monxas and following the Way through the streets of Tui in Galicia

the route is so well marked with yellow arrows, scallop shells, shell tiles and various other markings, you can’t fail to find your way. I walked completely sans maps or guide books.

I saw only a few of the locals along the route, and occasionally a few pilgrims, certainly not in the large numbers I was expecting.

There was one sculpture and cross that absolutely intrigued me; located on the wall of the bridge that crosses over Rúa Canónigo Valiño, it looks like a sculpture with religious connotations; souls burning in the fires of hell?? Intriguing.

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an intriguing sculpture

I have not been able to find out more information about this despite extensive google searches.

(2017.11.13 – addendum with huge thanks to Maria of ‘Spanish Tuition Services‘ “I can help you with the “intriguing sculpture”. This type of construction is called “peto de ánimas” (roughly translates as souls’ money box) and they are quite common in Galicia. They represent souls in the fire of purgatory, with some figure watching over them (in this case, the dove/Holy Spirit). They also have a “peto” or money box for passers-by to leave an offering for the salvation of those souls. When a soul is saved and goes to Heaven thanks to your offering, they will later intercede on your behalf, so you can go into Heaven too”. – so there you have it; I’m so delighted to finally know what it signified)

Passing a number of fascinating historical buildings and churches I was longing to tarry awhile and explore further, but O Porriño waits and I can tarry no more.

The Judaic Tower, the Convent of Saint Domingo (built 1330), Praza San Bartolomé bandstand, the Church of St Bartolomé and an ancient communal washing area.

I was absolutely amazed to discover that I was also walking along the Via Romana XIX!!

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walking along a section of the Via Romana XIX

It always gives me a thrill, no matter where I am walking, when I discover links to Roman times…the thought of those Roman soldiers marching along the roads…I can almost hear the tramp tramp tramp of their sandalled boots on the cobbles….ahead of me was the tramp, tramp, tramp of the modern day pilgrim in their special super duper gortex, arch-supporting inners and uppers, special lace-up, isogrip boots in leather, fabric and waterproof, with performance soles and protective toe bumpers!! I wonder what the Romans would make of today’s hiking footwear. – according to wikipedia: Caligae (heavy-soled hobnailed military boots) were constructed from three leather layers: an outsole, the middle openwork layer which formed the boot’s upper, and an insole. They were laced up the centre of the foot and onto the top of the ankle. Additionally iron hobnails were hammered into the soles to provide the caligae with reinforcement and traction – okayyyyy, not quite what we wear today then.

a few pilgrims on the way; Bom Caminho – 114km to Santiago de Compostela

Suddenly I was out of urban Tui and into fields and the rural landscape of Galicia.

and suddenly I was in the countryside…..

I was seeing more pilgrims now as well as locals. I called out “ola, bom dias” or “ola, Buen Camino” to everyone I saw and got many a cheery wave and “Buen Camino” in return. I’m on the Camiño de Santiago 😁😍🚶‍♀️

Continued….Part 2 Tui to O Porriño.

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Day 10 – an evening in Valença

Posted in Camino 2017, Historical, It's my life, My European travels, photography, project 101, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged blogging, Camino 2017, Camino de Santiago, fortress city valenca portugal, notjustagranny, Porto to Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route, Postcards from Portugal, santiago de compostela, Travel, valenca, visit portugal, walking the camino, wordpress, writing on September 16, 2017| 3 Comments »

2017.09.16 Day 10 – an evening in Valença.

Walked 4.5 kms / 8563 steps

After leaving Caminha, I soon arrived in Valença 🙃🙃 – only 20 minutes by train but a whole days walking. Sadly this was one of the sections I had to cut off my route once I completed the #SouthwarktoCanterbury and #WayofStAugustine walks in July and realised that with the backpack on, my pace is almost half what it normally is and I’d have no rest days.

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Valença station and the apartment block I stayed

instagram post: So the section from Esposende to Viana do Castelo and Caminha to Valença were my rest days. I’m glad of the breaks, it helps me physically and mentally to prepare for the next day. I finally located my lodgings and checked in at Residencial S Giao (graded #9 on my list of places I stayed on the Camino). I have a private room and ensuite bathroom for €30. The prices in this country are astounding, everything is so cheap, even the train ticket was only €2.95. Valença is a whole lot bigger than I anticipated so I’m guessing I won’t be exploring as much as I’d like to. Cest la vie 🙃🙃 I’ll have to come back for another Camino 😂😂😂💞

I was delighted to finally arrive in Valença after reading so much about it. I had read that it was a walled city, but by the time I arrived I was so tired that my brain didn’t really clock the ‘walled’ part of the city that was right in front of me when I arrived at the hotel. I thought it was just the wall of another fort, albeit a very well preserved fort in comparison to the others I had seen enroute from Porto to Caminha. So I didn’t really think much of it. As mentioned I was really tired, so as soon as the proprietor shut the door behind him I whipped my shoes off and crashed on the bed. I tried but couldn’t sleep. The noise from outside was horrid so I decided to close the windows (I’m a fresh-air fiend and usually love the windows open). As I leaned over the sill to close said window I happened to notice the wall properly and the turret I could see intrigued me, so I thought I’d at least make the effort to go look and possibly get something to eat. Woww.

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Fortress walls of Valenca – similar to what I saw from my hotel window

I was enthralled! Initially I could not quite get my head around what I was seeing. Then suddenly the penny dropped…ping!!! THIS!! was the walled city!! OMG. My head was spinning, from tired and surprise. Suddenly I was like “Oh no, I only have a few hours before sunset…will I have enough time to see it all?” I tried.. I think I pretty much succeeded.

Porta do Sol, Valença Portugal

Valença; Northern Portugal’s fortress town, contains a settlement and has origins that date back to Roman times.

descendants of those Roman horses?

Initially known as ‘Contrasta’ which means ‘village opposite to another’ – in this case Tui, across the river Minho in Spain – the name was changed to Valença by King Alfonso III during the 13th century.

Entering the Fortress of Valença, Portugal

The ‘walled city’ is actually a fortress built across two hills with an enormous military advantage and cannons still adorn the ramparts facing across the river towards Spain; a reminder of Portugal’s military history in the days when the invading Spanish were not quite as peaceful as they are today.

: cannons; quite impressive. decorative rather than useful now, but still quite awesome

The first walls, a piece of gothic and baroque military architecture, were built in the 13th century and upgraded during the 17th and 18th centuries, and form the current bulwark design.

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Acougue Gate above and the walls that look pretty impregnable to me!!!

D. Afonso or Acougue Gate in one of the best preserved sections of the medieval fortification in Valença built during the 13th Century. Opened on the western side of the fortification is provided access to the Fonte de Vila located on the exterior. Archaeological excavations have yielded ancient remains dating back to Roman times.

The fortress walls have been destroyed several times; variously by the Barbarians, then the Moors, the armies of Asturias and Leon as well as French troops in the 19th century.

can’t imagine they would have been that easy to destroy

They were restored each time and are very well preserved. On 12 June 2009 Valença was officially made a city. It was absolutely thrilling to discover this place.

Porta do Sol; entrance to the walled city of Valença, Portugal

Paths of the Sacred Way of Valença.

There are a number of churches and chapels within the walled fortress of Valença. I managed to see a few of them in the short time I had.

1. Capela Militar do Bom Jesus and São Teotónio the first Portuguese saint was born in Ganfei near Valença, and was the confessor of King Afonso Henriques. The statue of S. Teotónio is a sculpture from the 20th century and evokes the figure of the 1st Holy Saint – the inspirer and protector of nationality.

Capela Militar do Bom Jesus and statue of São Teotónio, Valença Portugal

Capela Militar do Bom Jesus

Born in 1082 in the Valencian parish of Ganfei, St. Teotónio died in Coimbra on February 18, 1162. He became the first Portuguese saint to be celebrated as the reformer of religious life and is known as the patron saint of enslaved Christians, for having supported 1000 Mozarabic men, women and children, captured in an incursion to Andalusia by D. Afonso Henriques. Cannonised 1163, by Pope Alexander III, Rome.

2. The church of Santa Maria dos Anjos is the parish church of Valença built inside the medieval fortress.

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Santa Maria dos Anjos, Valenca, Portugal

This is where I bumped into Mel.

Santa Maria dos Anjos, and Capela da Misericordia, Valenca, Portugal

Capela da Misericordia Valenca. Next to the altar of Christ aux Outrages, there is a niche added in recent times to highlight the Triptych das “Almas Pertencentes”.
This triptych, is listed in the parish registers since 1758. It represents a Last Judgement with a spectacular representation of Hell, in the flames of which are consumed the rich and powerful among which a king , a pope, a bishop, a monk … and many others!

: Capela da Misericordia Valenca, Portugal

Founded on the eighth day of July of 1276. In the church are several altars and altarpieces built in a rich Baroque style. Although the church has a funeral chapel, the wooden panels that pave the floor of the entire church are the burials of wealthy families of the city. This was an absolutely fascinating church to visit.

3. Church of Santo Estevao, a 13th century temple located in the historic centre of Valenca. Reconstructed in the 18th century to a neoclassical design.

: Church of Santo Estevao a 13th century temple

Capela de São Sebastião – The chapel of San Sebastián represented the last of the four stages of Via Sacra de Valença.

instagram post: Well what a surprise I got today. When I initially arrived at my hotel I wasn’t really in the mood for exploring and thought I might just rest. Hah!! Till I put my head out the window and glimpsed what looked like the edge of a fort. I immediately decided to get out and go see what it was. So at just after 5pm I set off….. Well, were my socks ever knocked off!!! 😳😳😳😳 It wasn’t a fort, but only a walled city!! Yes!! A whole city within the walls. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Of course my poor camera worked overtime as I whizzed around this marvellous place just revelling in the sheer amazingness of the place. I had my passport stamped at the main church and after wearing my feet out, I finally settled down to some supper and then went to watch the sunset. Eventually my battery died but not before I managed to capture my last Portuguese sunset 😊😊😊 I Sat on the ramparts for well over 30 minutes just enjoying the quiet and reflecting on the journey ahead. At some point in the city I bumped into Mel who I met on my first day out of Porto. What a delight to see her again. Andddd she told me that you can walk through the tunnels and walled city to reach the bridge that crosses into Spain 👏👏👏👏😀😀😀💕 So from tomorrow I’ll no longer say #bomcaminho but #buencamino as I start on my final 100 kms to #Santiago following the #CentralWay through #Spain Hurrah 😊😊😊 I’m so excited.

The international road and rail bridge, inspired by Eiffel (as in the Eiffel Tower) across the River Minho was built in 1879, once invasions had become a thing of the past.

The bridge to Spain; The Way to Santiago de Compostela – Tui in the distance

And what an extraordinary city it was. I can highly recommend that if you pass this way and have the time, you spend at least a few hours exploring this amazing place! People actually live there and have for centuries.

ancient cobbled lanes and houses.

There are churches aplenty, restaurants, markets, outdoor eating and cool green squares and fantastic cobbled lanes (hell to walk on, especially when wet) and narrow streets lined with houses and shops offering a variety of goods from clothes, to marvellous embroidered linen, gorgeous painted china and tat (the £1 shop kind of tat LOL) and lots and lots of souvenir shops with an array of things to make your head hurt.

scenes of the Fortress city of Valenca, an important city on the Camino route

The architecture is absolutely amazing and the houses are built higgedly piggedly virtually right on top of each other. I was seriously blown away. As mentioned in my instagram post, my poor camera worked overtime and eventually the battery ran down and the phone switched itself off just after the sunset. I was so mad at myself for not having my battery pack with. urgh. I always carry it. Anyway there it is. I think I captured pretty much just about every street, corner and building in the city that I passed along. valenca, fortress city valenca portugal, camino 2017, camino de santiago, portuguese coastal route, porto to santiago, santiago de compostela, walking the camino, notjustagranny

The views were spectacular and I so enjoyed my few hours walking around the walled city of Valença. As mentioned I bumped into Mel near the Igreja de Santa Maria dos Anjos at the far end towards the river. We chatted briefly. She was looking for their Priest who was to conduct the service at this church later on. Before saying goodbye again with the promise to meet up in Santiago on Friday, she told me that there was a Camino route through the walls and tunnels of the city!! What???? Seriously!!! I was totally intrigued by that snippet of information. Okay, so that was right up my alley (pun!! LOL) She didn’t have time to tell me more and where etc. and I was determined to find this route and follow it in the morning.

Time was marching on, so before heading over to watch the sunset, I decided to have something to eat. There was a little cafe nearby so I made my way there and had another (the umpteenth) tosta misto and coke. The only thing I could order in Portugese that I was sure didn’t contain chicken or octopus LOL. It did contain ham, but cest la vie….a girl has to eat. I am so going to make sure that I speak and read a lot more of the language before my next Camino.

But first the sunset…..

I was just enthralled to be in Valença. It was totally surreal sitting on the walls of the fortress, aeons old with stories to tell that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Besides that, I couldn’t quite believe I was actually there. It felt like a dream. I climbed right up onto the walls and sat in a gap between the ramparts, totally on my own – I felt so chilled, relaxed and amazed. What a life.

sunset over Spain viewed from the Fortress in Valença. Isn’t life just amazing.

After sunset and before it got too dark, I walked back out the walled city, down to the river, so excited that I couldn’t wait for the morning….so I crossed the bridge on the downstream side to Spain (just because I could 🙂 ) and then back again on the upstream side, and on my return I looked carefully for the exit from the fortress. To my delight I found it quite easily and climbed a long, steep set of stairs and into the tunnels. The route was intriguing, twisting and winding through the tunnels, along ancient cobbled lanes, across the walls and arrived eventually back at the church where I had met Mel. Delighted that I had managed to trace the Camino route, I made mental notes of where to go; landmarks for the morning. I am soooo glad I did. What an extraordinary feeling to be walking in the footsteps of countless pilgrims who had followed this route over the centuries. I can’t describe fully how I felt….it was extraordinary.

The route; Valença is also a passage for the Way of St. James on the way to Santiago de Compostela, although many pilgrims now follow the road; Av. de Espanha that skirts the fortress (a real shame in my opinion. If more people knew of the route through the fortress I’m sure they would rather walk that way and enjoy the intriguing route). See Day 11 – my 1st Day of 5 from Valença to Santiago. – post to follow shortly.

After that little adventure, and totally excited that I’d found the route, since my battery was flat and I couldn’t take any more photos, I went shopping….as you do!! 🙂 From the next day onwards, I used the bag and wore the cap 😉

time for a bit of shopping

And then it was time for bed. I had earlier, on arrival, bumped into my lovely group of 5 from Australia in the foyer of the hotel…seems they were also staying there. We had tentatively agreed to meet up later but when I knocked on the door there was no answer. Instead of a natter I had a fantastic hot shower and before long I was tucked up snug in bed. Goodnight Valença, I do wish I had another day to stay….next time 😉

Although my mind was whirling with excitement and thrilling in the knowledge that on the morrow I was to cross into Spain, I was really tired and despite the traffic noise I was soon fast asleep….my alarm set for 6am!! Whoooo!! Tui, Spain in the morning and the final 100kms to Santiago de Compostela…I could hardly wait to discover what adventures lay ahead?

In case you missed my morning in Caminha; a gorgeous town on the Portuguese Coastal Route of the Camino de Santiago.

(addendum. Unbeknownst to both of us at the time we bumped into each other outside the church, sadly Mel’s Priest had died. There in Valença. So tragic. I only found this out much later when I was near Padron in Spain by a very strange coincidence.)

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Day 9 – Viana do Castelo to Caminha

Posted in Camino 2017, Fun Stuff, It's my life, My European travels, project 101, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged Caminha Portugal, Camino 2017, Camino de Santiago, Porto to Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route, Postcards from Portugal, Travel, travel diaries, Viana do Castelo to Caminha, visit portugal, wordpress, writing on September 15, 2017| 5 Comments »

2017.09.15 Day 9 – Viana do Castelo to Caminha – sunrise to sunset

“Bom Dia” a cheerful, jaunty greeting that sums up every day I’ve had so far in Portugal.

Walked 30.28 kms / 65573 steps

Along The Way, I walked through a number of villages; Areosa, Afife and Carreço along old narrow roads that split several 19th Century farmhouses, until the old fishing village of Ancora on the Rio do Paco, through Fontela and finally into Caminha.

So yes, another very long day from Viana do Castelo to Caminha, after which I still had energy to rush over to the estuary and watch the sunset and take a brief exploratory walkabout 🙂

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from sunrise in Viana do Castelo to sunset in Caminha. what a fantastic day.

I’m insane, truly. I need to learn the meaning of……

Rest: verb : cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength.

rest: noun : an instance or period of resting. LOL – difficult!!

Seriously though, I wanted to make the most of my Camino, to see as much as possible without being hospitalised for exhaustion LOL. I have a philosophy in life; when I visit a place, I extract as much as possible from myself to see as much as possible before I move on. I never know if I’m likely to pass that way again, and being of an exceedingly curious nature, I find it impossible to be somewhere and not explore it thoroughly. So cest la vie…explore away.

Once again I met some lovely people along The Way, greeted everyone left, right and centre with “Bom Dia” and a big smile, or “Hola, Caminho?” and a huge grin when they responded with “si! Buen Camino”. The feeling of camaraderie on the Camino is amazing. I loved meeting people from all over the world, but today I just greeted, exchanged brief details and didn’t stop for any meaningful conversations.

Today I decided to instagram more often and to keep track of my distances as I went. I think I succeeded 🙂 So instead of writing a whole long epistle about my ‘step-by-step’ guide along the Camino from Porto to Santiago, I’ll let my instagram posts do the talking! – addendum (I did try, but verbosity overcame me once again, sorry LOL).

1) It’s 07:15 and incredibly, not only is it almost the exact time I left Vila do Conde on Wednesday, but the weather is gorgeous, I’m seeing the sun rising and I’m walking today… Wish me luck, I hope it bodes well. #bomcaminho #Camino2017 #VianadoCastelo to #Caminha

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07:21 sunrise on the banks of the River Lima, Viana do Castelo, Portugal

I took a walk down to the riverside to watch the sunrise. The colours were exquisite. I could get used to this. I’m not usually an early riser, but being on the Camino was such an incentive to get up early and enjoy walking before the day got too hot or busy. Saying goodbye to the Eiffel Bridge and a sad farewell to the town as I walked alongside the river, I soon reached the harbour.

2) It’s 9.15am, I’ve walked 5.28 kms and only now leaving the precincts of VdC. 😀😀On the way I stopped to capture the sunrise, a group of fishermen preparing their net, visited a church and got a stamp in my passport, then crossed 2 fields, a hedge, a ditch and a wall to get to the ocean and visit a tumbled down 18th century fort.

fishermen in Viana do Castelo preparing their nets

Once I left the harbour I decided to visit the church I could see in the distance; Capela de N. S. a da Agonia, Viana do Castelo. It was still closed when I got there, so I sat on the bench in the gardens and ate my breakfast, and after a short interval, by a stroke of luck someone came along an unlocked the doors 🙂 Said person was also kind enough to stamp my passport….after much gesticulating on my part and showing him my pilgrim’s passport, with the word ‘caminho’. voila.

Capela de N. S. a da Agonia, Viana do Castelo

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Of course by taking this little diversion I totally ended up on a road where I didn’t want to be; the dreaded N13. I wanted to walk alongside the ocean, not along a busy highway. So spotting a sliver of the ocean on the horizon, I headed west….and as the instagram post says….’2 fields, a hedge, a ditch and a wall’ later I finally reached the ocean.

detours…..getting from here to there was like an obstacle course, although it looks flat, it wasn’t

I was undeniably unimpressed with myself. But it was worth it. Walking alongside the ocean was wonderful with the sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks and a cool ocean breeze blowing over me. And I found my first fort of the day….

a good ocean breeze and a tumble down fort…what more could I ask for?

Never one to pass by a good ruin, I stopped briefly to explore. wow. 1703!! awesome.

Forte de Rego de Fontes (1703), Viana do Castelo, Portugal

Then stretching my legs, and with Pepe settled comfortably on my back, and my walking poles, nicknamed ‘Gemini’ by now (twins haha), in full swing I strode along a superb pathway of gravel; ocean to the left, heading north. I absolutely love Portugal.

following The Way

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following The Way; both Coastal (red) and Littoral (white)

3) 9.58 kms walked. It’s just on 11am and Pepe and I have had enough so we’ve stopped for 2 cafe com leite and 2 buns. I’m hungry. It’s been a wonderful walk along the ocean, sometimes gravel, sometimes cobbled paving (hell on the ankles) and sometimes boardwalks which are my favourite. This place was like an oasis in the desert. I need caffeine and sugar. 😂😂💕 According to the map I’m doing okay. Slow but steady with an ankle that keeps shouting rude words at me and a hip that’s not happy.

an oasis…Tea and buns never tasted so good. I was sorry I didn’t have my metal mug that I’d bought especially for the Camino. Left at home due to weight

back to the boardwalks….bliss to walk along

The scenery now was just majestic! I relished in the discoveries I made along the way; quirky round stone buildings, old windmills, tumble-down stone houses, ancient forts and scarcely a place to stop for refreshments. Hah! I wish I had known how scarce the cafes would be! I’d have stocked up on goodies to eat and drink. Although I did have my water…a life-saver!

4) Walked 14.58 kms. After leaving my oasis, I headed back on to the boardwalks. That didn’t last long and I soon found myself following some seriously challenging pathways. It’s just after 1pm, I left my hostel 6 hours ago, and I’m taking a rest stop in Afife which is almost halfway 😀😀😀👏👏👏. The heat is horrible, the path is tough and I’ve done rock climbing, traipsed along boardwalks and dragged myself along the beach and along winding, rocky, ankle wrenching sandy paths. I’ve no idea if I’m following the correct route most of the time unless I see a marker, which I haven’t for quite some time now, but when I do, it appears I’m following the coastal and Littoral route; a bit of both. After stumbling out the trees I saw red tarpaulins in the far distance, and diverted my course in that direction. It turned out to be a garage which is what I suspected and I’m currently sitting in the blissful cool air of a roadside garage cafe drinking a Liptons iced tea and eating what is a delicious pineapple tart which was a gift of the proprietess after we chatted about the Camino. 😊😊😊💕 She also stamped my pilgrim’s passport. I may just reach Caminha this century 😂😂#bomcaminho

tumble down fishermen’s cottages

follow the signs…..from and to….keep your bearings; Littoral and Coastal

I stopped off to admire this rock…it has a story but I forgot what it is LOL sorry. something to do with stone-age peoples

finding the signs along The Way

spotted….when I saw this I got serious travel envy. I mean look at all those places visited.

absolutely NO fun at all to walk along these sections, but I was on the right path…

never boring….this way and that way, along The Way, the signs are there

The path was a bit like a switch-back route along this section. At one stage I passed an open-air shower stop…probably for beach goers, and the temptation to just strip off to my undies and stand under cold water was overwhelming…but I desisted. I had places to go. I also didn’t want to get arrested for indecency!! hahaha.

Praia de Paco, the showers, fab boardwalk, Forte de Paco, information board

First gravel, then suddenly boardwalk, then ankle-tugging sand, surprises round the corner (another fort!), in the space of 6 minutes you could go from rocky, sandy terrain and gravels paths to walking on the beach to striding along boardwalks (Oh how much I loved those boardwalks)

a visit to the beach along The Way. Just beyond this point I was plunged into brush again

Then deep groves of trees that looked shady but weren’t, and hot, hot, hot hot…….I have to admit that although I was really loving the blue skies, the heat was horrendous for me. I cannot tell you how stressful it was walking through ankle-tugging sand, dust puffing up with every footstep, the heat and flies sapping your energy and totally deserted. The only way I could keep my spirits up was by observing the footprints in the sand… grateful in the knowledge that other people had been this way. Again I locked onto a particular set of tread-marks and followed them. There were no desiccated bodies or skeletons lying about, dried up from heat and lack of water, forever turned to dust, lost, unidentified, unknown,eaten by coyotes or vermin….hahaha, you get picture. That was my state of mind. Sometimes, walking through this terrain, was just.hard.as.you.know.what!!

not fun…it was hot and dusty with lots of flies but no dead bodies. LOL Follow those footprints?

And flies!!! OMG!! flies in my hair, up my nose, around my mouth, sitting like suction caps on my arms…fcking gross. I did have an insect repellent spray called incognito, which is a natural product with no chemicals, in my bag, but I simply didn’t have the energy to stop, take Pepe off (heavy old sod), undo all the 10million ties and clips, dig through my bag….and blah blah blah, then go through the reverse before carrying on. So instead I just stomped along swatting and cursing and suffered on. blergh. horrible. LOL

civilisation in the distance, a rest stop at Afife (I stayed here for about 30 minutes)

After my brief respite at the garage cafe, I walked along a busy tarmac road. As I crossed a small stream I saw my first memorial; a sobering reminder that people die on the Caminho, and to be vigilant despite being really tired. I had noticed on mapmywalk that there was a turn-off further along that would take me back to the ocean side, so that’s what I did. I had no desire to be dodging traffic. And tarmac is hell on the heels.

the varied terrain was unreal. You just never knew what to expect round the next corner

I loved walking alongside the ocean. I stopped off in this area to rest and just enjoy the scenery

I didn’t stop for resting as often yesterday as I did the day before but I certainly did stop to explore this fort. It was so intriguing… People used to live there. It’s obviously very ramshackle and tumbled down now, but so fascinating. I think I saw 4 in all enroute.

camino de santiago, portuguese coastal route, porto to santiago, viana do castelo to caminha, visit portugal

5) Walked 18.5 kms and now just 8 km to Caminha. Look how far I’ve travelled : 95kms from Porto!! Brilliant. It’s been a challenging day but a good day. I’m so glad I made yesterday a rest day. My mindset is good and I feel strong albeit tired. I’ve loved the challenges that have come my way, and it seems that I have chosen to not do this the easy way 😂😂😂 if there was a difficult route to follow, I found it. #Camino2017

Look how far I’ve come!! 95 kms from Porto and 8 km to Caminha. What I didn’t realise is that 8kms was till the outskirts of Caminha urgh. We won’t even mention how many kms to Santiago!

I loved seeing all the little hamlets, windmills and forts along the way, and much of the route was easy walking, but there were sections where I just wanted to sit down and cry or have a tantrum. Surprisingly I hardly saw anyone for ages along this stretch

in the distance I could see buildings – it wasn’t Caminha LOL I still had another 8 kms AFTER that. The sands are reclaiming the boardwalks here

I loathe railway crossings. Literally 2 minutes after crossing here a train came racing through. Horrors.

If I had but known, the trail actually continued along the beach. But I didn’t, so ended up adding 2kms to my journey going through the above section 😦

Praia de Vila Praia de Ancora – not Caminha LOL urgh.

I was so disappointed when I realised that the town I had seen in the distance an hour earlier was not my destination but the fishing town of Praia de Vila / Praia de Ancora. The bridge you can see in the distance (bottom left image above), was where I would have crossed if I had but known the trail continued along the beach.

Forte de Lagarteira, Ancora, Caminha, Portugal – a Small fortified naval fortification covering mouth of the Ancora river; attributed to the reign of Pedro II of Portugal (1667-1705)

Discovering this fabulous fort cheered me up no end. I spent some time exploring.

and then it was back to the Camino; a pedestrian path alongside a side road, then past a tiny chapel; Capela Santo Isidoro and then left back to the beach ‘Bom Caminho’ 🙂

você está aqui – it was terrific to see my progress. these maps along The Way were brilliant.

I really enjoyed finding these maps along The Way. As you can see the trail, a mix of boardwalks and gravel paths, is being developed right along the seaboard from Esposende to Caminha. Magic. Green = completed sections. Black = under construction

Before too long I was back on cobbled roads and walking through fields.

If you look at the top middle image above you will notice a yellow X painted on the pole. These were so helpful. If you felt tempted to walk that way because it looked like you should, these tell you ‘NO’ this is not The Way. Although you can’t see it, at my feet was a painted arrow on the edge of the sidewalk indicating the direction…..Follow the Yellow Arrows 🙂 which is what I did, through the tunnel beneath the railway line, past a small holding where a couple were digging up crops from a small garden, then after passing some empty fields the arrows directed me onto a road, Avenida Santana leading through the town of Moledo.

following the signs – the outskirts of Caminha

Urgh, Once again I had to cross the railway line. One of my worst nightmares. Gives me the heebie jeebies. The trail now took me through industrialised areas. I think I may have seen about 3 people in 30 minutes. Lots of ramshackle buildings and the much loathed tarmac. You’d think because its flat and smooth its easy to walk on, but the impact is hard on the feet. I was ever so grateful for the arrows. I was so very tired by this stage that I really couldn’t even think anymore. Suddenly I was onto the Avenida Dr. Dantas Carneiro aka N13 which is a very busy road that runs from Viana do Castelo to Valenca. Fortunately I didn’t cross paths with this monster too often.

and then finally… Caminha

I found a sudden burst of energy when I realised I was on the edge of Caminha; the town proper. The river Minho estuary is exceptionally beautiful and I was keen to find my lodgings and then head back to watch the sunset. The town of Caminha is marvellous. I cut away from the N13 at the first opportunity and by following my nose and mapmywalk, now I was passing real houses with people going about their business. I walked right through the old town centre, left and then right and left again and then suddenly there it was Residencial Anosa Casa 🙂 Hoorah!!

6) Well Pepe and I finally reached Caminha and the hotel after 30.28 kms : 12 hours 3 minutes and 14 seconds door to door via a few diversions 😊😉🙃 Absolutely shattered. After quickly checking in I raced back to the sea front to watch the sunset… (I know, insane. I could barely walk, never mind race anywhere). But it’s my last coastal route sunset. Tomorrow I will be inland at Valenca. By an amazing coincidence I popped in at a crepe restaurant for supper and there was my lovely Russian room-mate from the last 2 nights; Lina. I was delighted as I wanted a photo of the two of us and had been sending the universe some messages to say I wanted to see her again. It turned out she was staying at a horrible albergue, so I invited her to share the twin room at my hotel ☺️☺️☺️ So for one last night we’ll be room mates

19:34 and sunset in Caminha 🙂 12 hours and 30 minutes and across the estuary; Spain!!

As soon as I had checked in and settled Pepe, I grabbed Gemini and made my way through the town to the river front, just in time for the sunset 🙂 It was sooo beautiful and I felt truly blessed to bear witness to such an amazing sight. I had been blessed with amazing, albeit very hot weather the whole day and to witness both a sunrise and a sunset was extraordinary.

I had arrived in Caminha, my last Portugese coastal town. I had indeed taken that young man’s words to heart; keep the ocean on your left and head north. What an absolutely fantastic journey. I find it hard to find the words to express how I was feeling at that moment. Exceptionally tired, but amazingly blessed 🙂

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The wonderful walled town of Caminha. So happy to be able to add this to my Project 101

After watching the sunset I made my way back into the town centre to explore and find something to eat. The fantastic clock tower was once the main tower in the medieval castle incorporated into the city walls and sat atop the main entrance to the citadel and the Rua Direita (Straight Road) that sliced through the centre of the citadel (top left image). During the 17th century a timepiece was installed and it came to be known as the Torre do Relógio (Clock Tower). To the right is the Igreja da Misericórdia.

Caminha has a history that dates back to Roman and possible even Phoenician times.

I was seriously hungry by now and decided to treat myself to a really special meal. I noticed a creperie and decided that would be perfect. .noterreiro was the perfect place to eat. As I sat down, to my absolute delight and surprise I saw Lina. We had been room-mates the previous two nights and I was thrilled to see her. We chatted for a bit and she mentioned that she was staying at a horrible albergue so I invited her to share my room at the hotel. She hurried off to fetch her backpack and belongings and I ordered a cheese omelette which was very different to the omelettes in the UK. Still hungry I then ordered a banana and nutella crepe…delicioso 🙂 They soon disappeared into my tummy. I had thought of having a Super Bock, but truthfully they taste so much better when you’re hot and bothered. So instead I settled for a coke. Sugar rush needed.

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.noterreiro, Praca Conselheiro Silva Torres, Caminha 4910-122, Portugal +351 258 728 017

And then it was time for bed. Lina and I meandered through the town chatting away. She was crossing into Spain on the ferry in the morning to follow the route to Santiago via Vigo. It was so lovely meeting her; a Russian lady from New York!! Awesome. Camino 🙂

Exploring Caminha 2.10 kms / 5364 steps

Tomorrow morning I would explore Caminha thoroughly and then take the train to Valenca for my final night in Portugal before crossing into Spain. I was well excited!!

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Day 8 – a morning in Esposende

Posted in Camino 2017, It's my life, My European travels, project 101, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged Camino 2017, Camino de Santiago, Camino de Santiago Porto to Santiago, Esposende Portugal, Portuguese Coastal Route, Postcards from Portugal, the road to esposende is not paved with gold, Travel, walk 1000 miles, walking the camino, wordpress, writing on September 14, 2017| 5 Comments »

2017.09.14 Day 8 – a morning in Esposende and then onto Viana do Castelo

After yesterday’s marathon walk I was pretty much exhausted by the time I arrived at my hostel. I had decided to bus today instead of tomorrow and give my hip and ankle a rest. They were fairly painful and I didn’t want to do any damage. So after a quick meal, a lovely hot shower and putting out my clothes for the morrow and repacking my bag (done at night so as to not disturb my room-mate in the morning), I settled in and soon fell into a deep sleep. The foam earplugs I carried with me were an absolute bonus. I could have slept through an invasion and not heard a thing! I loved that the bunk had a dedicated locker, so I could pack Pepe away along with all my valuables and not worry about any of it continuing along the Camino on it’s own. 😉

Come morning, I needn’t have worried about disturbing my room mate! By the time I woke up she was long gone LOL. I dressed and popped downstairs for a lovely breakfast and then checked out officially…but left Pepe at the hostel while I went walkabout. Having decided to bus to Viana do Castelo and discovering that the buses are not that frequent, I had time for a brief explore of this town of Esposende, which is apparently a city!! There you go then!! Esposende gained city status on 2 July 1993 🙂 In 1801 the population was 4,157 and in 2011 34,254.

What a delightful ‘city’. Just a short walk away from the hostel was the main square, the roads are mostly narrow and cobbled, gaily coloured awnings covering cafe tables set out for patrons, and brilliant to see artisan shops and local stores rather than streets lined with charity shops, one-pound stores and ubiquitous high-street grocers. #noTesco

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the streets of Esposende

The main Square, the beautiful Teatro Club with a fabulous interior, a church, the fantastic cycle and pedestrian lanes, an interesting coat of arms, and the Maritime Museum

I was well impressed with the pedestrian and cycle lanes. They are light years ahead of Britain in this respect…although to be fair, these lanes were not in the city centres or older towns. Still I think our road people should have a look.

Occupation of the area of Esposende, dates back to pre-history, but nowadays there are only artefacts of stone or ceramic, with Roman occupation known through archaeological finds, including the barbarian kingdoms and Middle Ages.

Esposende – Coat of Arms – The arms were officially granted on April 27, 1995.

There are some fantastic churches in the town, and as with all the churches I had visited so far, the interiors were stunning. One of the churches, the Church and House of Misericórdia dates back to 1579, while the current building dates back to the 1893 renovation works. The interior is of Rennaisance aesthetics and the chancel has a beautiful baroque woodcarving, surmounted by a 17th-century altarpiece where Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia (Our Lady of Mercy) is presented. The church had a pilgrim’s stamp set up, so you could just stamp your own passport, and to my delight I found a small statue of St James perched on a decorative sconce on the wall with a Camino sign beneath 🙂 So exciting!!! The ceiling was absolutely stunning, decorated with polychrome woodcarvings representing the prophets.

camino de santiago, portuguese coastal route porto to santiago, esposende

Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia (Our Lady of Mercy)…so beautiful

the mouth of the river, ship in the children’s playground, fantastic sculpture; Monument to the Men of the Sea, the town square and an intriguing sculpture; bust of a firefighter

scenes of Esposende – note the stunning boat sculpture in the fountain. The statue is of King Sebastian who, on 19 August 1572, by Royal Charter, turned Esposende into a village

The boat sculpture was inaugurated in 2010 as a tribute to the Atlantic fishing vessel of the fishing community of Esposende. The Catrain is a traditional open boat (although in this instance they took the concept of ‘open’ a bit far ;). The tiled wall I saw inside the Teatro Club and the view of the square is from the balcony of the same building.

scenes of Esposende – Capela do Sr. dos Aflitos, old buildings, a sea-side sculpture; Cavaleiro and map of the river and estuary

And then it was almost time to go. Esposende to Viana do Castelo. Sadly I would be missing out on visiting the Monastery and seeing the Ponte Sabastiao enroute. Oh well.

Camino de Santiago – Esposende to Viana do Castelo – the signs are there 😉

After checking out of the hostel Pepe and I took a walk along the road to visit the fort and lighthouse. Set in front of the Forte de São João Baptista de Esposende. The 15 metre tall lighthouse that dates back to 1922 is unusual in that it is made of metal. The fort dates back to the late 17th century and was built to guard the mouth of the river Cávado just behind Esposende’s beach. The fort looks very derelict, but from the washing on the line, I’m guessing someone lives there.

The Farol de Esposende (Esposende Lighthouse)

While exploring I noticed some tiny blue arrows and white metal church shaped insets in the paths and streets. Seems there’s a mini-camino route in town that takes you to the many churches in the area. To much for me on that particular day….but if I ever return!!

The estuary and Camino dos Mareantes, Esposende…intriguing

On the bus to Viana do Castelo, my next overnight, looking out the window as the countryside and villages whizzed by nearly killed me…. seeing all the photo ops I’m missing 🤧🤧 But better to rest than not be able to walk at all by tomorrow. It’s 24kms from Esposende to Viana do Castelo. I’ll walk again tomorrow. Once I leave Tui on the weekend there will be no rest days.

I was blessed with another fantastic day of blue skies and sunshine……

Buen Camino 🙂 I’m loving my #Camino2017

Bom Caminho

and whilst the road to Esposende was not paved with gold, the gold from Brazil reached Esposende during the age of the great Atlantic voyages 🙂

If you’d like to read more about my Camino adventures
Day 5 – Porto to Vila do Conde

Day 6 – Vila do Conde – rest day

Day 7 – Vila do Conde to Esposende

Don’t miss Day 8 part 2 – an afternoon in Viana do Castelo

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Day 7 – Vila do Conde to Esposende

Posted in Camino 2017, It's my life, My European travels, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2017, tagged Camino de Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route, Postcards from Portugal, Travel, travel diaries, wordpress, writing on September 13, 2017| 5 Comments »

2017.09.13 Day 7 – Vila do Conde to Esposende – expected distance: 22kms (not!!)

Walked 27.71kms. 65029+ steps

The road to Esposende is not paved with gold.

camino de santiago portuguese coastal route port to santiago

time to go – Vila do Conde to Esposende

My post on instagram: It’s 7:07 on 13th September and I’m on my way. This is my 2nd day of walking on the Portuguese Coastal Route. Sad to be leaving leaving Vila do Conde but I’m excited to be heading to Esposende, which is apparently 22kms away (as it turned out, it was substantially further, but that may be because I kept going ‘off-piste’ to explore LOL).

It was a stunning day on the coast of Portugal. I left the guest house in Vila do Conde at 07:07 and got my wish for the day; I watched the sun rise.

sunrise in Vila do Conde looking upriver towards the Santa Clara Convent

sunrise in Vila do Conde looking downriver towards the sea

Fabulous. I stopped here for a while and ate some of the breakfast the Erva Doce Guest House had prepared for me. Watching the sunrise is such a privilege.

watching the sunrise in Vila do Conde

I eventually left VdC at just after 8am after faffing around taking photos of the various sculptures, my shadow (?) and then re-visiting the chapel on the seafront. 2 vdc day 6 4 the chapel I particularly loved this sculpture….she looks stoic, resigned, and sad…waiting for a boat that never returned?

waiting…..

This section of the route was so beautiful and I was hard-put to not stop every 5 seconds to take photos. I spotted a most gorgeous church with a beautiful memorial in tiles.

Povoa de Varzim

Along the way I met a delightful couple from Poland; Jakob and Agata. We chatted all the way to Povoa de Varzim and I barely noticed Pepe weighing me down. We stopped to admire a fabulous tiled wall. I love that there are so many of these fabulous tiles right across Portugal; azulejo with Povoan boats and siglas poveiras marks; a form of ‘proto-writing system’ thought to derive from the Viking writing system known as bomärken from Scandinavia. Archaeological finds in the area, including stone tools, suggest that the Póvoa de Varzim area may have been inhabited as far back as 200,000 years ago.

Me, Agata and Jakob in front of the Muro de Azulejos in Povoa de Varzim

Once we reached Pavoa de Varzim I sadly parted company with Jakob and Agata who rejoined their group to go find breakfast whilst I went in search of coffee. I spotted a little wooden shack on the beach, one of many, and stopping at the 3rd one along I ordered my ‘cafe com leite grande y croissant por favor’. Yummy; I really got into the strong coffee and pastry for breakfast thing. My language skills had by now gone from ‘hola, camino?’ and ‘gracias’ to a whole sentence hahaha. I was ever so pleased with myself.

practising my Portuguese and asked for coffee at Jóse and Teresa’s shack in Povoa de Varzim.

Just on 11:22 after my coffee at Teresa’s shack I set off and soon saw my first Camino markers; now that’s more what I was expecting. 😉😉😉

portuguese coastal route from porto to santiago

Finding the signs along The Way 🙂

I met some really lovely people on the route and it was most enjoyable just chatting away as we walked. The disadvantage of course was that I missed quite a few photo opportunities that I wanted to capture, but felt like I didn’t want to hold them up. Which is one of the reasons I prefer to walk on my own…even though it’s really lovely to meet folk from all over the world.

I’ve got 25.1 kms to Esposende and done 7.98 so far. Bom Caminho I’m loving my #Camino2017

a tad overloaded would you say? Laundry drying, my food bag…I looked like a bag lady!! LOL

I had such a fantastic day. On the route I met two ladies from Ireland with whom I chatted for a while. When I commented on how little luggage they had, they laughed and told me about Tuitrans, they had sent their backpacks ahead. Hmmm…food for thought.

Waving goodbye I set off jauntily, waving at everyone and wishing them Bom diaz or Bom Caminho depending on how they were dressed; no backpack and boots = local – a backpack, boots and waking poles = pilgrim ;).

A young lady sitting on a wall chatting on her phone wished me Bom Caminho as I whizzed by which nearly made me cry. It was so unexpected and so wonderful. 💞💞🙃🙃🙃 I stopped in my tracks and with tears in my eyes; “gracias Senorita”. If she hadn’t been on the phone I would have hugged her!! I’m loving my #Camino2017

Getting back onto the boardwalks was fantastic. They were so easy to walk along and allowed you the freedom to enjoy the scenery while walking without having to worry about which way to go.

such a gorgeous day and the boardwalks are fantastic

There were so many wonderful sights long the route; chapels, windmills, memorials….

chapels, windmills, memorials

I loved these little structures….haven’t been able to find out what they were.

loved this little building.

I really got into the spirit of the camino and wished just about every soul I passed ‘bom caminho’ Mostly they responded, sometimes not. In truth, the locals were lovely. Mostly pilgrims responded in kind, but the people I found the least friendly (sorry guys) were the German men. The German ladies on the whole were friendly enough, but the most friendly were the Irish, Portuguese, Eastern Europeans pilgrims and occasionally the Americans, who tended to be very focussed. I didn’t meet anyone from France.

Just after 11am I reached QuiAo; walked 9.73 kms. The weather was stunning, and I was blessed with a beautiful day, albeit already hot….which I did not enjoy.

I was blessed with some wonderful days

11:15 and time for my first Super Bock of the day. Okayyy, I know, I know we hadn’t crossed the yardarm yet, but it was hot 😂😂😂

QuiAo and my first Super Bock of the day

By this stage I was beginning to struggle with my backpack, but motoring on. I tell you what, my walking poles were a blessing. I was able to set an easy flowing pace and with the momentum I whizzed along the boardwalks…which btw are bloody marvellous. The poles will be my #1 essential item for any future walks, whether in the UK or EU.

my wonderful walking poles….they were a life-saver

Suddenly to my delight I came across the Caminho Beach Bar!!! I had seen photos of this place on facebook and instagram and was hoping I’d see it too 🙂 And there is was!! I stopped and bought a shell on which I wrote my name and hung it on the board. I wonder if they take some down each night, wash them and sell them again LOL I also bought the first ice-cream of the day!! Magnum Double Framboesa. Delicioso 😉

The Caminho Beach Bar 🙂

Whizzing along, in the distance I spotted the spire of a church. Never one to miss the opportunity to visit another church, I diverted from the track and made my way along a narrow winding road. I didn’t see many people except for the occasional car going by…usually at speed!! Hello!! narrow roads? Slow down buddy. The houses were painted a delightful array of pastel colours, and some a brilliant white that hurt the eyes. The area is very dry and the fields don’t look as if they could support any sort of vegetation, never mind anything useful. I found a whole new appreciation for England’s green fields, trees, bushes…you get it 😉 Mind you the blue skies….heavenly!!

portuguese coastal route porto to santiago, camino de santiago

Aguacadoura, Portugal; blazing hot and very dry. I think the idea of siesta is very sensible.

The church was beautiful, albeit closed. Darn!! Opposite were the ruins of a beautiful chapel. Aguçadoura is a Portuguese freguesia (“civil parish”) and former civil parish located in Póvoa de Varzim. I spent an hour here, resting in the shade. If I saw 3 people, it was a lot. Siesta, maybe. Good idea 😉

Igreja de Aguçadoura, in the parish of Povoa de Varzim, Portugal

Setting off just before 2pm, I found the boardwalks once again…they stretched into the distance. Betwixt and between, I was wishing by this stage that I had planned a shorter day, but I was still loving the walking and the boardwalks which went on and on and on.

the boardwalks were marvellous, made following the route so easy

Just after 2pm the boardwalks ended and the track changed to road and paths, I didn’t like them at all!! The markers were still prominent and I had no difficulty finding them. I had stopped off at a roadside cafe for a drink and nibble, and another Magnum Double Framboesa, shortly before the boardwalks ended…thankfully. What lay ahead was not fun at all.

Still following the markers which were a welcome sign. It got hotter by the second and within no time at all I’d emptied my 2ltr water bladder and my 750ml water bottle was being used sparingly. There were no cafes, restaurants, hotels or lodgings to speak of and I didn’t want to divert in case I got lost trying to find a non-existent mirage. But I carried on; staggered on more like – exhausted and overheating, I was soaked with perspiration. And sun-burned. 😦 Hot. Hot. Hot.

I did not like this new terrain. I had been perfectly happy with the boardwalks…thank you!!

After an exceedingly long, tiring and energy draining stretch I back-tracked slightly and turned off along a side road, that I’d passed earlier, which lead to a caravan park hoping they’d be able to give me water. I was desperate by then. Thankfully they were open and bliss of bliss had a cool, shady cafe where I holed up for an hour downing a couple of delicious, ice-cold Coke-Cola (horrors! I usually avoid coke, but omw it does the trick when you’re dehydrated and exhausted). I removed my shoes and socks and rested my legs which were horribly swollen by then, the cool air on my feet was blissful. I topped up my water bladder and had something to eat.

An instagram post: “Apparently it’s another 9.8 kms to Esposende, so all told I’m doing okay. If I didn’t stop to take photos every 5 seconds I could be there by now 😉😉😉”

The Orbitur camp site was a blessing, albeit 1.6 kms off the route, I’m so glad I back-tracked and made the effort. As I arrived at the camp I met a lovely young man from Cyprus with perfect English who had the same idea as me, get out the sun…except he checked in to the camp and stayed overnight. Clever lad. Unfortunately I had booked accommodation in Esposende so had to crack on.

Setting off again just after 4pm, and an hour later, just before Apulia I saw a sign that made my heart go cold. A diversion!!! What to do? Oh lord. I had read on the facebook camino pages how some albergues change signs to divert you to their premises, or weirdos change signs around for nefarious reasons. So when I saw that sign I literally stopped in my tracks. I decided right there and then (excuse the french) “fck that, I’m carrying on in the direction I was going! No desvio gracias”, and anyway I could still see signs showing the way – not the diversion. And then a short distance later, the reason for the diversion became apparent LOL They were digging up the road. Bless them, the workers, they stopped everything and let me squeeze through.

Diversion?! No thanks!!!

And then to my delight I spotted a church! Bonus. 🙂 If I’d followed the diversion I wouldn’t have seen it. But, if I’d followed the diversion, apparently, as I found out later, I could have not only found a cafe to buy water, but I would have walked back to the beach and avoided what came next!! I wish that I had thought to get some more water at that stage, even knocking on someone’s door would have been sensible!!

Caminhos De Santiago – Apulia – Esposende

It was now just on 5pm and I had left Vila do Conde at 7am…I was tired, and hot and thirsty. What to do? Nothing except keep walking. I located the markers and carried on.

not a happy bunny, but still taking photos LOL

The road to Esposende was NOT paved with gold. In fact it was, at some points, just bloody awful. But hey, I’m here writing to you so I must have made it through LOL. Still following the markers which were scarce and not always easy to see, the path went off into brush and trees with only a very narrow sandy road to follow; it was horrible. The profusion of footprints was encouraging. Pilgrims came this way…..

seeing the signs, albeit scare was very encouraging.

It really was blazing hot and I could not bear the sun any more. It was also terribly dry and arid on this section and there had been no sign of habitation for about 6 kms and the worst was still to come. When I hit the next section I was about ready to give up and this was the first time on the Camino that I felt uncomfortable. I remember stopping briefly and looking around thinking that if I disappeared here, I’d never be found.

this was not a happy place to be on your own

Thank goodness the signs were still there or I’d have thought for sure I was lost.

The distances were really confusing. Depending on which guide you read, or which site you visit, the distances to towns along the way were different. It would help if you knew from which point they take their measurements. And don’t even mention Google maps!!!

Then finally, just as I was getting really desperate….signs of civilisation! Hoorah!!

Hoorah! Signs of civilisation – Portugal I ❤ you too

As I reached Fão, I got a phone call. It was the young man from Hostel Eleven who was calling to ensure I was okay and hadn’t had any mishaps – it was that late in the day. I assured him I was just a short distance away. The last 15 kms were sheer hell. Hot!! Dry! Dusty! So many times I was sure I was going the wrong way and then I’d see a Camino marker… And so it went, through very rural Portugal along deserted, cobbled streets, sandy lanes, thick dry brush, scrub and scrappy trees and sometimes a mix of both. It all started so well 😉

Hostel Eleven. Fao. Esposende 2kms 🙂

I remember how excited I got when I saw the Hostel Eleven van…I thought I was near… I wasn’t. 😦 When I reached Fão I noticed the Camino signs taking the route across the road, past a church and presumably along the riverside. But I didn’t have the energy to cross the road so just carried on. Not my brightest idea as the pavements were scarce and I was battling a tide of vehicles coming from behind…some of which passed within a whisker….probably cursing this stupid woman walking along the road. I cannot tell you my overwhelming relief when I arrived at the bridge….nearly there. I was shattered.

Ponte metálica de Fão – the bridge between Fão and Esposende – Cávado River

But the Camino wasn’t finished with me yet!! Just after I crossed the bridge I missed the turn, the safer route….and as a result I had to contend with traffic at a round-about, walk along a road with a 50 miles p.h. speed-limit and cross a very busy, narrow bridge. At times I had to step down into the water channel alongside the tarmac and squeeze myself into the bushes lining the road to avoid the traffic going by. Urgh. Horrible.

despite the signs, this was not the best way to go….But I was in Esposende 🙂

I staggered into town stopping the first 2 people I saw and in my broken Portuguese (read: non existent Portuguese) I asked if they knew where the hostel was? Hah! Imagine my surprise when they replied in English with a very British accent; sorry but no. LOL. I finally arrived at the hostel in Esposende after wandering about a bit trying to find the place and finally resorting to mapmywalk. Hostel Eleven #4 on my list of places I stayed on the Camino. A nice little hostel, very clean. He welcomed me in and immediately gave me something to drink, saying that most pilgrims get in mid-day or early afternoon. Hmmm, yes, well not every pilgrim is daft enough to keep stopping to take photos…of everything they see; 100’s of photos. hahahaha.

Hostel Eleven, Esposende. The 2nd place I stayed on my Camino

Time of arrival: 19:07 – Bless him, he had been really concerned about me. He showed me around and to my quarters for the night. Bright, colourful, breezy and clean!!! I was suitably impressed and rather glad I could use the kitchen to prepare a meal…finally the packet of 2-minute curry noodles I had been carrying around were put to good use. LOL

I made a very welcome cup of tea, ate my noodles, had a shower and went to bed and sleep. 😕😴😴😴😴 I didn’t even have the energy to go out and buy a proper meal or explore. The day had started so well.

27.71 kms Vila do Conde to Esposende. 12 hours 21 minutes and 15 seconds from the times I started walking. 😢😢😢😢

the road to Esposende is not paved in gold

I’d made it, albeit very very tired. But today’s walk caused me to change my plans for the next two days. I had planned on walking to Viana do Castelo on 14th and bus to Caminha the 15th, but I swapped that around. Took the bus to Viana do Castelo and walked to Caminha. Good plan. It also gave me the opportunity to explore Esposende for a few hours in the morning. And a much needed rest day. The bus ride to Viana do Castelo was terrific and I saw more of the area than I would have walking along the beach.

My favourite people of the day were Jakob and Agata from Poland. I was so sorry to lose touch with them at Povoa de Varzim when I went off for coffee and they went to get breakfast, but I suspected that they would walk a lot faster than me, and they were with a group of friends, so I didn’t want to hold them up. Besides the fantastic conversation we had while walking, Jakob was wearing a pair of pants that I greatly admired…which he loved hahaha. I hope someone knows them and I can connect with them again.

Since I started my Camino on Monday in Porto (seemed much longer than that already) I’d met a couple from South Africa, and then in order of appearance I met people from UK, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Poland (the lovely Agata & Jakob), Ireland, Spain (Barcelona), a lovely Portuguese gentleman who lived locally in Povoa de Varzim with whom I had a most marvellous 10 minute conversation, and the young man from Cyprus. I had conversations, some just briefly, with all the people I met, mostly because I said “hello”. Wonderful!!

Today was a very tough walking day and except for the Camino markers I would have thought I was lost. At one stage there was quite literally nothing I could see in front, back, to the left or right except trees and dusty road…. I was grateful for the footprints in the sand; there was one set of prints I locked onto and followed, they were like a beacon in the night…I was going in the same direction. I’m mentioning this again because it was a very isolated section, between Apulia and Fão. and if you’re on your own like I was….so just a heads up. I felt really uncomfortable and remember thinking that if anyone with ill intent came along at that point, not only would I have not had the energy to scream or run, but there was no-one to hear. I could have disappeared and no-one would have known where I was. It was one of two days of the whole walk that I felt really isolated; perhaps I was picking up on some vibes. Who knows. The only other time I felt the same was between Viana do Castelo and Caminha where I encountered a similar environment.

I spent some time thinking about the pilgrims who had gone before me. We are like seeds, all in one place for a brief moment in time, then scattered to the winds. As hard as the afternoon was, I’m still loving this experience. My #Camino2017 ❤

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Day 6 – Vila do Conde : rest day

Posted in Camino 2017, Fun Stuff, Historical, My European travels, project 101, Travel, tagged Aqueduto de Vila do Conde, blogging, Camino de Santiago, Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro Vila do Conde, Church of Sao Simao e Sao Judas Tadeu Vila do Conde, Day 6 - Vila do Conde : rest day, Igreja Matriz de Vila do Conde, not just a granny travels, pilgrimage to santiago de compostel, Porto to Santiago, Portuguese Coastal Route, project 101, Santa Clara Convent Vila do Conde, Sao Joao - Fort St John Vila do Conde, towns on the portuguese coastal route, Travel, vila do conde, wordpress, writing on September 12, 2017| 4 Comments »

2017.09.12 – Day 6 – Vila do Conde : rest day (no not really!! LOL) As my daughter would say “Mom, you don’t know the meaning of ‘rest!” Walked: 13.29kms / 26595 steps+

portuguese coastal route porto to santiago

Washing day on the Camino

Laundry day today. Washed all my clothes by hand 😂😂😂 Longggg time since I’ve had to do that!!! There’s a self-service laundromat in the square but it’s more expensive to wash a small bundle of clothes than what I pay for my meals 😣😣 I love that their word for laundry is lavanderia… Sounds so lavenderish. 😊

After a delicious breakfast at the Erva Doche Guesthouse (they have an amazing selection of teas), I set off to explore on what was a gorgeous day. Sadly I’ve lost my Camino family for now, they’re going inland and walking to Barcelos on the Central Route today. But we’ve exchanged numbers and will hopefully meet in Santiago for the Friday night service next week on 22nd. I’m looking forward to seeing who I meet in the coming days.

camino portuguese coast route port to santiago

Breakfast at the Erva Doce Guest House in Vila do Conde

Had a fantastic walkabout around Vila do Conde, one of the oldest settlements in northern Portugal, where geological artefacts dating from 100,000 to 15,000 years have been discovered in archaeological sites in the parishes of Modivas, Malta, and Labruge.

Vila do Conde, Portugal – on the Portuguese Coastal Route

First up to the Santa Clara Convent that I saw on the hill yesterday, which turned out to be an old age home!! I know where I’m going to retire to 💕💕 They stamped my pilgrim’s passport which was fab.

Santa Clara Convent, Vila do Conde

One of the biggest and richest feminine convents in Portugal, founded in 1318, by Afonso Sanches and his wife, Teresa Martins Telo. Although I wasn’t allowed into the grounds to explore, I spent some time admiring the views of the River Ave and the town from the hilltop; absolutely stunning!! There’s a fantastic old church on the same grounds, sadly closed when I was there, and a small chapel, fortunately open, attached to the monastery; totally magic.

Views of the River Ave and town from Santa Clara Convent, Vila do Conde

the tiny chapel located next to the convent

Then I decided to follow the 999 arch aqueduct; Aqueduto de Vila do Conde. Just because. Initially constructed between 1705 and 1714, the second longest in Portugal, it had 999 arches and ran for four kilometres; connecting a spring in Terroso, Póvoa de Varzim with a fountain in the monastery of Santa Clara.

The 999 arch aqueduct in Vila do Conde

Well I only got about half way and it kinda petered out and only small sections continued that were mostly inaccessible. Thank goodness, just the bit I followed was over 2 kilometres. Twas meant to be a rest day. Along the way, under one of the arches, I bumped into my group of 5 that I had met yesterday. What a pleasure to see them. On my way back along the arches I went past a fab church that I’d seen earlier, Church of Sao Simao e Sao Judas Tadeu, but it only opens Sundays. So instead of exploring the church, I bought a delicious bunch of grapes from the market next door. 🙂

Church of Sao Simao e Sao Judas Tadeu, Vila do Conde

I was absolutely fascinated by the railway tracks I saw. The same as in Porto, they are lined with grass and level with the surrounding roads.

the railway tracks leading to Vila do Conde Railway Station

I visited the beautiful main church; Igreja Matriz de Vila do Conde, where I got another pilgrim’s stamp in my passport, and met a lovely young lady, also walking the Camino, with whom I had a wonderful conversation. Unfortunately, although I wrote her name down in my diary, I can’t seem to find it.

camino portuguese coast route porto to santiago

Igreja Matriz de Vila do Conde

Construction of the church started at the end of the 15th century (1496-1497) and ended in the beginning of the 16th century (1514-1515). A National Monument since 1910 due to the importance of the building; regarded as a late Gothic and Manueline style church and its Renaissance tower.

It’s extremely hot and humid and my initial thoughts are correct, I really should have planned this journey for October during the cooler months. But cest la vie, I’m here on my Camino and loving it!! “atm I’m back at the hotel doing what sensible people do; staying indoors for siesta and something to eat” 😉😉😉 Some days it wasn’t possible to find a place for siesta, and I had to be really inventive.

camino portuguese coastal route porto to santiago

not the most substantial meal ever, but this was lunch LOL

Earlier in the day I had spotted an intriguing church atop a jut of rock; ‘Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro – the Chapel of Our Lady of Aid/Help’ is a beautiful Greek style white-washed, round-domed church that shone out in the afternoon sun. I simply had to find out how to get there. So after my siesta, I went walkabout and finally found the way along a steep, narrow, cobbled stone lane…

Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro), the Chapel of Our Lady of Aid/Help, Vila do Conde

Stepping into the courtyard to find this breath-taking edifice was worth the climb. Built on a square plan with rounded dome, the interior of the chapel exemplifies 18th-century architecture, with azulejos; painted tin-glazed ceramic tile work, showing the life of Christ, and a Rococo-style altar.

interior – Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro), the Chapel of Our Lady of Aid/Help

I had seen similar ceramic tile work in many of the churches I visited and of course in the Sao Bento Railway Station in Porto. Absolutely stunning.

I spent the early evening exploring and taking 100s of photos.

scenes of Vila do Conde

The towns in Portugal are ever so quirky but mostly very poor. There are ramshackle tumbled down houses interspersed amongst the regular houses that you can see have been boarded up for decades.

scenes from my a.m. walkabout; Vila do Conde

In contrast there are a number of churches that although old are filled with very ornate decorations and sculptures. The Madonna and depictions of Christ are everywhere in every pose or decorative garb you can imagine. All very colourful.

The main square near the marina is very posh with sculptures and water features but just beyond is a different story. In the marina is a fantastic replica of a carrack; a three- or four-masted ocean-going sailing ship, developed in the 14th & 15th centuries in Europe, and first used for trade from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, then by the Portuguese for trade along the African coast. It was being refurbished when I was there so I couldn’t visit, but it looks amazing.

a Portuguese Carrack, Vila do Conde

Okay so, I finally caved in, my lavandar was not going to dry any time soon, so took my very wet washing to the laundromat; the lavandaria, and after the lady there helped me to descipher the instructions, I popped my clothes in the secagem section 😉😉 I tell you what, this is the most posh, clean, beautifully laid out and friendliest staffed laundromat I’ve ever been to. The machines are all Miele… I mean seriously upmarket equipment. The UK could take a page from their book. 😀😀 €1.50 to dry my washing; bargain
Every day 😊😊😊

After that, I decided to walk to the sea front to watch the sunset. I was excited about seeing a sunset tonight and when I started out the sky was still blue and clear, hoorah! But the seafront was a lot further than I thought and by the time I got there, 15 minutes later, a cold front of thick misty cloud had blown in and blew away my chances of a fab sunset. Although I’m sure it was fabulous somewhere in the world 😃😃😃 Maybe tomorrow. So disappointing. I remember thinking at the time; ‘ oh well, I’ll catch the sunset tomorrow night’.

Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Guia at the seafront and my stunning sunset 😉

But it wasn’t to be, and the next sunset I saw was in Caminha 3 days later. But there’s a stunning memorial and a tiny little chapel that I couldn’t resist exploring, as well as the fantastic fort; Sao Joao – Fort St John. However, I did see many a beautiful sunrise 🙂

Forte Sao Joao, Vila do Conde

I had supper at a pilgrim’s restaurant where for €5 they offered a bowl of soup, a main course and a drink. Yummy and just what I needed.

a substantial meal for 5 euro

On my way to the sea front I had the sheer joy of listening to and watching a flock of swallow settling in for the night. Much swooping and chirping and I briefly saw a murmuration. Wonderful end to a fantastic day.

Then after one last wander I went to bed.

a late evening walk around Vila do Conde. – Erva Doce Guest House in the middle

It seems I also have a new room-mate; Helga from Germany.

Vila do Conde has a history that goes back 100,000 years and was once a large port.

Port of Vila do Conde. Not as important as it was in previous centuries, but still a fantastic place to visit

The passage of King Manuel through Vila do Conde, during a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in 1502, helped to develop some of the important infrastructures in the city. The late Gothic Azurara Church was rebuilt in 1502 by the people of the village to commemorate his pilgrimage to Santiago. camino de santiago portuguese coastal route porto to santiago

Walking tomorrow. Vila do Conde to Esposende.

Join me on instagram/notjustagranny for more images from my travels around the UK and Europe as part of Project 101

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Arundel Castle and oodles of history

Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, Palaces and castles in UK, project 101, Travel, tagged Arundel Castle, arundel castle crown fountain, arundel coat of arms, blogging, Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, fitzalan chapel arundel castle, http://www.arundel.org.uk/local-info/arundel-facts, http://www.westsussex.info/monarchs-way.shtml, oberons palace arundel castle, river arun, Swanbourne Boating Lake Arundel, The Monarchs Way walking trail East Sussex, Travel, wordpress, writing on September 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

I remember the first time I saw Arundel Castle in the distance from the train. I nearly fell off my seat in excitement. Just a quick look as we whizzed past was enough to make me foam at the mouth…I HAVE to go there. That was about 6 or 7 years ago LOL Meanwhile life got in the way and work prevailed and I had so many other places to go to too! But finally, as part of my current Project 101, I set the date and squeezed in a few days between assignments. The market town of Arundel was finally on my horizon.

the Market Town of Arundel; a Domesday Book village

Oh my gosh, my excitement as we chuffed into town knew no bounds. I had booked accommodation via AirBnB and my host very kindly collected me from the station…huge suitcase and backpack…we only just managed to squeeze it all into her car!! I had arrived quite late in the day, having come straight from an assignment so even though it was too late to visit the castle, it wasn’t too late to go see it. 🙂 My host directed me towards the riverside and before too long I was on my way.

The River Arun heading upstream towards Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle is truly a fairy-tale castle. It is beautiful; turrets, and towers, hidden corners, a moat and all thin windows; you could almost expect to see Rapunzel let down her hair…it is exactly that type of castle. It also reminded me very much of the Disney castle in Florida. Just a different colour. 😉 Just wow.

Arundel Castle

As I walked along the River Arun drawing closer to the town the castle loomed large on it’s rocky promontory, towering over the village and river below. You can believe that it would have been an intimidating sight for travellers of old. How I longed to be able to sail into the town on a boat…how awesome that would be. The River Arun is a tidal river which I didn’t at first realise. As I walked along the riverbank I remember thinking how interesting it was that it flowed so fast….what I didn’t realise at the time was that the tide was going out. Later on after my walk I checked the mapmywalk app and that’s when I realised it flowed into the English Channel at Littlehampton and is tidal as far inland as Pallingham Quay, 25.5 miles (41.0 km) upstream from the sea. A series of small streams form its source in the area of St Leonard’s Forest in the Weald, West Sussex. It’s the longest river entirely in Sussex.

The River Arun

Within 10 minutes I was in Arundel proper 🙂 whoo whoo. Oh my gosh the houses are lovely. I passed the oldest pub in Arundel; The King’s Arms C1625 wow. I popped in for a quick look but sadly it’s fairly dull with no outstanding features beyond it’s age.

King’s Arms, Arundel

I decided to walk up the hill; Kings Arms Hill which is clearly a medieval street with marvellous cobblestones from top to bottom.

Kings Arms Hill, Arundel

At the very top on the hill I could see what to me was an utter surprise….the cathedral!!! I seriously had not see it before..or perhaps I did but was so enchanted with the view of the castle it didn’t register at the time. But oh my word, did it ever register now!!! It is fantastic and reminds me ever so much of the Notre Dame in Paris with pointed arches, steep-sloping roofs and fancy carvings. Gorgeous!!!

Cathedral in Arundel

The architectural style is French Gothic (hence the reason it reminded me of the Notre Dame), and the interior is simply stunning. I had no idea what to expect, but when I stepped in through the door I stopped dead in my tracks, my mouth agape and all I could say was wow wow wow. Not one of my finest descriptions!! LOL It is so beautiful that you can’t quite believe what you’re seeing. Not overly ornate as some cathedrals tend to be, it’s better described as exquisite….the cream stone arches soar heavenwards to a vaulted ceiling, light streaming through the windows captured dust motes dancing like delicate fairies on the sunbeams in the otherwise still air.

Cathedral in Arundel

I wafted around in sheer bliss just absorbing the elegant stillness and admiring the gentle beauty of the arches and niched sculptures and the large rose window adorned with exquisite stained glass. The Lady Chapel can best be described as serene.

The Lady Chapel, Cathedral Arundel

I love these churches. So simple, so elegant, so beautiful. I stopped at the shrine to St Philip Howard. Quite an extraordinary story.

St Philip Howard, Arundel Cathedral

I could have stayed for hours, but I had a castle to see….I was saving my first glimpse, savouring the anticipation 🙂

During my walk I noticed a fantastic 14th century church; The Parish and Priory Church of Saint Nicholas Arundel…although the church proper was closed at that time I did explore the churchyard and planned to visit the next day.

The Parish and Priory Church of Saint Nicholas Arundel

I meandered the streets, slowly making my way towards the castle. I passed a divine little cottage; the Bakers Arms Cottage, at the junction of Maltravers Streets and Bakers Arms Hill, is a British listed building with a pitched tile roof, is timber-framed and fronted with red brick. Absolutely fabulous. There are so many wonderful old houses in the town ranging from 15th – 19th century, many of which are British listed buildings. The history in those houses is just phenomenal.

Bakers Arms Cottage, Arundel

I stopped to marvel at the Town Hall – just an amazing building that looked more like a medieval gate than a town hall.

Town Hall, Arundel

The High Street is home to a darling array of wonderful old buildings, one of which had sections cut out of the facade exposing the original flint wall and beams behind. Amazing!!! I loved the configuration at the end of the street forming a V with a tiny island that played host to an amazing War memorial. I was so pleased to note that there were few of the usual High Street chains; Tesco, Starbucks, Sainsburys and so on. Although there were a few charity shops mostly it was artisan bakers or antique stores, a local butcher and a few bookshops and of course a number of antique stores.

High Street shops in Arundel

From there I made my way over to the castle entrance….To my intense disappointment the castle gates were already closed but I did walk along the avenue of trees on the perimeter and managed to get a fantastic image of the silhouette with the sun setting behind. My daughter was due to visit and spend a night with me in a couple of days and we agreed to visit at that time; wow, what an extraordinary place.

Arundel Castle, Arundel

I crossed over towards the river and noticed that it was now flowing in the opposite direction….ahhh, a tidal river 🙂 I explored the remains of the Dominican Friary and then crossed the old town bridge.

Blackfriars Dominican Priory, Arundel

Arundel was registered as a port in 1071 and by the mid 19th century the Arun was linked by canals to London and Portsmouth. By the early 20th century the port was moved to Little Hampton. On another day, when the tide was way out, I noticed the remains of the wharves sticking up out the mud. Intriguing.

Arundel Bridge and the River Arun

On the other side of the bridge I noticed a now well-recognised wooden stake with a couple of discs nailed to it…hah! On closer inspection one of them hinted at what looks like a brilliant walk (?) The Monarch’s Way – a 615 mile walking trail following the escape of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. oh my gosh. I need another lifetime LOL The Monarch’s Way is one of the longest of all English long distance footpaths. The Way follows the path taken by Prince Charles II as he fled to France following the sound thrashing of his army at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 in the English Civil War. At my current pace I should be able to walk that in ….oh maybe 41 days or 2 months. Hmmmm

I had a fab view of the castle as I crossed the bridge. On my way back to the B&B I noticed the Arundel coat of arms on the riverbank ‘Antiqua Constans Virtute‘ – Steadfast in ancient virtue. In case you’re interested here is a link to the details of the coat of arms.

Arundel coat of arms

I waked along Tarrant Street and noticed a fabulous old building; Belinda’s 16th Century Restaurant. A friend of mine on instagram, Pete and I had arranged to meet the next day for tea and cake…this seemed like the perfect venue, and so it was. We enjoyed a delicious tray of scones with jam and cream and a large pot of tea.

Belinda’s 16th Century Restaurant, Arundel

I had the most perfect weather that evening so decided to walk downstream along the river to the town precincts where I had earlier notice an intriguing looking house and then home to bed.

River Arun Arundel

After a bit of a lie-in the next day, I made my way back along the river into town and enjoyed a most wonderfully relaxing day meandering around the town, taking hundreds of photos, popping in at the antique shops, the Castle Chocolate shop where I bought some delicious chocolates and met Clive with the lovely smile, then over to the castle (seriously I could not wait to visit), then made my way over to the fabulous Swanbourne Boating Lake.

Swanbourne Lake, Arundel

I had just intended a brief walk, but it was so beautiful out and the lake looked so lovely, the shady green trees inviting and since I had much time on my hands I decided to walk right around the whole lake….I’m glad I did, it was wonderful. ‘Amidst a backdrop of chalk cliffs & trees you’ll find Swanbourne Lake which has been in existence since pre-doomsday and is home to waterfowl of many varieties.‘ Apparently in 1989 when the lake dried up one summer, they discovered the remnants of a WW2 plane that had been shot down over Arundel. A German Ju88A01 was shot down on 13th August 1940 at 6.30am. Two of the airmen baled out and survivied, one baled out but die and the 4th baled out but was mortally wounded and died of his wounds a couple of days later. If you’re interested here are some facts about Arundel.

After my lakeside walk I crossed over the road and decided to walk back to town along the riverbanks. From the river, across the fields of green, you have the most amazing view of the castle on it’s hill with the town nestling at the foot.

Arundel Castle West Sussex

I met up with Pete in the early afternoon and we had that most enjoyable tea and a lovely conversation at Belinda’s after which I walked him back to his car….for which I was rewarded with a lift back to the town 😉 After saying goodbye I set off downstream of the river once again and walked and walked, leaving Arundel far behind…such a gorgeous day.

Looking back upstream towards Arundel Castle

After a very late start on the 17th I set off once again to explore the town and to visit the 14th century church; the Parish church of St Nicholas. Phenomenal. I’m always amazed that these places survive for so long and often remain a hive of activity in the community. The church was hosting a number of sculptures when I visited; part of a week’s events with sculptures around the town – a trail you could follow. The Priory Alms Houses next door were stunning and I was dying to get behind the gates and into one of them to see!! The Domesday Book records that a Church, dedicated to St Nicholas, existed during the reign of Edward the Confessor between the years 1042 – 1066.

Parish Church of St Nicholas, Arundel

I spent a fascinating 30 minutes exploring the church. There are remnants of some fabulous medieval paintings on the walls, which like many others I’ve seen in the churches on my Southwark to Canterbury walk, are quite simply amazing.

medieval paintings and brasses Parish Church of St Nicholas, Arundel

It’s incredible that they have survived at all. From inside the church you can see through a full-length glass wall into the The Fitzalan Chapel which is only accessible via the castle grounds and wherein are buried family members of the Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel. (we visited that side of the church during our visit to the castle).

Parish Church of St Nicholas, Arundel and the Fitzalan Chapel

My daughter arrived later that night and after a cup of tea and a chat we went into town for supper. It was so much fun having her there with me. We visited the castle the following day and bought the Gold ticket which gave us access to the gardens, the Norman keep, the Castle and the bedrooms.

Arundel Castle in one word : amazing!!! Sadly we were not allowed to take photos inside the castle, but I managed to slip in one or two before being told off LOL The grounds of the castle are huge with incredibly beautiful gardens you can lose yourself in.

Arundel Castle, West Sussex – home to the Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel

We saw a most extraordinary sight in one of the formal gardens; The Collector Earl’s Garden – conceived as a light-hearted tribute to Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel (1585-1646), known as ‘The Collector’ who died in exile in Padua during the English Civil War, the gardens are beautifully laid out with the grand centrepiece a rock-work ‘mountain’ planted with palms and rare ferns to represent another world. This supports a green oak version of ‘Oberon’s Palace’, a fantastic spectacle designed by Inigo Jones for Prince Henry’s Masque on New Year’s Day 1611. Flanked by two green oak obelisks, the rock-work contains a shell-lined interior with a stalagmite fountain and gilded coronet ‘dancing’ on top of the jet.

Oberon’s Palace and the Dancing Crown, Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle has been the seat of the Howard’s ancestors since 1102. A snippet of interest: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed in Arundel Castle from December 1 to 3, 1846. Victoria notes in her diary for December 2 that year: “After breakfast, Albert and I sallied forth by a back way and walked along a path below the castle, commanding an extensive view, which put us in mind of the slopes at Windsor. The garden is very pretty and full of evergreens, which made Albert extremely jealous for Osborne House.”

We spent a few hours meandering around the gardens, visited the Fitzalan Chapel, the Norman keep,

views across West Sussex from the Norman Keep of Arundel CAstle

The Norman Keep, Arundel Castle

where you have the most amazing views across the castle grounds, the town, the river and far across the fields. Stunning.

views across West Sussex from the Norman Keep of Arundel CAstle

The castle is still home to the Duke of Norfolk and most of the rooms are used on a daily basis…except when visitors are about. The private chapel is absolutely astounding, the library was incredible and some of the bedrooms just fabulous. We even saw the bed and bedroom where Queen Victoria slept during her visit. The halls and rooms are filled with paintings, statues, a Faberge sculpture, magnificent tapestries and some of the most interesting artefacts. There is a photocopy of a letter from Elizabeth I and some absolutely fabulous treasures.

a peek inside Arundel Castle

Although not very big, and easily managed in a day’s sightseeing, Arundel is chock a block with oodles of history and you must set aside at least 3 hours for a visit to the castle, there’s so much to see.

And thus endeth my journey to Arundel to see a castle. With this trip I have added to 4 categories on Project 101; which now brings the totals to : Castles: 39 Cathedrals: 27 Rivers: 39 and Domesday Book villages: 106. 🙂

I’ll write more about Arundel Castle, the Fitzalan Chapel and The Parish Church of St Nicholas at a later stage. I’m preparing for my Camino 2017 and must focus on that.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol5/pt1/pp10-101

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10 Commandments of the Camino

Posted in Camino 2017, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Inspiration, Interesting articles, My European travels, other peoples blog, Travel, tagged 10 commandments of the camino, blogging, buen camino, Camino de Santiago, https://notjustagranny.wordpress.com/, https://pilgrimshelter.com/2017/03/04/camino-vignettes-keeping-the-peace/, My European travels, pilgrims routes to santiago de compostela, porto to santiago on the portuguese coastal route, Portuguese Coastal Route, the spirit of the camino, The Way of the Camino, Travel, wordpress, writing on September 2, 2017| 2 Comments »

Over the past 18 months or so I have read many many articles and blogs about or relating to the Camino de Santiago. Most (95%) are positive and uplifting with the emphasis on sharing the pilgrimage with fellow walkers, getting to know them, sharing experiences both good and bad, sharing a table, helping others who are struggling, cheering on those who are doing well…… regardless of whether they are walking for religious, spiritual or bucket list reasons.

But every so often whether on a group thread, a Facebook page or a forum, you’d get that one person who had missed out on the ‘spirit’ of the Camino and makes an unnecessarily negative and judgemental comment like this one I saw on the Confraternity of St James’s page: “I don’t like the cheapening of the experience by commercializing it. I walked it 3 times and it was the most extraordinary spiritual experience. Tourists on walking holiday, as long as there aren’t too many, will hopefully not ruin it for pilgrims“. I’ll leave you to make your own decision on that comment.

I remembered a thoughtful post, 10 Commandments of the Santiago de Compostela, I’d read some months ago on the Camino de Santiago forum and I’m sharing it here in it’s entirety; these are not my words, but rather the words of the writer on the forum ( I’ve added the link below):

“There are many articles offering tips for walking The Camino. This selection is one pilgrim’s views and I do not apologize for any you disagree with or for not including any you believe should be included. This is my Camino:

I. Thou Shalt Do Your Own Camino: This is a personal journey and you walk, ride, crawl for your own reasons. Walk 5k or 20k or 40k per day. There is no right or wrong. Follow your heart and soul.

II. Thou Shalt Not Judge Others: Just as this is your Camino, theirs is theirs. Big pack or no pack, 30 days or 1 day, 3000k or 10k. One man’s 40k day may be another’s 5k as there are many people on The Camino with health and other issues.

III. Thou Shalt Be Humble: Lose your ego. For many this is a life changing journey. For others a bucket list item or just a fun walk. The Camino has a Spirit and she loves humbleness and gratitude. Look for ways to be of service to other pilgrims and anyone else in need. For example; offer to carry the pack for a struggling fellow pilgrim, give a hug to someone who needs one, listen and be compassionate when a fellow pilgrim talks to you. Pick one day to give back to the Camino and carry a plastic garbage bag and pick up trash.

IV. Thou Shalt Not Overplan Your Camino: She will communicate with you via signs, people, animals, music, etc.. There are no coincidences on The Camino. Be alert. You may come across angels. Anything and everything is possible on The Camino. So be ready to veer from your plan because The Camino will provide what you need. Open your heart and she will show you your soul. The more you follow Commandment III the easier this will be.

V. Thou Shalt Open Up to Fellow Pilgrims: Of course if a Camino of solitude is your choice it is your Camino after all. However, the Camino is a special place and a key part of it’s magic are your fellow pilgrims. You will find that you keep seeing the same people and very likely The Camino wants you to connect. Get out of your comfort zone and just go introduce yourself to anyone who you have a feeling about or see more than once. By following this Commandment you will make lifelong friendships or more.

VI. Thou Shalt Start and End Wherever One Chooses: Many do The Camino in stages perhaps a week or two at a time and take years to complete it. Many start from St. Jean Pied de Port, others from Pamplona or Le Puy En Velay or Seville. Some Europeans start at their own homes. While many end at Santiago, some go on to Finisterre or Muxia at the edge of the world. Some believe if you are religious ending in Santiago is appropriate, but if you are spiritual walking on to the sea is special. A few do as the pilgrims did prior to the 1900’s and walk back home. Again there is no right or wrong.

VII. Thou Shalt Travel Light: While it is your choice the lighter your burden the easier it will be on you both physically and mentally. There are many writings on what to bring and not to bring.

VIII. Thou Shalt Stay Wherever Thy Chooses: From a tent, to a municipal auberge, to a 5 star Hotel. Remember it is your Camino. Though I agree with the purists that the auberge’s are special and put one in better position to connect with other pilgrims.

IX. Thou Shalt Not Obsess About Blisters: If you read any of the books various former Pilgrims have written, many mention suffering with blisters. Just as with traveling light there are many publications on how to deal with blisters. Focusing on prevention and applying some lubricant such as Vaseline is best but be prepared with compeed or your treatment of choice. Wear shoes or boots that YOU are comfortable with.

X. Thou Shalt Have Fun on The Camino: Perhaps for some the walk is long and arduous but for others including this peregrino it is pure joy. As you begin walking each day, concentrate on your breathing for ten to twenty minutes, in and out, to clear your mind of any worries and you will find yourself in a happy rhythm. After a long hard day, if a waiter places a whole bottle of vino tinto in front of you, drink and enjoy the company and conversation with fellow pilgrims. Don’t take yourself too seriously or these Ten Commandments. The Camino shows you how precious the gift of life is. Make the most of it.

Buen Camino! Ultreia!” From the blog of www.thesenioradventurer.com

I loved these 10 commandments and plan to keep them in mind when I’m walking.

Of course I’m definitely guilty of #4 – I’ve planned my trip almost down to the minute LOL but I’ve left some days where I’m just going to go with the wind. My biggest issue has been securing accommodation. I haven’t yet managed to just go and let the Camino provide, so to that end and keeping #8 in mind, I’ve booked all the nights of my first 6 days and the last night on the route before I get to Santiago. Mostly because I really don’t want to rush to get to an accommodation by a certain time and I found from my research that in order to get a bed at the cheapest alburgues you have to get there early and wait. I don’t to stand around waiting, I have places to explore and things to see enroute. So for me, on most days, I’ve booked ahead. I have conceded though to stay in hostels in many places, to get some of the sharing experience. Although of course I use the YHA a lot so I’m used to sharing….anyway it’s just a bed and a pillow for the night 🙂

The Camino Provides – 2017

#7 has been a challenge. When I first started researching what to pack, I read that it’s best to stick to 10% of your body weight. Okay so that gave me at that time 8 kgs to play with. So once I had decided what I ABSOLUTELY had to take with me, things I REALLY couldn’t live without, I weighed everything and packed my backpack. 7.5kgs brilliant I still have .5kg to play with. Then I did my pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury!!!By Day 2 I ditched 1.5 kgs of stuff, packed it in a box and sent it home LOL Jeez! How heavy can 7.5kgs get anyway? I never realised the impact that weight would have on my body. So lesson learned; pack light. However I suspect this is still going to be a challenge. I’ll do my final pack on Tuesday next week and then see how I get on.

Packing for the Camino de Santiago

As for #9, ahhh yes. Blisters. The bane of any walkers life. I learned a very hard lesson during my pilgrimage to Canterbury in July – I walked with wet socks and the resulting blisters were horrendous and brought my journey to a screeching stop on my penultimate day. Walking with wet socks is NEVER a good idea. So in order to protect my feet I’ve bought an extra 4 pairs of the best out of all the socks I’ve tested so far and they will be my luxury item for the Camino 🙂

This experience is going to be very interesting for someone who has mild OCD and loves to plan things down to the last item. I suspect there will be a lot of challenges ahead, I have no doubt I am going to learn some interesting life lessons, once of which will definitely be about being with people. I’m very much a loner and love being on my own for hours and hours, so it’s going to be interesting to see how I communicate on this journey.