Vigo

Last day of my holiday!  What to do when all the shops are shut?  (Why didn't I think about this and go to the islands today instead of yesterday?)

There is a famous modern art museum in Vigo, so I made my way there. I was told, though, that all museums in Vigo would be closed for Election Day!! Very sad face! However, this particular one was in fact open, so I had a quick look round. I'd been hoping for a photography exhibition, but today it was the work of a local artist, Francisco Mantecón:

The thing of most interest was the design of the building, where all the galleries were arranged in segments round a central circle. Apparently it had once been a prison (like the Round House but on a bigger scale).

Then it was time for a coffee where all the locals were having theirs:

For lunch I went to the street known as Pescederia where they shuck oysters and serve them up in small restaurants. I opted for two cooked seafood tapas: razor clams and scallops, served with a delicious buttery garlic sauce. Stephen Hawking ate here in November! 

These are the razor clams.

Jules Verne was also a visitor to Vigo. Here he is sitting on an octopus:

Vigo and Cies Islands

The best thing about my hotel is that its near the ferry terminal. An enormous cruise ship had come in overnight, the Asuka II from Yokahama.

I had booked a day trip to the Cies Islands. The journey is 45 minutes by fast ferry (a catamaran) and costs €8 -Rottnest pls note!  The boats only run at weekends in May, but mine was packed with locals. The top deck held 97 passengers and a few more were inside sheltering from a stiff breeze. Those wearing shorts had goosebumps on their legs. Lots of youngies had camping gear with them, as that is the only accommodation on the islands, which are a National Park. Google it!

The Guardian nominated this "the best beach in the world", resembling the Carribean. That may be so, but in May the waster is too cold to even think about swimming. This is the Atlantic Ocean!

However, the islands are full of walk trails and I had a lovely day sampling one of these, going as far as a lookout with a strange stone, a hole in the rock, with a view possibly as far as Finisterre to the north. From here I could look back to where the ferries moored. At 1.00 pm when I had my picnic lunch (courtesy of the hotel breakfast bar!) I could see 2 ferries queued up, waiting for one to discharge its passengers at the single berth.

On the way back, I stopped for a beer at the camping site cafeteria and was startled by a seagull which suddenly swooped to steal food from the next table:

Pontevedra to Vigo

Yesterday evening I took a stroll by the river, 3 bridge walk, and took a photo of this unusual suspension bridge for JL. The structure resembles a musical instrument and is all in the middle of a dual carriageway:

My hotel at Pontevedra was fully booked last night, and at breakfast I met Ulrika from Vienna whom I'd seen walking on the Caminho a few days ago. She was amazed that I'd caught up with her, but I had to confess I'd taken a bus.

My train to Vigo left at 10.06 am and I was at the station an hour early! I had hoped to enjoy a scenic route but the train was in and out of tunnels all the time, with only brief glimpses of the 

river. 

Arriving on Vigo after 20 minutes, I took a short taxi ride to my hotel, the Silken America. I have stayed twice before at the Silken chain, but this one proved to be not quite up to the standard of the others. My room is a bit small, with no view, but the price is €60 which isn't bad for Vigo. There is a splendid view from the rooftop terrace though:

At 7.00pm I took a stroll round the port and the old town and came across this square where all the locals are out enjoying their Friday evening. I ordered a glass of Albariño and the waiter brought me a dish of olives and 3 mussels. That's tapas!

Pontevedra

This is where I had lunch today, a recommendation from TripAdvisor:

It is the unassuming place on the left, the one with no tables outside.

Eirado da Lena menu

Tea light on table in a hollowed out pebble.

Aperitif: potato purée (or thick soup) with a soft egg in the middle and tasty fried breadcrumbs on top.

Entree: dumplings stuffed w squid in its own ink. 

Second entree: foie.

Main: rape (fish!) w white asparagus, baby carrot and pieces of boiled onion. The latter was a touch of genius.

2 glasses of Albariño 

Dessert: hazelnut brownies, their version of a French "coulant", 8 minutes in a hot oven, so that the inside remains runny whilst the outside is cooked.

The best gourmet experience of the trip: no doubt about it!

This is where I'm staying:

This morning was lovely and sunny as I walked around the historic centre of town. I strolled across this square, the Praza do Ferraria:

I also did a bit of shopping.....

Tui to Pontevedra

I've decided to go by bus and just be a tourist from now on. I think I've walked the most beautiful parts of the Caminho Portuguese according to my guide book. It has also turned very chilly, with an icy North wind whistling down the streets of Tui.

I left my nice hotel, the Cabalo Furada quite late, had breakfast at a cafe and then did a tour of some of the churches, of which there are many. I also looked at the Cathedral from the river at the eastern side of town and you can see what a stronghold it must have been:

This is a nice shot of the main door, followed by one of the two ladies running the cosy restaurant where I had dinner last night and a quick lunch today:

The one on the left is the cook and produces lots of meals singlehanded in a tiny kitchen. The place is called O Albergue.

At 3.15 pm I caught the bus to Pontevedra, about 50 kms away, and I  now relaxing in the Parador there.

Valenca to Tui

I spent last night at the best hotel in town, the Pousada de Valenca. It has a superb position looking across the river into Spain. I enjoyed a room with a view as never before!

This is a shot of my room before I unpacked:

Valenca is a fortress town with more defensive walls, earthworks and turrets than I have seen anywhere. You enter and leave the fortress by a tunnel with iron gates at both ends. Here are some pics of the defences:

The last one is the view from my hotel showing the iron bridge into Spain designed by Gustav Eiffel.

After  a sumptuous breakfast this morning at the Pousada, which included Bucks Fizz (they can't hide the champagne from me!) I set off across the bridge into Tui. I wanted to stay the night but in a cheaper establishment after last night's indulgence. Near the Cathedral I came across the Hotel Cabalo Furado and was lucky enough to get the last single room for  €30.

From the Cathedral Mirador, I was able to take a photo of the Valenca fortress where I spent last night:

Here are a few more pics from the Cathedral cloisters:

Pacos to Valenca

The Quinta Estrada Romana is owned by a Canadian couple, Geoff and Lesley. It means " farm on the Roman road ". Geoff was on his own for a month and very busy. Last night there were 5 Dutch peregrinos and me, so the Dutch ladies cooked and I washed up!

I knew that an old friend of mine from Singapore had owned a property nearby at Insua, known as Yavanna, where she had run pottery holidays. It seems a German couple had made her an offer she couldn't refuse, so she sold up and moved to Belize. Then (as I discovered from the Internet) she died of a heart attack in Guetemala. Her name was Sue Falkingham. I  sorry I didn't pass this way before, but I really wanted to see her place.

This morning Geoff kindly offered to drive me there in his ancient Renault 4. Well, it turned out to be a magnificent place and the new German owners had done wonders - more than Sue could have managed on her own, I suspect!

This plaque would have been Sue's work.

I left The Quinta Romana Estrada and took a few final photos:

This was dinner last night. The Dutch contingent grilled me about Tony Abbot's stop the boats policy.

Rubiaes to Pacos

Last night our host drove us a couple of kms down the road to have dinner at a popular restaurant. It was packed with pilgrims who were staying at various albergues or othe hotels around the place. I had a big chicken salad with the vinho Verde house white, which is slightly sparkling and very refreshing.

I had a good night's sleep in my room at Quinta das Leiras. This is a very modern and stylishly decorated place. My bathroom was black and red. The host and hostess and teenage son all spoke excellent English, the son from watching films on TV all the time!

The forecast for today was up to 28 degrees, so I knew it was going to be a hot walk- not too bad along shady woodland tracks but boiling on any asphalt. After stopping at two places for

a fresh orange and then a cider, I managed to reach my destination of Quinta Estrada Romana at about 1.30 pm. This is a lovely conversion of an old farmhouse with a small albergue and a private room upstairs.

This is the track as I set off this morning, with broom in flower hanging down on both sides.

Here all the pilgrims are relaxing in the garden. This is an artist's impression of the place:

We can sit outside watching the odd pilgrim go past high up to our right, as the Caminho goes right past.

Ponte de Lima to Rubiaes

Today was a long and tough climb up from Ponte de Lima. I left town by the medieval bridge at 8.30 am and arrived here at the Quinta Das Leiras at 5.00pm. I must have been the last person on the track, but I was deliberately taking my time as it was quite hot (about 27 degrees I believe).

First a few pics taken as I left Ponte:

This is taken fr the old bridge looking upstream towards the new motorway bridge. The next looks back to the town, with a few caravans parked by the river:

This sign wishes us Bon Caminho:

The walk today was mostly on woodland tracks, pinewood and eucalypts. This provided some much needed shade as the day got hotter. There was only one place to stop for an early lunch, so I had a cider and a cheese sandwich:

I took off my boots and put my feet up for half an hour. The afternoon was enlivened by a convoy of about 10 four WD jeeps trying and constantly failing to negotiate the steep and stony track designed for pedestrians. Crazy! 

View from the top where I collapsed in the grass on the shade for a bit:

Lugar do Corgo to Ponte de Lima

We have had two beautiful sunny days for walking what is said to be the most scenic stage of the Camino Portuguese. The path goes through two valleys with small vine and veggie growing areas. I kept meeting peregrinos from Casa Fernanda, including Richard Branson lookalike.

We had a great meal last night with Fernanda and her husband giving us a singsong of Portuguese music, as everyone enjoyed the vinho verde and port afterwards.

I arrived in Ponte de Lima at 1.00 pm and was looking around for my hotel, Casa do Pinheiro when a Portuguese couple came to my assistance. The hotel turned out to be in a quiet street and completely lacking in signage, very olde worldwide inside and out. 

Fernanda waving goodbye this morning.

Ancient bridge near Ponte de Lima.

Barcelos to Lugar do Corgo

A fresh breeze was blowing as I made an early start at 8.00 am - just right for walking, as I had about 10 kms to do, and much of it uphill.

I took my time on sandy tracks and woodland paths, going through small villages, few of them signposted. The flower of the day was foxglove, growing in profusion on all sides. The vines here were all trained upwards to human height for easy picking and then espaliered along wires. They were supported by uprights of reinforced concrete, a method I have not seen in Spain.

I also admired the local gardens. On warm South facing slopes, they grow Australian plants such as bottle brush and proteas, and even orchids in pots on their front steps. I stopped for a coffee and custard tart at S. Sebastio opp. the church and then for a cider at Portela to fortify myself for the final climb up to the pass.

I arrived at my destination, Casa do Fernanda, just after 3.00 pm. This albergue has the reputation of being one of the top places to stay on the Camino Portuguese because of the warm welcome given to pilgrims over the years. There are 10 beds in a bunkhouse which were already full when I arrived, but fortunately I had phoned yesterday to book a private room in the main house. One guy from Berlin is going to sleep on a sofa under the verandah, and they regularly seem to have an overflow because there is a scarcity of accommodation between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima.

Richard Branson lookalike!