Baione to Nigran 7 km
Total distance 156kms
Climb 260m
Total climb 2030m

Yes that is correct, the total distance walked was just 7km today. Don’t quite know why, it was just how Caminoways planned it for us. So everything was done in slow motion. Slow packing our bags, slow breakfast, slow to check out and slow granny step walking – we are a granny and grandad after all.

It was a grey morning and shortly after we started out it started to  drizzle lightly. Just enough to be a nuisance as you had to have your rain jacket on, rain cover on your back-pack and the camera in a dry bag. But it was warm, no wind and humid, so we got a bit hot. It is what in Ireland they would call a `soft day`.

It was an interesting walk out of Baiona along the beach front, crossing the Rio Minor and then going inland along little lanes, through villages, then the suburbia of Nigran before reaching our accommodation. We stopped to look at everything remotely interesting, had a long coffee stop, and still arrived by 12.30pm. Fortunately our room was ready so we didn’t have to wait around.

On our way out this morning we crossed the River Minor which separates Baiona and Nigran. There is a thirteenth century (restored in early twentieth century) Romanesque Bridge of La Ramallosa. The bridge replaced a bridge destroyed in the 10th century and there was possibly a previous bridge along which the Roman Road Via XX ran. The bridge is 90 metres long and has 10 slightly pointed arches that look semi-circular. The bridge has a double system of cutwaters, on one side they protect the piers from the flow of the river, and on the other side to protect from the incoming tide. In the middle of the bridge is a transept, which has at its feet an image of St Telmo, patron saint of navigators and whom history seems to recognise as having ordered the rebuilding of the bridge, and according to legend, having protected it in a storm.

Fertility rites were performed on this bridge, known as “early baptism”. This tradition, linked to bridges of a certain antiquity and with crossings, consisted, although there are many variants, in that when a woman had problems getting pregnant or with a history of miscarriages, she would appear on the bridge shortly before midnight accompanied by at least two people who carried food and drink with them, as if they were going to celebrate a normal baptism. The woman waited, in the center of the bridge, until the first person arrived, and asked him or her to pour water from the river on her belly; After the early baptism, the passage was left free and the celebration of the festival began. At the end they returned to the bridge and threw all the excess into the water as payment for the magical powers of the river. When the child was born, the true baptism was performed in the church, with the person who had performed the early baptism on the bridge attending as godfather or godmother.

The Hotel 7 Uvas (7 grapes) is quite different to all our other accommodation so far. It is quite small, located in the country just outside Nigran, is mostly single story, has a terrace and lovely garden, is quiet and peaceful, has a 100 year old fig tree, a horreo, unusual modern decor and feels luxurious. Each room has a spa bath and waterfall taps. We don’t see these in the 2 and 3 star hotels we usually use.

A horreo is a long, narrow, little building, usually made of granite, up on stilts or columns, gable roofed and often topped with a cross. Their original purpose was to store feed for animals and house farm produce that needed to be stocked or further ripened. They are always elevated to protect the contents from rodents. Ventilation is allowed for by slits in the walls. They are only found in northwest Spain, which is where we are now. We saw dozens of them on the Camino Frances and we are starting to see a lot on this Camino as we move up through Galicia. They are not usually painted purple like the one here at Hotel 7 Uvas.

Dinner was a bit strange as we were the only ones in the dining room. It would have been better if there had been some music on. It was quite classy and a good quantity. Tomato and cheese, beef shank with potato, peas and carrots, caramel ice cream. I apologise for the out of focus photo.

A day in Baiona

A quiet day in Baiona, a town with a history of 2000 years. Our hotel, Pension El Mosquito, does not have a restaurant so for breakfast we were sent 50 metres along the road to the Hotel Anunciada, which does have a restaurant. When we arrived it was packed with pilgrims. For only the second time it was not a buffet breakfast. You found a seat and were brought your breakfast on a tray: juice, coffee, toast, butter, jam, a roll filled with ham and an apple. Toast is Spanish style, basically a halved roll put through a toaster. This was the least impressive breakfast so far.

The light was very strange this morning. A combination of smoke from the wild fires and a foggy morning. Sunrise here is not till 8.21 which to us is surprisingly late, but it is in a different time zone to what we became used to in Portugal. Portugal is in the Western Time Zone which is GMT+0, Spain on the other hand is GMT+1 in the Central European Time Zone. They become GMT+1 and GMT +2, respectively in summer time.

In the harbour there is a replica of the Pinta, one of the two caravels which Christopher Columbus used on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. The other ships were the Nina and the carrack Santa Maria. Pinta was captained by Capt. Martin Alonzo Pinzon. On the return journey from the Americas the Pinta became separated from the Nina and was the first of the expedition to reach Spain on February 28 1493, here at Baiona. The Santa Maria did not return from America, and Christopher Columbus was on the Nina. Feb 28 is now a public holiday and there is a fiesta recreating a medieval market and the arrival of the boat with the news of the discovery of the Americas.

There is also a more modern memorial to the arrival of the Scarlet Knight in the Port of Baiona in 2009. The Scarlet Knight was the first submersible, unmanned robot glider to cross the Atlantic, having travelled 7,300 miles in 221 days from New Jersey, USA.

At our hotel we picked up a brochure with three self-guided walks, the Old Quarter Route, the Monterreal Route and the Pinzon Route. All very close by, so we had a leisurely walk around these areas. The Old Quarter Route takes you round the narrow cobblestone streets and alleys, with small shrines, chapels, manor houses, and lots of small hotels, bars and cafes. The Monterreal Route takes you through the fortress located on the Mount Boi peninsular. It has been a walled enclosure for over 2000 years. There is also a luxury hotel, Parador, on the peninsular. The Pinzon Route takes in places associated with the return of the caravel Pinta from The Americas.

Most of the fellow walkers we have got to know did not have a rest day, so they have moved on. Unless they have a rest day somewhere we will probably not see them again. But the good news is we will meet a whole new lot of people tomorrow.

Oia to Baiona 15kms
Total distance 149kms
Climb 260m
Total climb 1770m

We had a very colourful sunset last night. This morning it seemed as though it was a bit foggy again. As we got walking we could see a blood red sun. I said it was just the fog, but Barbara reckoned she could smell smoke. She was right again of course.  There is a wildfire in Spain’s northern Catalonia region and the sunset last night and the sun this morning were red from the smoke.

It was a slightly cooler day today and a bit overcast so made for ideal walking conditions. We could have stayed on the yellow path and walked on the flat and followed the coast all the way to Baiona. There was another option. A bit longer, turning inland and climbing up over several hills through forest. The first hill was called Snowporky Hill, I don’t know why. Being suckers for punishment we took this option. It was the genuine Portuguese Camino de Costa after all. Up in the hills we reached a marker that said 149.950 kilometres to Santiago, so we have just passed the halfway point.

We stopped for coffee this morning at O-Muino Restaurant and Bungalow Park. This was very much like an English seaside camp with lots of little gable roofed bungalows. Almost every pilgrim stopped here because it is the last cafe until you reach Baiona. It was on the coast and had a restored windmill which were once common along the coast. We could chat with all the pilgrims we now know. A bit further on we could see the Cape Silleiro Lighthouse, though we turned off up into the hills before reaching it.

We have come across another couple of “lavadero” today. These are public clothes wash houses. Most are very old but we saw a new one coming into Baiona. Before houses had running water. communal wash houses were built in the villages. These usually had a roof, and a stream or spring running through them. There is a photo of one being used in a photo I took in A Guardia two days ago.

We reached Baiona by lunch time and bought an empanada carna (meat), pastal de nada, banana and apple each, and ate them by the harbour. We have a rest day in Baiona tomorrow so will go and explore it then. Our hotel, Pension El Mosquito, is tiny but the room and bathroom is quite large. It is in the old part of town among all the narrow alleys.

A Guardia to Oia 15kms
Total distance 134kms
Climb 210m
Total climb 1510m

This morning we managed to book online our bus trip from Santiago de Compostela back to Lisbon. I don’t know why but you can only book these busses two weeks ahead. In the UK we were able to book trains and busses two months ahead. It is 540km and takes about seven and a half hours. It cost us €49 each – seniors fare. There is a train but it takes longer than the bus, I think because of a two hour layover when you change from Spanish trains to Portuguese trains.  At great expense you can also fly, with flights going via Madrid and again some long layovers.

Today was a very easy day. A lovely sunny day, slight breeze behind us, easy to follow path, lots of fellow walkers we are getting to know well. For most of the day we were close to the coast but occasionally climbed inland and walked alongside a road. This was a busy road and the traffic was noisy. It also had a surprisingly high number of serious looking lycra clad cyclists. Alongside the road was a 3 metre wide concrete, very smooth footpath, painted bright yellow. Talk about “Follow the yellow brick road, we’re off to see the Wizard, The wonderful Wizard of Oz”. Is this a blasphemous way of saying we’re off to Santiago to see the relics of St James?

Our guide notes said today was 12 km from A Guardia to Oia, which is correct, but our Hotel Glasgow was a further 3km along the Way. This is okay as it just means we have 3km less to do tomorrow. Our notes also said there were no opportunities for food or drink between A Guardia and Oia although a temporary summer cafe might be open. This morning before leaving we went to a supermarket and bought a vegetable empanada (a type of baked turnover consisting of pastry and filling), mandarins and chocolate.  As it happened the summer cafe was open and doing a great trade. The chocolate became a bit of a mess in the heat so we had to put it in the fridge at our hotel to get it to resolidify.

We made it all the way to Oia before needing lunch and sat under some trees on a nice cool stone bench, looking across a small bay to the 12th century monastery and 18th church of St Mary of Oia. Idyllic. The monastery is pretty much a ruin but there are big plans to restore and rebuild it. The church looks in good condition but you can only look inside through some grilles in the entrance door. It was less than an hour’s walk from the monastery to Hotel Glasgow. This is a large hotel right on the coast and the Coastal Path and is full of our fellow walkers. It has a swimming pool which we made use of as it had been another hot day.

Dinner tonight was the opposite of last night. Dinner was 7pm and we were first there. Bread, soup, fish, cheese cake, wine, done and dusted and out of there in 45 minutes. That’s how pilgrims like it, and this hotel knows how pilgrims like it.

Vila Praia de Anzora to A Guarda 13km
Total distance 119kms
Climb 240m
Total climb 1300m

Today it was goodbye to Portugal and hello to Spain. We crossed the border at the River Minho. No border formalities here as they are both in the European Union. We did lose an hour as we had to put our watches forward.

It was a short easy day today. The Coastal and Litoral paths converge at Vila Praia de Anzora and both follow the shoreline to Caminha and the River Minho. It is dead flat but on hard surfaces. We met the Southern Californians, Ricky and Mike, again. Turns out they are a party of six and we met the “Details Guy” who basically tells the others what is happening each day.

At the River Minho we had to get a boat taxi, what we would call a water taxi, to cross over into Spain. There is a commercial car ferry that operates a little further up the river but it does not run on Mondays. At the narrowest part of the river there are little run-abouts that take passengers across. We were walking down the river wondering how it worked when a guy jumped out from trees, said: ‘Perigrino, boat taxi, 6 euros, stamp’. He already had four others waiting and so with us he had six which was the most his boat could carry. We were marched onto the boat, given life jackets and were off. He went full gas, weaving around other boats and a sand bar, and in about 90 seconds we were on the other side. He quickly unloaded us and was gone. Barbara says it was the most exhilarating thing on our journey so far.

It was to be a short day so on the Spanish side we stopped at a restaurant for a coffee to fill in time. Then there was a walk along the shore for about an hour to A Guardia our town for the night. Part of the walk was on boardwalk through some forest.  On the boards were white painted footprints where you could stand and look into the forest. Where trees lined up, white painted patterns had been painted, a half or a third of the pattern on each tree. Only in one spot did the pattern make sense, even though the trees were at different distances away from you. A bit hard to explain but you see it in the photos.

Most of this walk we did while talking with another Canadian couple from Vancouver. This was their first long distance walk and were doing this to see if they liked it. They were using Macs Adventures as their tour company. We had used Macs on two of our South West Coast Path walks. We had lots to talk about from our trips to Vancouver, Calgary, British Columbia and Alberta.

A Guardia is quite a substantial town and again our hotel is a very modernised older building. Dinner at a restaurant down on the waterfront is not until 8 pm and breakfast here in the hotel doesn’t start till 8 am. Not the best hours for us as we like to set out early knowing it is going to get hot, and don’t stay up late at night as we are tired. A Guardia is a fishing village and has a lovely sheltered harbour with a small sandy beach. The town surrounds the village and it lies such that it gets all the afternoon and evening sun

PS Dinner took from 8.00 until 10.00pm basically for a simple three course meal with wine. But that is how it is done in Spain so musn’t grumble.

Viana do Costelo to Vila Praia de Ancora 19km
Total distance 106kms
Climb 300m
Total climb 1060m

The music was not at all bad last night. It did start up at 10.00 again but the deafening rock band had been replaced by a much quieter female singer. So nice she sang us to sleep. I stirred a few times after midnight and it was still going but it did not disturb me.

The rooms in our hotel were very modern and each had a different quirky twist with the decor. Ours was the wiring to the TV. The signal cable came out of the ceiling and ran a random route to the TV in red/black cable with oversized clips at about 400mm centres. The power cable came from another wall and did its own random route in the same sort of cable. It started in a metal sort of cage above the door. This cage also had an exposed fluorescent tube light fitting and a hanging umbrella painted on the wall. You can see it all in the first photo. I liked it. Recently we had a hard wired smoke detector installed in our apartment and the fire services guy went to a lot of trouble with small white pvc ducting, drilling through beams, and trying to hide the cable as much as possible. We should have just run red cable any old how over the ceiling and walls.

Leaving Viana do Costelo we again took the high road of the Coastal route although a lot of pilgrims went for the seashore. It was a bit of a climb up into the foothills but was worth it. Like the day before yesterday it went through little villages, farms, forests, little lanes, and although a lot of it was on cobbled roads it was lovely walking. We walked with two guys from Southern California, Ricky and Mike, one of whom visited the South Island of NZ last year. He had also cycled the Race across America as part of an 8 person relay team. 3000 miles in one week, from the west coast to the east coast. There was at least one  person on the road cycling all the time. He reckons he did 500 miles of the ride. He also said he cycled through the Rockie Mountains in the middle of the night and it was somewhat cold. They did have a well organised support team.

We saw our first cows today. We could smell them a while before we could see them. This part of Portugal is definitely not for grazing animals. Lots more horticulture today, mostly small domestic lots, some vineyards and eucalyptus forests. In Portugal and Spain these forests are considered a pest as they suck up scarce ground water, wipe out competing native species and destroy habitat for native animal life. The bark and leaves are also highly flammable and are a huge risk in forest fires. Eucalyptus was introduced from Australia in the 19th century as an ornamental tree but thrived in Portugal’s climate and then were commercially grown for the pulp and paper industry.

There were very few opportunities for coffee or food today but about the right time we came across a cafe and had coffee with Ricky and Mike. Then about 1.30 (breakfast had been at 8.00) we were starting to wilt, needed food, and came upon a small caravan and a guy selling baguettes and cold drinks. He was pretty popular among the hot tired pilgrims.

We had another couple of firsts today. Near the middle of the day we came across a little stream and decided to take off our shoes and socks and soak our feet in the cool, clear, water. When we stop for coffee or lunch we try and remember to take off our socks and shoes to give our feet time to cool off and relax. This is the first time we have done it at a stream. It was very refreshing but after half an hour back on the trail our feet were back to being hot and swollen. The other first was at our hotel which has a swimming pool. It is not our first with a pool but the first time we have used the pool. It was a hot day but the water was very cold and took your breath away when you first jumped in. After a few seconds it was great.

Dinner was included tonight, not at the hotel restaurant but at a little restaurant about 200 metres away. The Fonte Nova. What a feast, bread, olives, two little tapas, soup, pork, potatoes, spinach, wine, water, dessert and coffee. The meal portions are large in Portugal and we couldn’t finish everything. We were served by the original energiser bunny. One little guy doing all the ordering and waiting, as well as the wine and coffee for about 20 people in the restaurant. He didn’t speak any English, French or German but got everything everyone wanted. We had only sat down when the bread, tapas and olives arrived and we were still looking at these when the soup arrived. He darted around keeping everyone happy. We were in and out for a four course meal in less than hour.

A day in Viana do Costelo

A noisy night. Our hotel is just a few metres off one of the main squares in Viana do Costelo. When we walked in yesterday afternoon a large stage was being set up with big banks of amps and speakers. There is some form of two day festival on. We went to bed early as usual but at 10pm a concert in the square started up with very, very loud music. It was so loud our hotel seemed to vibrate. This went on until the music stopped at 2.30am. The music wasn’t even very pleasant to listen to, at least to us. Of course the topic of conversation among the pilgrims at breakfast this morning was the music. A few had gone out at 10 to watch what was going on, but quickly gave up and went back to bed. We have heard it will all happen again tonight.

Breakfast was a little different this morning. Usually it has been a buffet but today breakfast was brought to your table. Fruit juice, fruit (pineapple, banana, orange), bread rolls, cheese and ham, raspberry jam and coffee. Breakfast didn’t start until 8 am and as we have a lazy day, we didn’t go down until after 8.30.and didn’t leave the hotel until after 10. Our guide book said the way out of Viana do Costelo can be confusing so first we went and checked out the route for tomorrow for a few blocks. It seemed to be okay.

High on a hill overlooking the town is a spectacular church, 228 metres above sea level. Fortunately there is a funicular, Elevador de Santa Luzia, and for €3 you get a ride to the top and back. The funicular was 100 years old last year. It is a classic cable car with two cars, one going down pulling the other going up. One track, with a passing bay at the mid point. Each car takes up to 15 passengers.  The church is the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus but the hill is more popularly known as the Mount Santa Luzia. The church was bult between 1904 and 1959 and it looks something like the Sacre-Coeur in Paris.

When we were there a wedding was taking place. It was a Saturday, still the most popular day for a traditional church white wedding. We could go in and stand quietly at the back. The location of the church has commanding views out over Viana do Costelo, the Lima River and harbour, and the Atlantic Ocean. Further up the hill behind the church is the Pousada Viana do Costelo, a luxury hotel built in 1918. Smoking is still a common thing in Portugal. At the church we were sitting in the garden having a coffee when the couple sitting next to us both lit up. We have forgotten just how revolting the smell of cigarette smoke is when you are eating or drinking. We have noticed when we set out in the morning little groups of usually older men gather at cafes for a yarn. I think their standard breakfast is an espresso and a cigarette.

After our meal tonight we went out for a bit of a walk and discovered a lot of the streets have decorative lights. It made it feel like Christmas. Many of the historic buildings also have elaborate lights. The stage is still up just out in the street and it looks like there will be another large dance party later tonight. We spent some of the afternoon in the hotel trying to catch up on some of the sleep we missed last night.

Esposende to Varina do Costelo 24kms
Total distance 87kms
Climb 300m
Total climb 760m

Today we cleared some misconceptions and confusion we had about the Camino Portuguese Routes. There is the Central Route which is miles inland which we are not concerned with. Then there are the Coastal Route, Caminha da Costa, and Seashore Path, Senda Litoral. You do not see the English translations, just the Portuguese, da Costa and Litoral. For the last two days these two have followed exactly the same path on the coast. But this morning as we left Esposende they diverged, and the coastal path we thought we were following went inland and up into some hills. We didn’t see any signage for the litoral route at all. We were a bit confused as to what was going on, but two American ladies with good guide notes assured us we should go inland on the Portuguese Caminha de Costa. It turns out the coastal route is an old route and is called that because it loosely follows the coast and is nearer the coast than the central route. Litoral translates to “of the coast or seashore”, is a new route and religiously (!) follows the coast. This route is all on boardwalks or beaches and has a touristy beach resort vibe. At the end of the day they both converge and have to cross the same bridge entering Viana do Costelo.

We think we made the right choice going inland on the “coastal” route. It was a cloudless, sunny day with no wind, so we would have baked out in the open on the beach. Our route took us through many little villages, past countless churches and chapels, through farm land and vinyards, but best of all a lot of it was through forest which was much cooler out of the sun. We did have to climb two hills, both about 150m vertical height but they had very gentle gradients so didn’t bother us at all.

Between the two hills was a beautiful little river which we crossed on a narrow stone bridge. This looked an inviting spot to go for a swim. The villages also had cafes where we could stop for coffee and lunch. We try to walk for two hours before we start looking for a coffee, but sometimes, depending on where we are, this can stretch to three or even longer. We try to get some lunch after about 5 five hours walking.

We are feeling more and more like being part of the Camino community. We are recognising the same faces each day. Some are staying at the same hotels so we see them at breakfast and dinner. Some we just see many times on the road or at cafes, so you start saying hello and strike up some conversation. Today we walked awhile with two ladies from Vancouver Island Canada so we could talk about our cycling trips in British Columbia and Alberta and our trips to Victoria, Vancouver Island. They also often went to the San Juan Islands where we spent a week a few years ago.

The Suave Mar Hotel we stayed at last night was the most upmarket we have stayed at so far. For breakfast this morning they had all the usual continental breakfast fare I have described before, and they also had more fruit, peaches, water melon etc, and also scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, mushrooms, croquets, hard boiled eggs, cakes, and pain au chocolat. More like a full English breakfast. Our hotel tonight is just off the main square in the centre of the old town Varina do Castelo. It is a small hotel, very comfortable, and downstairs they have a public restaurant. So not far to go for our meal tonight. Where we stay and dinner is included they have what is called a half board menu. So far, olives and bread, soup or salad, fish or meat, dessert from the trolley and still or sparkling water. Sometimes the olives and bread is omitted and wine will be included.

We have now done three 20 plus kilometre days in a row and are feeling pretty good. Tomorrow we have a “rest day” here in Varina do Castelo so we will take it easy, do some washing and look around the town.

These photos from yesterday did not upload, do not know why.

Povoa de Varzim to Esposende 22 km
Total distance 63kms
Climb 440m
Total climb 460m

Today was such a different day to yesterday. A 22km day, which is pretty comfortable for us, but the big difference was no wind. Calm until mid-morning and then just a gentle sea breeze. A warm day but we were out of the sun under a canopy of trees for a couple of hours. We left the hotel in Povoa de Varzim at 8.20am and reached the hotel in Esposende at 2.20pm. Check-in is not supposed to be until 3 pm but maybe they took pity on two old pilgrims. 

Today felt like a real Camino day. Lots of people walking and we got to chat with some of them. Barbara with three guys from Australia, me with ladies from Belgium and Switzerland, and a mother and daughter from California at lunch. 

For the first half of the day we walked along the coast and leaving Povoa de Varzim it was very built up with row upon row of apartment buildings. The most interesting thing we saw was piles of seaweed on the foreshore and these being spread out on the sand dunes to dry. On this part of the coast seaweed harvesting is still viable, the seaweed being used as fertilizer on the farms inland from the coast. Seaweed has been used here in this way since the 14th century. We were on boardwalks again including one that went the full length of a golf course. 

We saw the ruins of old windmills, just the stone towers mostly. We stopped at a little cafe for coffee after about 2½ hours walking. It was a tiny little place out in the country all on its own, called The Mill. It had a small windmill on the roof and a waterwheel inside and it looked like it may have had some accommodation as well. Not sure if the windmill or the water wheel were genuine but they looked the part. When we arrived we were the only customers but by the time we left it was buzzing with pilgrims.

Mid morning there was the option of continuing on the coast or going inland through horticulture farms, mostly vegetables. Without realising it we ended up on the inland route and this was a good option as it was along country lanes and under trees, quite a few of them pines and gums. We also came across blackberries but they were tiny, the size of small peas, and tasteless. Lots of corn fields but also green vegetables and carrots. It didn’t seem to be very mechanised with quite a few people working in the fields. Other than dogs and a few cats we haven’t seen any farm animals, no cattle, no sheep, no poultry, no pigs or horses.

At the village of Fao we came across the three Aussies again at a lovely outdoor cafe and they recommended the French toast and praca baguettes, so we stopped and had some of these with another coffee. It was very pleasant, outdoors under umbrellas in the shade, Four French pilgrims next to us and the Californian mother and daughter asking us what we were having and would we recommend it.

As we entered Esposende the fog came in and created quite a strange atmosphere. We were walking up a narrow estuary and what had been clear on the other side all but disappeared.

The Hotel Suave Mar is quite a grand affair, An older hotel but classy, built around a large, ornate swimming pool.  The restaurant has a large menu and larger drinks choice. Our evening meal is included but there is a separate perigrino menu, similar to last night. Starter of bread, olives etc, entree of soup or salad, main of cod or chicken (with potatoes, not fries) and desert from a trolley. All very nice, but dinner didn’t start till 7.30 and took an hour and a half. Way too late and  slow for tired pilgrims.