Day 9: Viana do Castello to Seixas Back in 2022 I didn’t walk this stage due to a sprained ankle which I suffered the day before when I rolled over on it. I spent the day in Viana do Castello and took the train to Seixas later in the day. Upon recommendation from a friend, I purchased an ankle strap, and it…
Day 8: Coimbra to Mealhada It was two years and a day since I last was in Mealhada. Back then I decided to take the train to Mealhada and walk the few kilometers to Sernadelo, so that I could spend the morning in Coimbra and not least see it’s world famous library. Again this year, I decided to take the…
Day 7: Freixianda to Fatima Today was always going to be a hit or miss day. I needed to take a taxi ca. 30km to the start point, I needed to walk 32 kilometers, that turned out to be 35km in a hilly terrain and there was a bus to catch at 16.30. Breakfast was at 8am, and the hotel…
Day 6: Carregado to Azambuja Following yesterday’s marathon 37km, only 13km remained to reach Azambuja. That gave me some time to wash my clothes. I was up early and at the laundry as it opened at 8am. A 35min wash took 45 minutes and I had plenty of time to walk around the old town, and see the trams. My…
Day 5: Lisbon to Carregado I walked the Camino Portugues from Lisbon as far as Porto in February 2023, but I didn’t walk the two first stages to Azambuja. I actually ended up taking a taxi from Lisbon to Azambuja, as there was a train strike. Therefore the second part of my filling the gaps walk is to complete the…
Day 13: Santiago de Compostela It’s taken me 26 days to get from outside Lisbon to Santiago, taking deviations to Fatima, then the Camino Carmelita north of Fatima and the Spiritual Variant from Pontevedra. I took 3 days off in Tomar, Fatima and Pontevedra, which together with Coimbra are all towns I would highly recommend. Whilst it’s been very enjoyable,…
Day 12: Vilanova de Arousa to Santiago de Compostela Today I would reach the goal for the first part of my walk, Santiago de Compostela. Of course things didn’t go exactly as planned. As I wrote yesterday, the boat I was due to take at 7.30am from Vilanova de Arousa was cancelled. The next boat. at 10am, was then further delayed by 30 mins,…
Day 11: Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa This is a stunning stage following the Ruta de la Piedra y del Agua (The stone and water route) passing 51 ancient mills and cascades, before turning west at Pontearnelas towards Vilanova de Arousa, my destination for today. Apart from the downhill from an altitude of 300m in Armenteira, it was a relatively flat day.…
Day 10: Pontevedra to Armenteira Another beautiful days walking, this time with a couple of climbs, the second of which was 430m over ca. 4km. In addition I visited two beautiful monasteries. A short stage, 20kms plus 3 more to get to the place I am sleeping tonight. I left Pontevedra at 9am, wearing a jumper. It was ‘only’ 14…
Day 9: Pontevedra Thanks to yesterday’s double stage, I had a day off today. It was just as well, the inhabitants of a neighboring room decided to have an hour long argument at 2.30 am (it may have lasted longer, but at least I fell asleep). They started again 7.00! I’ve spent hundreds of nights in hotels and…
Day 7: Valenca to O’Porrino After being woken by a group of 20 or so Americans ready to walk at 6.45, I showered, breakfasted, packed and was walking through a fairly deserted Valenca by 9am, on my way to O’Pirrino, 21kms away. 30 mins later, after crossing the International bridge, it was 10.30, and now in Spain. The first time…
Day 6: Seixas to Valenca After a good nights sleep and good breakfast overlooking the River Minho, I was walking again. The river is the border between Portugal and Spain, which I will be following, going east to the border town of Valenca, 24 kms. I left equally concerned about my foot and the heat. My foot felt better but…
Day 5: Viana do Castelo to Seixas It should have been 32km between Viana do Castelo and Seixas. The swelling around my ancle had subsided, but it still hurt when I walked, so there was no chance of walking 32kms. I bandaged the ancle, and hobbled to a laundromat to wash my clothes – so at least I have clean clothes, despite…
Day 4: Fao to Viana Do Castelo Disaster happened – well a walkers disaster. But more about that later. Today was 30km from Fao, where I’d had a good nights sleep, despite the 00.30 fireworks, that I could hear but not see, to Viana do Castelo. I left the campsite early and stopped off for a coffee and ham and cheese sandwich…
Day 3: Pavoa de Varzim to Fao It rained all night and was still raining when I had finished breakfast. It wasn’t heavy rain, more a heavy drizzle, the kind that soaks you through to the bones. Given the weather, I was lucky that today was a short day, only 18kms to Fao. Tonight I will be sleeping at a camping site,…
Day 2: Matosinhos to Povoa de Varzim After a good nights sleep and a very good breakfast, I took the double-decker bus back to Matosinhos, where I started walking to Porto yesterday. Today was a much longer walk, 29km, the first 22km along the coast to Vila do Conde, and the last 7km inland to Povoa de Varzim, where I would stay…
Day 1: Porto to Matosinhos Today I am back on the road, continuing where I left off in February, when I walked the first part of the Camino Portugues, starting outside Lisbon and ending in Porto. It was a stressful start to the day. Up early at 5am, my wife drove me to the airport. However, roadworks closed the slip…
Day 21: Vila Nova de Gaia to Porto I woke fairly early, showered and packed my stuff. Today is my last day in Portugal, at least for this time, and I am scheduled to fly at 16.00 from Porto, via Lisbon and home to Copenhagen. Breakfast was until 10am, so I went down around 9 am, and ate a leisurely breakfast. I have…
Day 20: Oliveira de Azemeis to Vila Nova de Gaia Today turned out to be mega stage. I hadn’t decided whether I would walk to Grijo (28km) or just short of Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia, where I was staying my last night in Portugal. Buses run regularly from Grijo to Porto, so I could walk the stage from Grijo to Porto tomorrow. I…
Day 19: Mourisca do Vouga to Oliveira De Azemeis Today was going to be a long day. I’d cut 4 -5 kms by taking the train to Mourisca do Vouga and walking back to Agueda, where I spent the night. But I still needed to walk 33 kms to Oliveira de Azemeis. I breakfasted at the hotel, checked out and bought at sandwich to…
