It seems surprisingly little for a journey of almost three weeks, but the good washing facilities at most hostels keep the load light. I feel nostalgic about my little clam-shell phone and separate camera - this time a smartphone will cover both functions and replace a computer! My trusty backpack, hidden behind the Friends of Londiani tee-shirt in the picture, will be with me again this trip, as it has been for all my wanderings, though my boots are newer and I have graduated to a smarter pair of Crocs! I found my poncho, but it needs resealing at the seams and I am awaiting some magic tape from Amazon to put it right.
This time my goal is a much humbler one of 128 kms of the Camino Portugues over 10 days, but given the intervening years and less co-operative hips and knees, it seems to make more sense. I will start at an albergue in Pacos, 9kms south of Valenca, which is the last Portuguese town on the Camino before the river Minho/Mino, and the border with Spain. Run by a Canadian couple, this hostel gets good reviews and will provide dinner as well as bunk and breakfast, so it will be a social opportunity to get to know other pilgrims, whom I probably won't meet again as they will be doing much longer days than I am aiming for. It will be good to spend two nights on Portuguese soil before I cross the river into Galicia, and change time zones.
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| Map John Brierley © |
Starting on Monday October first I hope to be in Santiago by Oct 11. Most of the territory will be familiar, as Frank and I walked from Porto in October 2009, but there have been improvements in the infrastructure since then and some welcome diversions off busy roads. I will find it difficult to update the blog via my phone and clumsy fingers, so please bear with me!
Hasta la proxima!
Hasta la proxima!
I
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