Day 3 Camino

EEsposende to Viana do Castelo

After a good sleep, I was ready to get on the trail again. I sat with Rosie and Terry for breakfast and again made a little sandwich for a snack. We met outside the hotel and started on the path, taking a morning picture on each other’s phone. You can see that I have been carrying my camera in a Cotton brand carrier…it was always ready for me to snap the photos. And the hat was a good idea for the hot and sometimes windy weather along the coast.

From Esposende, the path led us inland past a small chapel then two churches in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

We continue up and downhill through small communities and admiring the tile work and shrines along the way. I walked a short while with a woman from Ontario, while her husband and Terry continued on ahead of us.

This day is much different from the previous two day along the coast. Country paths and roads, small churches, cobblestones…just a great variety. Rosie and Terry are faster walkers than me, so I slowed down a bit to enjoy the journey. The statue of Sao Tiago (below) conveys a message of courage, faith and hope – very relevant to the pilgrims of the Camino.

You may wonder why there are some arrows in blue and some in yellow pointing in different directions. The yellow arrows point the way to Santiago de Compostela, the destination for most on this Camino. The blue arrows point the way to Fatima in central Portugal – a different Camino destination.

From this point, the trail enters a forested area with a rocky path up and down a hill. I had to walk carefully here. At the bottom of the trail a beautiful scene emerges. The River Neiva with a stone pontoon bridge and small falls. You can see one pilgrim took advantage to cool off her feet in the river.

Today was a hotter day than the past two, and definitely more uphill climbing. I passed by an interestingly decorated entrance to an Albergue (hostel). Part way up a long hill, many walkers stopped for a rest and shade under the broom trees by the local church.

I continued uphill through another forested area, thankful for the shade. On the downhill, there was a refreshment stand…cold drinks, food, fruit. I believe it is a local out there supporting the walkers and pilgrims. People pay by donation. I picked up a banana for some needed potassium and continued along.

A while later, another church and a cemetery with a small picnic spot adjacent to it. I found Rosie and Terry resting here and enjoying their lunch. I also rested here, ate my lunch and refilled my water bottle at the water tap (water is safe to drink, unless marked otherwise in Portugal). Rosie and Terry had already left and I saw a couple of men coming up the hill. I let them know there was a water tap. Their reply…”We are German, we drink beer not water!!” Said jokingly…but I think they were serious!.

After this, the path led to another country road through the village of Chafe. At one point, I noticed that the two German men had missed an arrow and were heading in the wrong direction (maybe they were looking for a beer?). They thanked me and insisted on taking my picture! A while later I walked with a woman from Vancouver Island. She mentioned that the Germans were having beer at the little refreshment stand earlier on!

I’m now close to today’s destination – Vianna do Costelo. Down the hill, I can see the bridge across the Lima River and the Santa Lucia church high up on the hill. The Eiffel bridge across the river is 900 meters long and the sidewalk is not wide! It was built by Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame). Many are afraid to walk across this bridge…you are very close to cars, buses and trucks. It was fine for me. On the other side of the bridge, I caught up with Rosie and Terry to navigate to our lodging for the night, Hotel Laranjeira.

After a rest (and daily laundry), I met Rosie and Terry to have a bite to eat (and a glass of wine) in the town. We all wanted to see the views from Santuario De Santa Luzia at the top the mountain. We could have walked up the 700 stairs…oh wait, no we couldn’t after a long day of walking. The funicular was not operational, so taxi was the best way to get there. It did not disappoint! Unfortunately, we didn’t have long inside the church as it was about to close.

After arriving back at the hotel, I put my walking shoes on to explore this medevial city. So many interesting things to see. Because of the time spent walking every day, museums and other points of interest are closed, so I enjoy getting the vibe of the city by strolling through the streets. Disappointed that I couldn’t see the Museu de Traje (Costume Museum). I am sure that would have been interesting. But I did find a Tupperware store! And I love the doors in Europe…

I discovered this legend about the name of Vianna do Castello:

About the name Viana do Castelo, legend has it that there was a big castle and people liked to stare at it, admiring its beauty until some of them noticed that a princess used to sit by the window.
She was a beautiful girl, with bright eyes and long hair with two braids. The princess didn’t like to be seen and so she hid herself every time someone was looking at the castle and, because of that, it was a “privilege” to gaze at the princess. Whenever someone saw her, they’d say “Eu vi Ana no Castelo!” (literally “I saw Ana of the castle!”). Legend has it that this is how the name of the city first appeared.

Anticipated distance from Esponsende to Viana Do Castelo – 26.2 kms.

Actual distance walked today – 30.6 km 42,667 steps.

Three long but exhilarating days so far.