Today is going to be lazy day….. 28 km walking and starting late…….😂
The breakfast was simple and I had a nice talk with the Americans…… How strange that the ones I meet here are so negative about their own country….. Because they see it can be different? Or just to have a normal talk with the rest of the world?
It’s dry when I start walking and in Ponte de Lima they are preparing a marketday, a huge market. I don’t know if it’s a normal market or a special one. And I am not going to wait and ask, I start my walk.
Crossing the old Roman bridge and away I am. The Camino goes along a small river and up and down hill….. Onwards on the most beautiful and thoughest stretch.
At km 8 I take a stop because the next one is more than 8 km away and on the other side of the hill. I see more pilgrims, a few familiar but mostly new ones. Also touristical pilgrims, the ones that skip parts, travel in groups and no backpacks.
The climb starts just when the first rain shower stops, so I can open the poncho. But it won’t stop for long and the way up is…… It’s many different ways going up, the surfaces I mean. I can Imagen that some feel the difficulty, but I have to write I had much worse and heavier and longer climbs before, on other Camino’s.
The long way down starts, with off course some uphill as well. I stop for lunch, late, but it’s the first opportunity after the hill. You can have chicken BBQ, but I decided for omelette and salad and something to drink. And had a nice talk with a French-Canadian who spoke English.
OK let’s go on still 12km to go, 2,5 hours. And a bit uphill and a lot of down hill, and why not, also some rain again.
The later in the day the fewer pilgrims you see. The last hour and don’t see any. I arrive just before 3 at the Albergue. The woman who is registering me comes from Cologne, Germany. I am the 3rd pilgrim to arrive. At 16.30 3 Italian arrived, the Albergue will be full tonight. The diner is vegan and on donativo base. The breakfast is €3,00. So all taken care of…..
Later helping with a nice evening with international pilgrims.
BTW, the stop in Baços is not a usual stop, according to the books, but it’s right on track.😉