A pretty easy second-to-last day of walking, apart from the heat. We just  ambled along for most of the day, stopped at the Cafe Esperon near Carrecedo for a medicinal Coca Cola for Greg, and a lemon ice tea and tortilla espagnol (potato tortilla) for me, then stopped at regular intervals after that for much-needed shade breaks, drinks of water and food.

We took our usual quantities of water – 2 x 500ml bottles for me, 2 x 750ml bottles for Greg, but had been relying on getting more at a cafe at the 12km mark at San Miguel. That didn’t work out for us as it closes between 2 – 5pm, and we walked past at 2.20, however there was a mains water fountain about 1km further on, and then another 5 fountains within the next 4km!

Tonight we’re staying at Padron, which is significant as this is where Saint James Santiago first preached the word of the Lord. So Padron was important during James’s life, and Santiago has become important after his death.

So …how does it feel that we’re now so close to our destination? Exciting, a relief nd a feeling of … finally! We’ll let you know tomorrow.

Hot water fountain in front of the hotel

Padron (click for larger version)

Padron Rio Sar (click for larger version)

We crossed the bridge decorated with scallop shells and headed north. We spent the next few kilometres following the train line which is being upgraded to a high speed train line.  We spent some kilometres also walking through forest. We made it to San Amaro where we sat for an hour in the cool of the cafe to give Judy a chance to rest and recover.

The sun was hot when we left the cafe in the afternoon, and we went on to Barro, skipping the cafe this time. We did another 4 kilometres mostly in full sun, as there was no shade until be reached the N-550 where we stopped at a little cafe with nice shade, and a few other pilgrims resting as well. We had another cold drink, and then hit the road again walking through grape-vines, and passing the turn-off to another alberque a few kilometres out of Caldas de Reis.

2 km out of Caldas de Reis we found a feute (water fountain) topped up our water, and rested in the shade of a tree. We quickly covered the last 2km, spending 30 minutes wandering around looking for a hotel. We eventually got settled at the Davila (with  a hot spring out the front) at 7pm.

Bridge leaving Ponteverda with scallop shells

House wall covered in scallop shells

Special pilgrim shade (also called rail line)

walking under grape vines

Fence made of peices of granite. Posts supporting grape vines also made of granite

We hit the road at 10am, knowing it was a short day. There are no hotels at Redondela, only an alberque, so we would have to stop 2km short at a pension.

It didn’t take long to get out of Porrino, and we were soon climbing up to Concello de Mos. A car pulled up and waved us over. The driver handed Judy a shell inscribed with the Camino and Mos the town. It was a kind gift. We stopped at the bar at Mos, to get morning tea an ice cream and coffee. There were 6 pilgrims just in the bar. We are on the last 100km to Santiago, so we think lots more spanish pilgrims have joined the Camino. In the first 2 weeks of the Camino from Lisbon we would have been lucky to see 6 pilgrims altogether.

It was then a steep climb out of Mos up the hill to Monte de Santiago de Antas. We passed a Roman road military marker, and then decended down again. We reached Vila da Infesta,and then descended down a very steep road, until we reached the valley floor. We met a pilgrim who we have bumped into several times over the last few days. She complained about how little sleep she got last night at the alberque at Porrino, because there were lots of people, and it was noisy.

It was then a detour through some raodworks until we found Pension Brasil 2, which was on the N-550 highway. Later we walked into Redondela, accidently found the Yoigo shop, and using google translate we managed to get a new sim card in out Yoigo dongle that we used on the Camino Frances in 2010

the lunch carrier

We walked around the fortress of Valencia and then crossed the bridge out of Portugal and into Spain. We had been in Portugal for more than a month, and we enjoyed our time there. It was a warm day, and once we reached Tui on the Spanish side, it was a nice walk along the riverside pathway. Tui ia another fortress town like Valenca. Leaving town we walked along paths by the Rio Louro, passing (but not crossing) another roman bridge. We then crossed and recrossed a couple of freeways, with for a period a special pilgram walking lane at the side of the road.  It was then back to forest, with long stretches of mud, that because of the recent warm weather was easy to avoid, but could be much more difficult in wetter weather.

After a diversion of the camino we finally reached Orbenlie, where there was a cafe. We had our first Spanish bocadillo, a baquette sandwich, which we had with ham and cheese. We sat down with a German girl who was doing her first camino. She had spent the first 3 nights in Alberques and thought they were terrible. She couldn’t sleep, people got up so early and woke everyone else up. So she had stayed in a hostel and got her own room, and had finally had a decent nights sleep. Her German guide had no accomodation at Porrino other than the Albeque, and she wanted a room. She copied details from our Camino Portuguese guide which had three hotels in Parrino, including the one we stayed at Hotel Azul (which is on the camino route).

It then a hard slog through the industrial areas of Porrino. Several kilometres of straight road past factories dealing in the granite mined out of the surrounding hills. We followed the camino track in the grass that ran parrallel to the footpath. We crossed the railway line, and eventually made our hotel at 6pm.

on the bridge leaving portugal

the Minho River at the Portugues border (click for larger version)

special pilgram walkway next to the road

the long slog through the industrial area

walking the soft pilgrim path next to the hard footpath

It was cold and cloudy, but like yesterday it never really rained for longer than a couple of minutes. Enough to make us drag out the wet weather gear, walk for a while and get hot, then take it all off again.

There are more pilgrims on the road now, as we get closer to Santiago. Interestingly, many of them feel the same way about pilgrim albergues as we do – tried that, not doing it again.

We have arrived in Valenca early enough to be able to spend some time walking around the Fortaleza, the old fortress on the Rio Minho, which marks the northern border between Portugal and Spain.

Valenca and the hills of spain in the distance

We climbed slowly, past some of what seemed to be abandoned farms. We crossed the bridge  over the Rio Labruja, which had previously had a “falling down” bridge and which had been replaced with a new concrete bridge. Under the A-3 freeway, again with not many cars on it.Portugal must be one of the few places on the planet that built freeways before it had enough cars to fill them. We wnt through Revolta, but the cafe was closed. We passed Arcozelo and the hill got really steep. We certainly needed our walking poles to help us get up the hill. We got passed by a couple of camino cyclists pushing their mountain bikes up the hill.

We reached the cross near the summit, where there was a brass plaque commerating the death of a pilgrim who had died in a plane crash in Moree Australia. We reached the summit, which we recorded as 458 metres.

Then it was down, down, down towards Cabanas on dirt tracks, until we reach quiet roads, where we were passed by a Canadian pilgram who had also left from Lisbon (9 days after us). We reached the Residential at Sao Roque, where there were already pilgrims in residence. There was an Alberque up the road, but there were at least 8 pilgrims staying at the Residential. There was no Restaurant so at 7pm they ferried us up the road in several loads to a restaurant about 2km away, where we had a meal of …pork.

Medieval bridge at Ponte de Lima

Muddy paths out of Ponte de Lima

replacement bridge for the falling down bridge (right)

climbing the hill

We met  a Swiss pilgrim who like us had started from Lisbon, except that he had started about ten days after us!

We walked on a lot of farm tracks, we passed the church at Vitorino do Plaes, but missed the turnoff to the cafe. We climbed up over a saddle and then dropped down into the Lima valley, getting a view of the 400m high hills we will be climbing tomorrow. We stopped at a cafe, then continued along a string of villages towards Ponte de Lima. We noted how many women drove tractors. South of Porto we had never seen a woman drive a tractor.

We followed the banks of the Lima River to arrive at Hotel Imperio de Minho to find it ws closed for renovations, the second hotel on this camino that we have found closed.

We looked for Pensao Beira Rio, but could find no sign or indication that anyone wanted guests. So on further to Pensao Sao Joao where we found a room and settled in. We went out later to a Pizzeria near the river, and walked back to the Pensoa in light rain, more of which is expected tomorrow.

Dry stone walls

Grape vines over the road

So …. what’s so good about this place? Well, everything. I know, this is going to sound like some tacky travel promotion, but we want to write it all down so we remember our stay there, plus give the owners of the 16th century Casas do Rio some well-deserved publicity and encourage anyone going to Portugal to plan a short or long stay at this wonderful haven. As well as being a beautiful place, the customer service is outstanding.

Jose and Cristina Amaro have owned Casas do Rio for the last 9 years and have spent a lot of time renovating both the buildings and the grounds. The 6-room boutique hotel is  managed by their daughter Sofia, who originally suggested that it should be opened to the public. It’s only been open for 7 months, but judging from the reviews and feedback, it has been an outstanding success. Our bedroom with ensuite was on the 1st floor of the stables. There are a total of 4 double bedrooms, plus a family room and a suite. The large grounds have lots of fruit and nut trees, chickens, ducks, geese & swans, and a sparkling clean pool which we spent some time swimming in, and lying beside.

There are a couple of restaurants nearby, but we just didn’t have the energy to walk to any of them, so our very kind hosts offered to cook us a meal, and we gratefully accepted. We ate on the terrace just outside the stables and chatted with Jose and our fellow guests, a couple from Germany who have travelled a lot in Portugal and who also thought that Casas do Rio was one of the best places they had ever stayed at.

The following morning, we had the most incredible buffet breakfast I have ever seen, anywhere. All homemade, from home-grown produce, cooked on one of their two wood stoves. At least 3 different kinds of cake (Greg’s idea of the perfect breakfast), a vegetable quiche, a chicken and tomato pie, 3 different kinds of home-made jams, home-made yoghurt with red-berry jam, a platter of fresh fruit, breads, meats and cheeses. And 3 home-made juice combinations. Our hosts encouraged us to take any leftovers with us for our lunch, so we made some ham and cheese rolls and enjoyed them later in the day.

I was very sorry to leave Casas do Rio after such a short stay, but walked out of there feeling relaxed, rested and reinvigorated, and ready to do a day’s walk. And I’m already planning our next holiday in Portugal, with at least a week’s stay at Casas do Rio! It’s the perfect place for pilgrims, foodies, tourists and travellers.

Casa do Rio (click on image for larger version)

It was market day (every Thursday) in Barcelos so we spent time wandering around an enormous market, that had been set up in the town square. Everything from fruit and vegetables, to furniture, to clothes to handicrafts. We left at 11:00am, walking out in warm weather about 26C. We were passed by another pilgrim from Spain. We are meeting pilgrims everyday, when in the camino before Porto, we were lucky to see a pilgrim once a week. It was all quiet roads and farms tracks until we reached Portela, where we saw the new Alberque that has been built, and bought 3 litres of cold bottled water from a cafe (they gave us two glasses to drink it).  We crossed Ponte das Tauas, where we met a pilgrim from Amsterdam who (with his dog) has been on the road since last August (walking all the way from Amsterdam to the Camino Frances, and then backwards along the Camino Portuguese).

We then left the camino at San Bento to walk to Casas do Rio, which without doubt is the best place we have stayed at on the whole camino.

Directions from the Camino Portuguse (red) to Casas do Rio (green). It is 1 km (click for larger image)

Detailed map with directions to Casas do Rio (click for larger version)

Walking along farm tracks (click for larger version)