Greg's Wanderings

Tag: Labruja

  • Day 20 – Labruja to Valenca

    Day 20 – Labruja to Valenca

    Sept 30

    Today’s walk started with a climb up and over Alto da Portela Grande de Labruja.  Even the name seemed intimidating.  It is the highest point on the entire Portuguese Camino. And a quick look at  the Route in Profile feature on the Buen Camino app reinforced this concern.  

    How to psych yourself out about an upcoming hill.

    And then I realized that in the photo above, the vertical scale was for 400 meters while the horizontal was 25 meters.  This discrepancy made the hill seem 60 times as steep as it actually was.  A little quick math and I realized the average grade over the first 3 kilometers would be about 6%.  

    I’m not saying there were not some steep stretches, but nothing to freak out about.  

    Photo gallery of the  climb 

    The hill started on cobblestone
    Then more of a dirt road
    The District of Labruja wished us well as we left
    Logging operations seemed to be removing the invasive and highly combustible eucalyptus to mitigate the wildfire risk for the native pines
    The trail became more of a rock gully
    A monument about halfway up. Lots of people left their own rocks here
    Onward and upward
    The view back down
    I left my own rock on a post at the top.
    An interesting piece of art at the summit

    Once on the other side and mostly to level ground, I came across a man who had turned his backyard into a bar for pilgrims.  I stopped and had a latte and an omlette (€6). 

    I was grateful for the stop, as services were again in short supply.  I did pass on one Cafe that I came upon a little too soon after my omlette.  Too bad because the next option was at the 16k mark.   At a taverna, I had a prosciutto sandwich and a coke (€3.60).

    I walk faster than most people and was the second to leave the hostile today. As a result, there have been few familiar faces on the trail.  Nuom & Ana reached the first bar just as I was leaving and Nina just passed the taverna as I sit here resting my feet and enjoying my cold coke.  

    After lunch, I wanted to split the remaining distance and take a break at about 20k.  As I topped a hill on a cobblestone track there was a food truck at the 19.95 mark.  The truck was run by a Belarusian woman selling homemade peroges.  She was quite the salesperson.  I bought a peroge for later and a beer for now.  

    I stopped to take a photo for two young women and I must have dropped my hat when I did.  I didn’t notice for another kilometer and by then there was no way I was going back for it.  I sent a message to one of my friends who was behind me and she looked, but did not find.  

    We are staying tonight inside the ancient fortress walls of Valenca. The Hostel Bulwark is really nice.  I’m staying in a 5 bunk/10 bed pod.  Dave & Tory are here too, along with some friends Heather & Frank who are starting from here.  Nuom is also in our pod along with a new lady, Stephanie from Nova Scotia, my upper bunkmate is Micky from Ireland.

    Also here are Ana, Ruth & Taya; and from my pre-Porto Camino family, Barney & Jenn.  

    Barney, who has been riding his bike is giving it to Ruth so that she can continue on  despite her injured knee. 

    Speaking of injuries, I can really begin to feel the  toll this is taking on my body.  My feet, heals, shins, knees and hips are all hurting.  Last night I mapped out my remaining days to Santiago and booked a hotel for my arrival.  Now I’m second-guessing myself and thinking I may need to take another rest day soon.  

    My omlette reward for crossing the mountain
    The foundation of this footbridge dates back to Roman times, but the upper parts are much newer: 12th century.
    This metal steel frame made this view picture perfect
    A cobblestone- free trail section
    Chestnuts are all over the ground.
    A Belarusian woman was selling homemade peroges from this truck
    Advertising for the hostel where I spent the night.
    Selfie by a Camino shell. Shortly after taking this, I discovered I had lost hat
    So close to Spain
    Entry into the fortress city of Valenca
    Another view of the fortress walls
    View of our bunk room.
    My replacement hat
  • Day 19 – Corgo to Labruja

    Day 19 – Corgo to Labruja

    Sept 29

    Almost exactly three weeks ago, I walked out my front door and started my Camino adventure. It’s hard to believe that my time here is over half over.

    When I first decided to walk the Camino, I thought I would try to average 15 miles (23km) per day and with 3 rest days approximately a week apart, I would arrive in Santiago in one month from Sept 11 when I stated. Now, after less than 20 days of walking I am a few days ahead of schedule and am contemplating my options.

    My options include diverting and taking the Spiritual Variant; an extended stay in Santiago; continuing my walk to Finisterra (the end of the world according to the Roman’s); more days exploring Lisbon and taking a short flight across to Morocco. I have time to do more than one option, but not enough to do all. As accommodations in Santiago can be challenging, I need to finalize when I plan to arrive in the next day or two.

    I’m currently sitting in a pastry shop about 16km from my end point for the day in Labruja. The hostel for the night doesn’t open until 4 pm, so I’m killing time – and getting a charge on my watch the didn’t set properly on the battery pack last night. I am afraid I’m getting addicted to a morning espresso and a sweet pastry.

    Last night surpassed the night in the donotivo as the most fun so far. Topping off a wonderful dinner with singing songs was really special. It sounds like at least six of us from last night have booked to the same hostel for tonight, so a new Camino family is forming.

    The hike today started late, as Fernanda’s husband Jacinto made everyone breakfast.

    The first 8k has mostly been they a rural landscape punctuated by passing tractors and roadside livestock.

    As I sit here waiting for my watch to charge, various familiar faces have come in. First, Taya & Nuom, the 20-somethings whom have bonded and are walking together since Taya’s mom is having knee problems and is currently traveling by Uber.

    Dave & Tory have just come in, accompanied by Sue, the British woman I walked out of Barcela with yesterday.

    After I left the bakery I passed more countryside and a few villages, all lacking in pilgrim services (cafes, mercados or snack bars).

    I then came to the city of Ponte de Lima, which most guidebooks listed as the destination for the prior stage. Just as I was coming into town, I started having pain in both my right knee and hip. I found a park bench along the Rio Loma and have my legs a long rest.

    By this time, it was past 1 pm and I was getting hungry for lunch. But all the restaurants along the river were fancy and overpriced for this pilgrim. I figured there would be a Cafe down the way soon.

    ‘Soon’ turned out to be two hours later, as the way was devoid of any towns with services. After following the lovely Rio Labruja for about a kilometer, I found an open Cafe with riverside seating.

    My hostel tonight has many familiar faces: Stefan, Ana & I are sharing one room with a new guy, Richard from Belgium. Richard retired from the Army two years ago. He and Ana have a connection in that he served three tours with the UN Peacekeeping forces in Croatia.

    Dave, Tory and Nuom are in the next room with Nina from Germany. Ruth & Taya have a shared double room. Nina may join our Camino family, but Richard is averaging over 55k a day, so he’ll be past us tomorrow.

    Our host Cecile made us a tasty, but simple dinner and a really yummy flan dessert.

    Welcome to Casa da Fernanda
    The courtyard at Fernanda’s
    One of four house dogs at Casa da Fernandas
    Friendly pigs
    Grazing geese
    Sheep in a corner
    Classic Camino countryside
    Chapel of St Benedict. Credited with ridding Portugal of the plague
    Statue of the pilgrim
    Each municipality has its own design for signs
    I am becoming addicted to pastry
    Taya & Nuom walking together
    Our roadside competition
    Rio Lima entering Ponte de Lima
    Huge parkway entering Ponte de Lima
    When it’s not raining, you can walk in the soft ground of the stream bed. If it rains, there is an elevated rock path.
    Rio Labruja had some beautiful waterfalls
    House dog at tonight’s hostel
    This cat loved to store the dog from the rooftop.
    Valley view from the hostel. Tomorrow we cross that hill.