Day 6: Viana do Costelo to Caminha (19.5 miles)

Walking the Camino

Big day, long day with somehow even the most spectacular scenery yet, fewer encounters, but a day full of charm.

We left our hostel this morning at 7am and arrived at our destination at 7pm. That's a full day on the road! Our pace was slow due to Jess's foot/calf issues and her feeling a bit off this morning.

We ran into three ladies early on--I will call them collectively "Lu Lu Lemon" (you'll see why)--that we encountered at the end of the walk yesterday. I recognized the voices. The volume, the pitch, the pulsing energy.

Last night, their voices were in my ear for nearly a mile on a single-track bridge walkway as we crossed the river into town. They were right on our heels, with Jess at the head of our little pack almost in tears due to the end of day foot pain. On a bridge a mile long they couldn't leave a few feet of space. It seemed to me like they were approaching the Camino like a big aerobics class. Just not the right energy. They passed us quickly today, however, and we bid them a fond farewell.

We walked on cobblestone and pavement most of today, after enjoying more give on the boardwalks and forest paths of the last several days. We really felt the difference of the harder surfaces on our feet and joints. The poles and insoles were a big help, however, and we were able to pick up the pace through the day.

It's hard to describe just how magical the views were as we walked along a long ridge dotted with villages, vineyards and farms, with the rocky coast down to our left and a forested mesa to our right. No picture could come close to capturing what we were experiencing. Which is one reason why we do this.

We made friends along the way with horses, cows, sheep, chickens, a frog, goats, and cats. So many cats. And a little snake (but not a friend).

Our town tonight, Caminha, is the end point of our journey in Portugal. We can see Spain from our room window, across the river. We closed the evening with tapas at a local restaurant and a quiet walk through this very lovely town.

We have fewer miles to travel tomorrow. We are giving ourselves the gift of a slow morning before taking the 10:30 ferry, then walking the way. On to Spain!