Skip to main content

Camino Portuguese Tuesday 28/04/2026 Esposende to Viana do Castelo


28/04/2026 Tuesday
Today was a 26km day. We asked for a breakfast box, which sounded good. But the bread was stale and no butter. Ham and cheese sandwich, chicken bread roll, egg, orange and juice. We ate breakfast and put our luggage downstairs.
Once Kim's hiking poles arrived (the taxi driver had given her the backpack yesterday, but not the poles and she was in too much pain to think),  we set off along the foreshore for a short time and then said goodbye to the coast for the day. Street walking was the order of the morning, hard on the feet and calves. Oh, and up hill. Lots of hills today.
We stopped at Cafe O Lampiao where we received a nice cup of tea and Maria biscuits with apricot jam. Perfect. He also gave us a bowl of shell peanuts. We instantly thought of Dad watching the football with a bag of shell peanuts and a plastic tub for the shells.  Watching football with Dad also meant shelling and eating  peanuts.
Back on the trail we eventually came to a bush track shaded by trees. It reminded me of hiking at home. We were going downhill towards a stream, that means we will have to go up the otherside It was steep and on a road.
We lunched under a tree in a church yard on whatever was left of the food box, or a nut bar from our packs.
After another downhill track we came across a trail side stall selling drinks, fruit, cakes and coffee. A cold drink and a banana for €3. The owner was definitely a character.  Once he found out we were Aussies he showed us his Australian collection of hats and koala and kangaroo stuffed animals.

As we walked into Chafe, Kim decided to catch a cab and I went with her, while Alison and Julie continued walking.  I can't tell you how many km I walked as the Strava App lost signal . It registered 4.91 to the first cafe, but that was a straight line from our starting point. Julie's said 7.66km. I reset it and the 2nd section was 11.11km.
Checked into the Hotel, soaked in a bath and waited for Alison and Julie, then decide what's for dinner.
After they arrived we went downstairs for dinner while Julie stayed and soaked in a bath. She was done for the day. We ordered her dinner and brought it back to the room.
Julie: (While Ali and I continued on the hills got bigger. The thunder started rumbling and the rain joined in. On went our ponchos and off we went again tackling another one of those hills,  although this one kept going. I was exhausted and so thankful when I seen the bridge and Viana do Castello in the distance.)
31,615 steps
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Camino Portuguese Friday, 24 April 2026 - From Lisbon to Porto: Castles, Miracles, and a Chapel in the Sea

Friday, 24 April 2026 – From Lisbon to Porto: Castles, Miracles, and a Chapel in the Sea Today we finally headed to Porto. Alison had the brilliant idea months ago to book a private tour from Lisbon to Porto, and it turned out to be the best decision. Our driver, João, picked us up at 9:00 am, and we slipped out of the city, leaving the morning rush behind. The scars of the storm Driving north, we couldn't help notice the pine forests. Many looked brutally harvested, but the truth was worse. A cyclonic storm tore through here a couple of months ago, flattening homes, villages, and vast swaths of trees. The ones still standing are permanently bent—eerie sentinels of what came through. Petrol watch €2.13 per litre. Back home in Australia, we grumble at $2.65. Perspective is a funny thing. First stop: Óbidos We entered through the Porta da Vila, a tiled gateway into a 12th-century medieval hilltop town (because of course it's on a hilltop). Our first order of business? Gin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Camino Portuguese Thursday, 23 April 2026 - Exploring Lisbon.

Thursday, 23 April 2026 - Exploring Lisbon After a simple but perfect breakfast of croissants with butter and jam from the supermarket, we set out for a full day exploring Lisbon. Our walk began along Rua Augusta, where the street is lined with restaurants and outdoor seating with a variety of food - lucky we had breakfast. At the end of the street stands the impressive Arco da Rua Augusta, which opens into the vast Praça do Comércio. The square stretches out toward the river and is home to the grand equestrian statue of King José I, giving the whole space a sense of history and scale. From there, we began the steady climb uphill to the Igreja de Santo António de Lisboa, the birthplace of Saint Anthony. Not far away, we visited Lisbon Cathedral, where we received our first stamp in our pilgrim credencial—a small but meaningful milestone. By then, we were ready for a treat, so we stopped for ice cream before heading downhill toward the Tagus River, where cruise ships quietly lined t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Camino Portuguese Saturday, 25 April, 2026 - Porto - Bookshops, Hills, Towers and Bridges.

25/04/2026 - Porto - Bookshops, Hills, Towers and Bridges. We explored Porto today, starting off with a 9.00am booking at Livaria Lello, the magical bookshop that inspired JK Rowling's moving staircase in the Harry Potter books. It truly is magnificent. Kim booked our spot and made sure she got Gold tickets. We arrived 1/2 hour before our allotted time (Opening Time) and were second into the store, which meant we got a photo on the stairs without anyone else in view.  5 minutes later to store was full. After soaking in the experience, we each bought a book for the value of our ticket and headed out the door. Next we visited Torres dos Clerigos. Julie decided her knee wouldn't like the 225 stair climb to the top of the tower, so she stayed in the park and people watched. The rest of us ascended the tower and the views of Porto were spectacular.  The climb back down was tricky as we had to navigate the people on their way up. Lunch by the river at a Cafe, and we were off aga...
Post a Comment
Read more