They have ingredients for you to prepare your own breakfast. It took 30 minutes and 5 people to turn on the induction stove. And no one could repeat it so they left it on. I tried the fresh roasted walnuts.. Wow at least wow after I threw away the black gooey on the inside one. Could have used more time to enjoy the gardens. As we left the receptionist came running down with the money we left for the cleaning help. They thought we forgot the money.
I’m not sure if I need my jacket. On the road about 10:45. Following the yellow arrows so hopefully they’re good. Much easier getting down to the trail today. It’s all downhill
First pit stop at Ocean front Cafe. Bought the obligatory items for using the WC. Not even noon and I had a double scoop gelato coconut and coffee of course. Joana decided to get her new coffee cup filled and a scoop of ice cream in a cone. She got outside the cafe around the bend posed for a picture of her holding the cup and the cone and proceeded to drop the cone on the ground. Cynthia said just wait a minute, the seagulls will clean it up. Before she finished speaking at least a thousand gulls came and devoured it and then flew away and you couldn’t even tell anything had happened. They left no evidence behind.
Met a guy from Puerto Rico living in Tampa. Started in Lisbon. Walked 22 days to here, went to Fatima which he said was a very difficult walk. No infrastructure. He’s 48. I guessed 40. I told him to guess my age he said 55. My new best friend. He sees us walking along and laughing and said we’re doing it a good way. Everybody else just rushes through trying to get to the next point. I guess he missed Joana’s tears at dropping the cone. Actually she said it was probably meant to be so she didn’t eat the sugar. I was all for the sugar.
Moving along the most gorgeous coastline!.
Today there’s actually a public WC on our walk. Just in the nick of time. Took a break along the wall at the ocean. Ate my sandwich I brought from breakfast. Met up with Puerto Rico again. Now I should say he and his friends over took us. They had lunch and beers and caught up. I had checked Google maps for the distance and about an hour ago we had about an hour to go. If we didn’t make stops. I just checked it again. We have 56 minutes to go. I guess we make stops. The other pilgrims turned off and stayed on the cement walk. We went and took the dirt path to get off the cement. This is the way my app showed to go and it’s nice through forest. Someone posted on Facebook that people on the Portuguese Camino don’t say say “bon Camino”. I find it the exact opposite. Most people do say that, there’s only the random few that don’t.
Another uphill walk. 8 minutes to go but Tina needed a pit stop. Found an open cafe with a bench outside for us to rest before the uphill. Hope she doesn’t decide to eat before returning. Turns out they’re closing so she didn’t eat but took a video of a beautiful inside. Maybe we’ll return for dinner. Our 4 minutes became almost an hour because a nun from a convent we passed invited us in to see the church. It was built in 1631. We bought pot holders they made as a good will gesture. They seemed very excited to have us visit. No men allowed in. Back on the road now downhill. Finally arrived. If we had followed the water we wouldn’t have had an uphill downhill situation, all level but we would have missed the convent.
Got our rooms first, second and third floor so lots of steps for me on the 3rd. Remember in Europe the first floor is 0. I decided to go out on a tour of the town so I’m just wandering around. Found the Clock tower, church- Igreja Matriz de Caminha (Built between 1488 and 1556 Gothic and Renaissance), thru an arch under the clock tower, down Rua Direita sort of an alley. I entered an artist’s studio because I saw some work I liked. He was excited to have a visitor who was interested in his work. I thought it was painted tiles but it was really water colors on small square canvas boards tacked together. It’s pretty amazing stuff. He used to be a lawyer and took up painting in retirement. The piece/pieces I liked was 25,000 Euros. It’s still in his shop. Passed a market on the way back and couldn’t resist the strawberries they looked so good.
Back to Arca Nova hostel to await a dinner plan. Hiking boots off sandals on. 8 minutes walk but the group opted for 2 minute drive to Remo restaurant on the water. Only ones there. Food quality reflected that.Back home thanks to Andre’s great driving. Everyone off to their rooms. We’ll meet in the morning. Nice hot shower and bed.