Camino Portugues (Senda Litoral)

May 30, 2019 148km completed, 125km to go We left at 7:10am as we were expecting a very warm day and a longer walk than usual. The yellow arrows directed us along minor roads above and below the main road, making the walk longer but much more pleasant. The wind, which had eased considerably yesterday, had died down completely today and the sea was noticeably calmer. Early on we noticed about four men jump from a small boat onto a rock, a short distance from the shore. The boat then moored nearby while the men moved about the rock. We came across similar operations along this stretch of coast. Our guess is that the men were collecting some type of shellfish while the rocks were exposed at low tide. (Research since returning to Ireland indicates they were collecting Gooseneck Barnacles, a very expensive delicacy to be found in upmarket restaurants). Collecting Gooseneck Barnacles We planned to breakfast in a restaurant at a campsite after 4.5km and were not disappointed....

May 31, 2019  173 km completed, 100km to go      Route map Early morning - looking back across the bay to Baiona We are becoming good at planning to leave at 7:00am and getting on the road at 7:10. That was the way today and, with Liz to accompany us, we set off to walk miles of promenade and boardwalk, convinced that finding a bar or cafe in which to have breakfast would not be a problem. Twice we left the seafront to avoid going round headlands. The hoped for breakfast was a long time in coming. We passed many bars and restaurants scheduled to open at times between 11:00am and 1:30pm and had completed the major climb of day, away from the sea, before we finally found a bar serving coffee. By that stage we had walked 9km. Shortly afterwards we had to make a steep descent and my feet didn't like it one bit. When we returned to the sea I just had to put my feet into the water. That provided great relief and set me up for the long walk into Vigo. For th...

June 1, 2019 1193 km completed, 84km to go            Route Map Orange tree on street in Vigo With breakfast starting at 7:00 we didn't leave the hotel until 7:40. The day started  well with a walk down to sea level and then we had a long trek close to the sea. On three occasions we were unsure of the route and were advised by locals. Rightly or wrongly we are blaming this advice on getting totally lost. We knew we had to climb steeply to join the Camino Coastal but none of the streets in our viicinity matched the stree t names in our guide book. Google Maps offered a route to one of the named streets so we followed that, but three times locals tried to redirect us. We persisted with Google and another local came along. He agreed with Google and soon afterwards we saw a yellow arrow. It was most reassuring. By then we had climbed a number of steep hills, added up to 2km to our walk, lost more than an hour and were wrecked. Ann wasn't qui...

June 2, 2019 211km completed - 64km to go We had been staying in a private albergue which offered a €2 breakfast of coffee and toast, starting at 6:00am. There were more than a dozen people in the dining room at 6:00 but no sign of anyone to make the coffee and toast. He did turn up and we were on the road by 6:50. We walked through the town, past the municipal albergue that we had stayed in eight years earlier. It was full then and it was full again last night. Out of town we were on paths and minor roads for some 3km until we came onto a main road which looked very familiar. It came back to me that eight years ago the route was very unclear at this point and we spent some time discussing options with a group of peregrinos from east Asia. We got it right then and there was no confusion with the arrows on this occasion. We eventually came to the small town of Arcade. Eight years ago we hoped to get breakfast here but were out of luck. With the increase in peregrinos we ...

June 3, 2019 235km completed – 41km to go          Route Map At Pontevedra Bridge just before the rain Pauline and I were ready first, and we set off knowing that the other two would soon catch us. After a little more than a kilometre we found a café at which other peregrinos were seated. We ordered our usual breakfast of Americano, zumo naranja and tostados. Ann and Liz had joined us before we had finished. We headed on through the old town and stopped at the bridge for photographs. Just as we were about to set off again the first drops of rain fell and we had to don our rain jackets and put waterproof covers on our back packs for the first time. Peregrinos on horseback The rain turned out to be more persistent than forecast and our full length trekking raincoats would have been a better option. Liz and Ann caught up with us and eventually went on ahead. It was still raining when we caught up with them at a bar some eight kilometres further on...

June 4, 2019 254km completed – 25km to go          Route Map We had to put on our rain gear before leaving, as the rain was much heavier than yesterday. Ann and Liz need coffee first thing in the morning, so they went to the bar next door. We set off in the rain going mostly uphill through country lanes and minor roads. At one stage we had to dodge a waterfall coming off a motorway high above us. After 5.5km we found a bar where we could have our breakfast. Liz and Ann had caught up with us and they were ready for more coffee. We sat in a snug-like room whose walls were covered with once-white sheets and a large Irish flag. Everything was covered in writing put there by earlier peregrinos. Under the white sheets were other white sheets which had no room for any more writing. According to my 2011 blog we had breakfast here before. We are passed by the horsemen again By now the rain had stopped and much of the remaining 14k was downhill. As I said ea...

June 5, 2019 279.6km completed            Route Map Arrived in Santiago after walking, according to my satnav, a total of 279.6km. Ann, Pauline, Liam and Liz This was going to be our longest day and because I'm the slowest I thought I'd head off on my own at 6:45, before sunrise, while the others sought a coffee at a nearby bar. My view is that breakfast provides a rest period and I don't need a rest before I start walking. After 5km or so a breakfast break is very welcome. Within about 200m of the albergue I had run out of yellow arrows and guessed that I must have missed a left turn. Instead of going back I turned left along a main road and it was some time before I could ask for advice. Eventually I met two women who told me to continue the way I was going. I did for a time but was still concerned at the lack of yellow arrows. I decided to stop at a junction until someone else came along. No one did, but soon I saw a group of peregrinos ...