Day 5 Viana do Castelo to Vila Praia de Ancora 19.5 km Last night we stayed in basic rooms above a fancy restaurant. A pilgrims' breakfast IN in the fancy restaurant was included. We woke up to the smell of fresh buns baking down below. It was a bit of a giggle to sit around in our stinky hiking clothes with linen napkins and fancy glasses. Best breakfast yet! We stuck mainly to the shore today and saw the best-preserved windmills yet. These even had blades. As we walked we could see men wading in the tidal pools collecting something. Ray hopped the wall to see if he could figure out what it was and we are pretty sure it was muscles. I wasn’t hopping the wall for anything today. A bit of a pulled back muscle from our long walk yesterday. Today my best friend was a pharmacist who fixed me up for tomorrow. Boy, do I appreciate his kindness! Day 6 Vila Praia de Ancora to A Guarda, Spain 12.27 km On the Camino Portuguese, there are a wide variety of routes. Today I’m pretty sure we put several pieces together to create something that was truly ours. Heading out of Ancora, even though it’s a little longer, you can choose to walk through a national forest. So, off we went after our morning coffee at a roadside cafe. Almost as soon as we exited the forest we could see Spain across the river. We knew we had to cross by boat, but technically it should have been further ahead in Caminha. A very friendly and very convincing local in a booth beside the shore convinced us we could cross there and even had a map for when we reached the other side. Five minutes later we jumped in a water taxi and headed for Spain. The “new” route hugged the coast to A Guarda. Because it is the road less travelled it felt like we had the walk all to ourselves. We passed through a quirky forest that had an art installation. One was a labyrinth painted on three trees. You have to stand in just the right spot to line up the pattern. A Guarda has quite a bit of street art. Mixing the modern with the old town gives it a funky feel. Today’s blessing? We had just entered A Guarda and a car pulled over to the curb on our side of the road. The driver jumped out and rushed toward me. I had no idea what was happening. She grabbed my wrist and put a ribbon bracelet on it. “Buen Camino” she shouted as she jumped back into her car. The bracelet says “A Guarda Camino Portugues da Costa” I love the random acts of kindness of the locals we meet here. Today was shorter because we had the boat thing, but it will be a longer walk tomorrow You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom.
16 Comments
Sandra Martin
5/5/2023 03:50:25 am
What a joy to watch these this morning with my morning coffee. Keep it going I know you can do it!
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Diane
5/5/2023 09:38:41 am
Appreciate the encouragemen!
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Maya
5/8/2023 07:00:29 am
I am wondering if it’s becoming harder to walk everyday
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:10:26 am
You would think it might get easier, but not so much. The blisters get worse and the body gets more tired. However, it is a real feeling of accomplishment. We now have less than 100 km to go!
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Makayla and Alexis
5/8/2023 07:05:49 am
Have you seen any animals on you trip
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:12:05 am
When we pass through the rural areas we see the typical cattle, sheep, horses. What we do see is a lot of birds—both wild and caged. Today we passed an African Grey Parrot that said Ola to us!
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Molly Jorja Kelsey
5/8/2023 07:07:43 am
What is a labyrinth?
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:14:08 am
It’s a path like a maze except you follow it to the middle and out again. Usually in silence and reflection. Although sometimes I hum to myself 😄
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Alex Alec Connor W7Schaefer
5/8/2023 07:13:44 am
What do the symbols on the trees mean/stand for?
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:21:07 am
The one I posted is a labyrinth. Some were Triskelions—ancient really cool spirals.
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Blake
5/8/2023 07:14:02 am
Did you see Any animals while in the forest
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:16:15 am
No…not even squirrels—sometimes little lizards When we pass through the rural areas we see the typical cattle, sheep, horses. What we do see is a lot of birds—both wild and caged. Today we passed an African Grey Parrot that said Ola to us!
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MLW7
5/8/2023 07:14:10 am
Are all the locals there nice?
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:18:14 am
Absolutely. Their kindness is what makes the journey work.
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Hailey and Kinzie W7
5/8/2023 07:15:55 am
What is a water taxi?
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Diane
5/8/2023 09:17:21 am
Like a listowel taxi…only it’s a speed boat you can take from one place to another for a fixed rate.
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