Sunday, May 22nd, sleep late? No. Get up early: yes…… Today 33 km to Ponte de Lima….. Weather forecast, rain, thunder, lightning….. Whole day……
When I wake up and look outside it looks dry, but cloudy. When I started walking, still dry, hope the forecast is wrong……
Walking to the city border, seeing already some pilgrims and passing them. Just outside Barcelos I see again the 2 French ladies, which I see no more after 500 meters. At a junction there were some strange arrows which made them walk into a different direction then me.
I can write now that I didn’t see them again today. The route that I took was on my digital map and the signs I followed where a bit different, but the route followed my map. I think this was a again a safer newer route.
I had a stop at a cafetaria, juice, coffee and croissant…… Met 2 other pilgrims and moved on. Just 15 minutes later it started to rain…. Rain harder and didn’t stop for 3 hours or so. Poncho on and keep walking, walking in the rain, singing in the rain…..
I heard fireworks, there’s a procession somewhere, but I cannot make out where. Later at a church I see a flower bed spread out in front of the church, but no-one there.
In the next village again, and here 2 stalls of merchandise were put up…… But no other people near. I keep on walking, in the rain and less singing in the rain…..
In a different village it looks that there will be historic festival, but also no people. At the small church I meet 2 pilgrims. Inside the church I can get a stamp. When I move on a walk a long time with these 2 pilgrims: a woman born in Rumania living in Switzerland, and a Portugese man, working as mechanic for the Air Force in Portugal.
And did I mentioned that I passed my Norwegian friend earlier when I was walking in the hard rain and he was taking shelter at a cafetaria? Okay, now I mentioned it.
And what I also forgot to mention was that it stopped raining when I got the stamp in that church and walked with the other 2 pilgrims.
We walked and walked, talked and talked, but no cafetaria for a long time…… We passed by several other pilgrims even more than yesterday. At an open cafetaria I had my lunch, sandwich cheese/ham and something to drink. They had only a drink.
When we got up, they did a picnic next to the cafetaria, so I walked on, just to see a familiar backpack walking ahead of me….. Someone was talking and the language sounded familiar, Scandinavian…. It is Fred again.
These last 5 km we walked together again into Ponte de Lima and maybe we will see eachother later or in the future again….
My overnight stay is in a house where the rent out rooms. So when I arrive I had to phone the owner and 15 minutes later he showed up and opened the door and explained everything.
After a shower a met a man from Florida who’s walking the same Camino as 8 months ago, but now with a nice who was enthousiast about the photos he showed her.
And it’s time for lavandaria again…… Tomorrow there will be a long walk up up and away…. The warning came from the American pilgrim, take food and drink before you walk up, because there’s nothing until your down again … Thanks for the information and tomorrow a new day……