Wow. My last Weekend Watch was posted on March 14th. To make up for lost time, here are 2 videos with the Camino theme. The first is from Camino podcaster and musician Dan Mullins who has released this song “Somewhere along the Way”. Much of the footage was shot along the Camino Frances. See if you recognise where. The second video was produced by Irish filmmaker Tom Quinlan. He walked the final week into Santiago in May 2017 and he recorded his experiences. The end result is effective.
And I can’t wait…
It has been nearly three months since I returned from Santiago and the Portuguese Camino. I had a great time. It was short. Too short. I arrived back and immediately thought “I need to go back”. So I sat down and looked at flights back to Spain. My trips to Spain typically last 2-3 weeks each year so a 10-day trip left a lot to be desired.
So when I heard that a friend and her husband are walking the Camino around that time, I asked if I could join them for a few days. Luckily enough, the response was yes and I quickly booked my flights. So I fly into Bilbao on September 11th and arrive in Puente la Reina later that day after a short bus journey. I meet up with them in Estella the following day, then I hope to walk with them for a few days after that. Hopefully, I will have enough days to walk to Belorado, a town I have many memories of.
So that’s it. I hope to meet people who have just set off on their journey as opposed to finishing in Santiago. I also hope that I can just switch off and enjoy each step compared to the frenziness of Santiago.
May 12th, 2018 – Day 6
Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
After heavy rains during the night, we feared the worst. But the skies cleared once we left the Slow City Hostel in Pontevedra. It’s a really nice place by the way. We kept our rain gear at hand, just in case. Today we walked over rolling hills, through woods and past small towns. There were lots of chances to rehydrate also.
Leaving Pontevedra, you pass the River Lerez and its ancient bridge. After leaving town we made a gradual climb up to 150 meters above sea level. The walk was a perfect balance of challenge and calm. We saw very few pilgrims our first 2-3 hours, and the path varied from shaded and wooded through small vineyards to hard surfaces. Later on in the day, we met pilgrims from the UK, Poland, Brazil, and Spain. We arrived in Caldas, an old Roman town, early, so we found the nearest pizzeria and had some lunch. I was really impressed by a mural that I saw as I entered the town. Nice! Two more days to Santiago!
May 10th, 2018 – Day 4
Vigo to Redondela
Another short day, 16km to be exact, but what a day for it. The sun was out from the off and there was no forecast of rain for the day. We left Hostal Real before 8am after some breakfast and made for the coast. We were sticking to the Senda Littoral but not for long. Today would be the day we would join the main Camino Portuguese. I was looking forward to it.
We said goodbye to the coast for the time being and made way inland. We climb a while and pause to look back with some satisfaction. There is the port of Vigo behind us – ahead of us is Redondela. As we continue we climb a particularly steep hill. I keep my eyes peeled for other pilgrims – this is the main Portuguese Way, isn’t it??
We follow the Camino into the forest where we meet pilgrims from Ireland, from the USA, from Portugal, and from Italy. After 16 kilometres we arrived at the plaza in Redondela and see many pilgrims sitting out in the sun. It is just before midday. It has been an enjoyable day and I look forward to walking into Pontevedra tomorrow.
May 9th, 2018 – Day 3
Nigrán to Vigo
It was a short day and a day away from the traditional Camino. While many pilgrims stay inland from A Ramallosa, myself and Ray decided to stick to the shore until Vigo. Instead of following yellow arrows, we would be following green arrows and walking along beaches. Not that there was a problem with that!
We left Pension El Retiro in Nigrán and made our way to the coast. That meant consulting Google Maps and searching for signs with “Playa”. It wasn’t too long before we met the sea and walk along Paseo Marítimo. The Paseo has a wealth of cafes open for breakfast. A half an hour people-watching and coffee-sipping later, we were ready for another few kilometres walking. Panxon is a fine town and one that must be buzzing during the summer months. The trail sits along the beach but cuts away from the coast if need be. We walk on pavement for the day, but it is a nice feeling to walk on sand if those green arrows ask us to do so. Various surf clubs share the Camino with pilgrims, we all get along! There is a lack of pilgrims however, it is a quiet route and it is not until Redondela before we meet other souls.
We do encounter our first distance marker, however, in the town of Prada. We have no less than 115 kms left to Santiago and we are getting a little bit excited. But, we have this day to complete yet!
The terrain remained flat save for one or two short climbs but nothing too stressful. It was a very enjoyable day and it was nice to have the sea on my left-hand side walking into Vigo. Walking on the Playa de Samil, a long stretch of beach, we passed a fully open beach park while tiny drops of rain fell from the sky. We were lucky that it didn’t materialise into heavier rain.
We made it to Vigo shortly after midday. Our walk into the city was made through the port, passing dozens of workers unloading items from trucks. Talk about scenic!! I passed the remark to Ray that this Camino is in honour of many medieval pilgrims who sailed into this port centuries ago. While the day was enjoyable, the particular part of Vigo we had stayed in was as Camino unfriendly as you can get. As I had checked into Hostal Real by the port, we spot a large ferry docking. But we try not to get too negative and think of tomorrow.
To Redondela..
May 6th, 2018 – Day 0
Dublin to A Guarda via Vigo
A beautiful day in which myself and my brother would walk a Camino together for the first time. We had been looking forward to this day since I returned from Spain in September 2017 and although this was to be a short trip, the whole point was to get to Santiago. Our flight was to leave at 6.30am. Yawning, I woke at 3am with an eagerness. We had our packs packed light and we were ready to go after our last cup of tea.
Dublin Airport Terminal 1 was bustling, even for this time of the morning. We made the decision not to check our packs in so we carried our packs on the flight. The flight took off and within 2 hours we had arrived at Vigo Airport. A quick taxi ride later we were at the Estacion de Autobuses in Vigo for our bus to A Guarda.
A couple of hours of waiting and the ATSA bus to A Guarda pulled up in the station. The sun was shining, it was Sunday and the bus was pretty much empty. That didn’t mean a quick ride, however, as the bus took the long route veering inland to Tui before turning back to the coast again. It’s only 30 minutes, so not to worry.
We arrived in A Guarda just before 1pm Spanish time and aim for our room for the night – Hotel EliMar. A fine place for two pilgrims. Within two shakes of a lamb’s tail, we were hunting yellow arrows and more importantly, tapas. All along the coast of A Guarda, you will find restaurants and shops.
It’s a fascinating town only kilometres away from Portugal, however, we headed back to the hotel, packed up and got ready for an easy enough first day to Oia. It would be a day of firsts. My first day walking on the Portuguese Camino and my brother’s first day on any Camino. We would cherish it.
One of the first books on the Camino I read was written by a man from the North of Ireland called Terry McHugh. I didn’t know him at the time but over the years, our love for the Camino has made us friends. His book “Walk With The Sun Till Ur Shadow Disappears”, a bestseller on Amazon, is part-guide, part journal, and tells the story of one man’s struggle to get to Santiago. You can buy his book here.
The follow up to “Walk With The Sun Till Ur Shadow Disappears” is called “I have Walked 500 Miles” and is due to be published shortly. Click on the link below to get a little bit of information about it. Hopefully, the second book will be as successful as the first.
