Camino – Page 3 – Following your feet

Day 57: Colunga to Villaviciosa

Not a lot to tell about today, met a number of fellow walkers and a Spanish guy spoke Swedish to me. Today was the shortest day of walking on this trip, 18km. Last night I read that there was a dinosaur museum close to Colunga, that would have added 5-6 km to my walk to…

Day 56: Nueva to Colunga

Yesterday I was sitting in the sunshine, today it is cold and cloudy, and just now I am doing my favourite activity whilst travelling, washing clothes at the local laundromat. I carry clothes for 5-6 days – I’d rather carry more clothes than wash more frequently – some people only carry clothes for 2 days…

Day 55: Puertas to Nueva

A beautiful days walking in the sun, a dramatic nose bleed, inland beach and stone arch at the end of a gorge. I’m writing this sitting on a bench in the small town of Nueva. It’s late but warm, as it has been all day. I was on the road by 9.00 after a nice…

Day 60: San Vicente de la Barquera to Puertas

Another great day walking. Beautiful sunny weather, but windy, so it didn’t feel too hot, but hot enough to walk in shorts and a t-shirt. After an early breakfast, I was leaving San Vicente by 8.30. When I arrived yesterday the town was packed, now Sunday morning, I only met a few young who had…

Day 54: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera

It was a long day where I was off track to see Gaudi’s summer cottage and Santana helped me through the last 7 or so kms. A planned 33km with 800m elevation, ended up as 36kms and a couple of tired feet at the end of the day. To make it worse, the whole day…

Day 53: Boo de Pielagos to Santillana del Mar

If it’s going to rain, it should rain on days like today, the next shortest stage, lots of industry and lots of road walking. That wasn’t the case – glorious sunshine all day. After breakfast I took the train to Mogro, as did 10 or so other pilgrims. I did not realise that Santander has…

Day 52: Santander to Boo de Pielagos

The weather could have been better for a first day walking, a mix of pretty much everything – wind, rain, sun, cold and warm. But the walking was fantastic. It is difficult to understand that the majority of pilgrims walk through the outskirts of the city, all road and a mix of housing, commercial businesses…

Copenhagen to Santander

Today I embark on the 4th stage of my walk between Sagres on the Algarve coast of Portugal and the Italian capital, Rome. My three previous stages took me from Sagres to Porto, Porto to A Coruna in northern Spain, and Roquefort on the Cote d’Azur to La Spezia in the Cinque Terre National Park…

Day 30: Fisterra to Lires

Today I officially started the highly anticipated Camino dos Faros (Lighthouse Way), following yesterday’s warm-up from Cee. I was up to see the sun rise, before an excellent breakfast (first served at 9am), so I wasn’t on my way until 9.45. It was only going to be 24km, so I would have plenty of time…

Rest Day: 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 28: 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,…

Rest Day: 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 24: 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 23: 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…

Transport: 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 22: 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 21: 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 20: 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 19: 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 18: 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 17: 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…