It’s Sunday. The streets are quiet even though I left the hostel late. I was up before 7am, but enjoyed writing, having tea and generally taking it easy. The elevador down the hill wouldn’t go till 9 anyway and… it was raining. A lot.
So I got off the elevador around 9.30 and walked through a calm Viana do Castelo. Honestly, I was not into it today. It was hard to find the motivation. I was a bit anxious because I took a non-marked path and I didn’t see many pilgrims. Soon I could feel the water seep into my shoes.
Once I hit the coast I followed the Ecovia Litoral Norte. At first it was paved, then a sandy path and later some more adventurous terrain. But for now it was like a running and biking path. There were many people exercising and after a few friendly smiles and a man who said Bom Caminho with a big smile, I felt better. It gives the motivation to keep moving my feet. One man even waved at me from a car and put up his thumb.
There were some sights along the path. There were some windmills, fortresses and lots of rocks. Pools had formed in between the rocks and people were standing in them, knee-deep, trying to catch fresh seafood. I also saw loads of snails on the trail. And later on, unfortunately dead, lizards. The kind with funky colors that I never see moving around.
At some point I found a bench on a boardwalk where I could rest a bit. The rain had calmed down for now. But it hadn’t truly stopped until later on. I actually got quite warm and walked in my t-shirt. Yet the wind kept blowing strongly. I must have looked like a mess.
After Praia de Carreço the path became wilder. There was no neat road, but rather a bush trail through the dunes. It reminded me so much of the days on the Fisherman’s trail. You just walk on sand and rocks and end up right on a beach. At one point the bushes were prickly, at another they were so tall they were hanging on the path. The views as I got out of the bushes were amazing though.
I reached a section on quiet roads. It was hard since it was quiet, not that interesting and uncomfortable in my wet boots. The following section around Praia de Afife was very nice, with a boardwalk with benches. I took off my shoes and socks, hoping they would dry a bit in the wind. I could squeeze water out of my socks. But all I got was cold feet. After that the Ecovia started again and led me to the destination for today: Vila Praia de Âncora.
I could see the town from across the bay. There was a huge, beautiful beach. But the town itself isn’t very impressive. There is a small town square and a boulevard. But the houses aren’t as special as some other towns I’ve seen. I was just happy to arrive to a warm shower. I was the first person in the hostel and soon some others joined. One girl I’d seen in another hostel already. Many people had gone further to Caminha, right on the border with Spain. But some had decided they’d walked enough in the rain and this town was the perfect base for tonight. I was hanging on the couch and couldn’t agree more. When I returned from the supermarket around 4pm I saw many pilgrims continueing. They had at least 2 more hours to walk. For me, there’s another day tomorrow.
Monday
I thought it was only a drizzle and left without my rain pants on. I think I was about 15 minutes in when the drizzle turned into a downpour. My pants just got drenched. This is when I realised that I had really good rain pants (in my bag). I couldn’t even look at the waves, since water ran down my chin and into my jacket whenever I looked up. The moment I did look up, I stepped into a puddle. It was good that I woke up in a good mood and well rested. I decided to just continue on the quickest way to Caminha, the last town I’d see in Portugal.
On Caminha I got into a café and took my towel and a dry skirt to the bathrooms. I changed, but my skirt quickly soaked up some water from my underwear. It was that kind of day. The town was very pretty and I crossed it to get to the ferry. The timetable said I had to wait 40 minutes, but the boat man took me much sooner. He gave me my last Portuguese stamp and wished me a good trip.
The other side of the Minho river was amazing. First of all I felt this incredible milestone feeling. Second, there was an amazing path along the coast. And, the clouds were drifting away. A woman had just finished walking her dog and was concerned I didn’t have an umbrella. She offered me a ride which I politely declined. The coastal path had beautiful views, some interesting art and of course the waves. So I took my sweet time, knowing A Guarda was around the corner. A happy finish to this day.
