Started early today to beat the heat since we had almost 14 miles of walking including a steep mountain to climb.
First shot is in the tiny elevator in our hotel. It says max capacity was 4 people but it was a tight squeeze for 2 with backpacks and suitcases!
We walked out of our hotel and into a huge market being set up on the walkway outside stretching the length of Ponté de Lima and even into the parking lots by the water.
We stopped at the local cabinet makers to get our passports stamped. We were the 44,535th pilgrims to get a stamp from him since August 2021. What a character!!
This morning we enjoyed a level walk on gorgeous trails and back roads. We passed a walk filled with abandoned clothes and other Camino items that pilgrims needed to shed.
Today was said to be the most challenging day of our walk because of the distance and elevation gain, not to mention the heat! Luckily there was a fair amount of shade as we ascended the mountain as well as a few places to stop for cold drinks. One place had the old school roller towel – I haven’t seen one of those since the 70s in a gas station.
We added to our elevation gain by climbing up a wooden tower along the trail – in for a penny, in for a pound – lol. An enterprising taxi driver had spray painted their number on one of the rocks!
After a very steep final climb we reached the summit and found an angel in the form of a truck with cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches. WOW! She even had a table and chairs, and blankets and cushions on the ground. It felt so good to sit down, relax and eat.
We met pilgrims from the US, Germany, Singapore, Amsterdam and Canada.
The hike down the other side of the mountain felt so easy, even though it was quite steep in parts. We had gorgeous views, saw many crosses and stopped at a bar in someone’s backyard, where we met several Americans.
We crossed a Roman bridge and several markers showing we were on an old Roman road before finally arriving at our home for the night, Casa da Capela, a beautiful old church and rectory that had been converted to a place for pilgrims to stay. It didn’t take us long to strip off our sweaty clothes and head to the pool. The water felt amazing.
It’s a gorgeous spot with stunning views and so lovely and quiet.
Theresa spent time catching up with the kiwi ladies who are staying at the same place we are most of the time. Later we had a yummy fish dinner, preceded by appetizers and soup, with a delicious flan for dessert. Soon it was time for bed, we were wiped out from a busy day, luckily only 8 miles to hike tomorrow!
