We did a good job today up at 6:00 out the door and walking at 8:30. Three of us, Tina, Joana and me
People at the hostel said up to the fancy church and turn left so that’s where we’re heading.
Another beautiful day. No clouds. A little chilly but supposed to be warm today
One short backtrack cuz we missed a left turn onto the dunes. The arrow was really rotted but it did say bao Camino.
We ended up on the high dune just to make it hard of going uphill. There is a path just below us but the view from here is much better.
We veered off the sandy path over towards the beach onto a huge stone section. I would have liked to take them back for the garden
Found someone’s discarded shoe with a crab in it
Our breakfast server this morning was Brazilian. He lived in Michigan. He told us he went to the emergency for a swollen hand and found out he had been bitten by a spider. When I went back up to the room there was this big ugly spider at our door. Luckily it was dead.
We kept hearing what sounded like fireworks. Then we kept walking, talking and Tina turned back and there was a sign that said hunting area. Well we’re already past it so we lived.
On and on thru beautiful territory. Left turn we almost missed.. Path ran along river estuary. Then small trail off to the left. Tina refused so Joana and I went.. Back to beach area. Walking in sand at the bottom of a hill.. Not easy. Then up a hill/mini mountain. Met Katarina from Belarus. Walked with her. Found Tina. Went to first restaurant we found.. Couldn’t seat us for an hour. Katarina’s friend who she met an hour earlier joined us . Went to another restaurant called Joana, just because of the name. They could seat us but the waitress didn’t want to. She didn’t think we had enough money to eat there. She made me read the menu before she would think about seating us. . Finally we convinced her to please let us sit and eat. First we waited a half an hour to order and then a long wait for food. Garlic prawns, yum, Padron peppers, octopus (not for me), fries. I think the waitress was stressed. Too many tables for her. We treated our new friends to lunch .
Lucille mid 30’s from Hungary is a wedding gown designer with her own shop in Budapest.
Katarina late twenties from Belarus a recruiter.
We had a rando take pictures of us outside the restaurant then took off together all five of us on a nice road until the path turned left down a little sandy path and now here we go again in the middle of nowhere.
3 of us took the beach trail 2 stayed higher up then we met further down.
We came to a small stream with a rickety makeshift bridge. One by one we crossed, hoping the bridge had a little more life to it. All made it. 5 minutes later another one but made of metal, just narrow. It lead us down to the beach trail. Eventually we had to head inland and we ended up in someone’s backyard with a big cement fence all around it . We had to climb over the fence and into a field then thru the field with a well worn path then over another cement fence. Obviously we weren’t the first to take that route.
Back on a road then first bar said ‘Camino stamp’ so in we went for our stamp, coffee and pee.
Back on a beautiful walk thru pine forest and more pine forest. Every step of the way was so peaceful. The fresh air, the quiet, the smells. Sometimes back on open sandy areas.
With 5 of us navigating we hardly had to retrace our steps. We made it back to city streets to head to the bridge across whatever river we are at.
The shortest distance left, about a mile, and the most tiring.. Have to cross the big bridge. We trudged on but the 5 of us made it. It actually was a fun crossing with great river views as long as we could ignore the traffic noise.
Turns out Lucille and Katarina had a hotel around the block from our hostel, close to the bridge.
13 miles 9.5 hours and I was ready for a hot shower! Checked into the hostel.. This time an actual youth hostel. Second floor room but elevator, sparse but clean. Hot shower, well, it was more like ice cold. After running it for 10 minutes, I complained to the front desk, they came up and it was hot! Didn’t make me look too dumb. Later I found out that others also had cold water.
Off to dinner. We walked past the bridge to restaurant row. All closed.. Guess they don’t open Sundays. Found one small open place so it won. It ended up having the most delicious burgers ever. I had one that included pineapple. Served on a Portuguese bun. Bought some chocolate wafer cookies to be eaten at a future time.
I could barely walk back due to exhaustion.