Saturday 11 October 2014

200 kms Camino de Santiago dde Compestella Portugaise

Hi readers.
Our walk When I say ours I mean Citt, Pam and me then of course there is you. We have now been walking  10 days from Lisbon. Pam has bad blisters which we are now addressing with lightened load  a needle and antiseptic. Her little toe looks like pulp. Citt is well with a small pack and lots of spirit. Me my back is a conundrum. When I have not got my pack on I can hardly walk. When I put on my pack I is just OK I adjust the pain with voltaren anti  inflammatory. So it seems St James has decided he wants me to make the journey to Santiago de Compestella plus pack. After doing my thing there I guess I will just have to keep on my pack and continue travelling right?

Anyways the journey has turned into a pilgrimage encompassing wine and food. The locals love to eat and drink? And why not the food is fresh out of the most georgeous vege gardens, fruit trees loaded with figs, pomegranates, citrus, apples, grapes and others. The wine is fantastic. Red wine so thick and smooth - red sticking to the glass as you sip.  Soups of bean, sausage, lentils greens goodness in every spoon always bread made light fluffy with crisp crust. Chicken, beef, pork served hot spicy or grilled it is embarrassing the size of the serves. Then the sweets cheeses, flans, tarts! Portugese specialty custards and creams.  Pam says write about the delicious coffee served anywhere .50c or with milk .75c. They say one loses weight on the Camino. I will let you be the judge? But it is good.

Ansiao 200 kms.
At a small town for a forced stop to repair Pam's feet. We walked a 36 km leg yesterday as we got lost due to the loggers knocking out the signs. There was no accommodation so had to carry on to Alveizere a modern town with no people, no cars, weird. The distance knocked us about as the terrain was hilly and road rough. We walked for 10 hours.  The pilgrim trail follows on the original Roman road. High rock walls and intact stone bridges. Stone villas deserted, modern houses with gardens overgrown. Olive groves gone to ruin, orchards overgrown with weeds, austerity measures has hit the poor farmers it is all deserted.
On a brighter vein the ancient ruins, medieval churches, Quintas, and Manor houses are terrific. Some of the Quintas and Manors we have found refuge. And they are magic places.
The government is taking time to mark the Camino as I am sure they see us as an income stream. We three feel we are doing this journey at the right time. We have no problems with beds, food. We are made welcome at all times.
For me this is a different experience to the Francaise. There are few pilgrims, the restaurants and hostels are more hospitable with sheets towels and blankets. We feel as if we are three pilgrims doing our thing.

'You can be by yourself but you are never alone'.
Bom Camino.

I cannot load images from this little iPad sad.  

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