Greg's Wanderings

Tag: Barcelos

  • Day 18 – Barcelos to Corgo

    Day 18 – Barcelos to Corgo

    Sept 28

    I stayed up late last and was rewarded with a double overtime win for my Ducks.  I turned off the radio at about 4:15 and tried to get some sleep.  At 6:30 the roosters started crowing. So much for sleeping in…

    I still got off to a slow start because I was only going 20 kilometers and my alberge didn’t open until 2 pm. 

    I finally left my hotel about 9 am and walked back through town with a woman named Sue from the UK.  As we neared the center of Barcelos, there was loud music coming from some event going on.  As I got close, I discovered a big bike race getting ready to start with hundreds of cyclists in a shoot getting ready to start.  

    Barcelos is a fairly large city, but the way out of town was mainly on residential streets and being Sunday, traffic was not an issue. 

    Portugal is a country where the  vast majority of people are Catholic, but on Sundays there seem to be many more people at soccer fields or on bike excursions.  I passed many churches and chapels, but only  saw one  with a service going on. 

    My Alberge tonight is Casa da Fernanda.   It is rated as one of the  best Alberges in this Camino. For 35€, you get bed, dinner and breakfast.  And all the wine you can drink.  

    The only familiar face here is Noum, the girl from Isreal.  Our congregation tonight includes individual travelers from Oregon, Washington & California, Australia, Croatia, Isreal and Norway. There are couples from Boston and Paris, a mother-daughter pair from Vancouver BC and two best friends  from St. Louis.  

    In the “it’s a small world” department, Taya, the  daughter from BC, used to date a guy who went to the same high school as Noum in a suburb of Jerusalem.  What are the odds?

    While we wait for our communal meal, Fernanda whipped up a large batch of cod fritters and keeps bringing our pitchers of chilled vino Blanca.  

    Dinner was served at a giant table in their kitchen. Pumpkin soup (from the garden), bread, rice, beans (from the neighbor’s garden), potatoes, beef and salad (from the garden). And lots more wine.

    When the plates, our host brought out a guitar and a songbook. Both Dave & Ruth could play, so they took turns while we all sang.

    A bike race about to start in Barcekos
    See the hill in the distance? When you see a hill on the Camino, chances are you are going over it. Yup.
    This cute little pup was hanging out at a Cafe I stopped at this morning
    Ferns creating an uncover from the eucalyptus
    Follow the yellow brick road
    Swimming hole where 50+ bicyclists stopped
    The most significant impact of last nights rain
    Hanging out at the Alberge
    Fernanda in her kitchen
    Dave leading us on song
    Nuom, Guy, Marie, Brenda, Michael, Dave, Tory, Taya, Greg, Ruth, Marie, Ana, Gina, Laura, Stephan

  • Day 17 – Vilarinho to Barcelos

    Day 17 – Vilarinho to Barcelos

    Sept 27

    After I posted last night’s entry, our host brought out a tray with Port wine and some cakes from a local  bakery.   We learned that she and her husband just opened a second alberge on the Coastal route and so they are each managing one by themselves.  

    We were joined by six people staying in a second building across the street.  At our end of the table was Jeff from Massachusetts and Johan from Munich.  At the other end were four Spaniards from Seville.  

    After the wine, Lena, Ana, Roum and I went down the street to the only cafe open past 7 pm.  The man greeted us and apologized that his wife – the usual cook – had surgery that day and he only knew how to prepare one dish.  We all ordered the beef with French fries.   He did a great job and the meal included a fried egg and a salad.  

    Saturday Morning:

    After a brief stint walking out of town along a paved road, I came to the nicest stretch of the Camino so far.  Pastoral scenes of corn fields in various stages of harvest. The path, a mixture of cobblestone roads, dirt service tracks and some gravel.  For more than 10km just peaceful beauty and two ancient Romanesque bridges. The first dates back to at least 1185 when it is first mentioned in written history.  

    The sky has been overcast and a little ominous.  Tropical storm Gabrielle is spinning offshore, but it’s course is to our south and the forecast here is for rain overnight of less than an inch.  

    The hike continued to be pleasant with very little along busy roads.  In part that was because I chose to take two variants.  I assume the historical Camino in some areas grew up and highways eventually replaced the original routes.  These variants got us off the noisy roads and into more countryside.  

    Tonight, I’m staying in a private room a bit off the Camino.  My Oregon Ducks have a night game against Penn State that starts at 12:30 am Sunday.  I’m going to try to get a few hours rest before my alarm goes off at midnight and will finish my sleep after the game. 

    This gate is all that’s left of what once must have been an estate
    Bridge over river Arcos. Dating back to the 12th Century
    Signs advertising hostels & alberges ahead
    Typical scenery for the day
    Pilgrim rest stop: a bench, fruit, water. A tile sign says “home of a pilgrim “
    My second Romanesque bridge of the day. With the rain forecast for tonight, I’ll bet where I stood for this photo will be under water Sunday.
    In this district, the walls are made of shale. Over the decades, these stones must come up as the fields are plowed
    Is it a milestone if you are measuring kilometers? The first of these I saw, but then every Km today has been so marked.
    In the middle of a forest, I came across this cute park specifically for pilgrims. I took a video as well that I will try to post.
    The service roads were follow are generally quiet. But with harvest in full swing, sometimes things get a little crowded.
    One of the variants I took today went through a forest where eucalyptus were being harvested.
    View from the top of the variant looking down at Barcelos
    A sanctuary at the top of the variant can now be reached road. But at one time, this staircase was the only way.
    Third old bridge of the day. This one entering Barcelos passing over the Rio Cavado.