And arriving back in Malta last Wednesday evening ….a week has slipped away from me
First task on return was to stock up on some English books…I found a new charity shop in the next town and after sorting a plan for my Maltese phone, I walked over and stocked up (5 books) two already finished and a third well on the way! Filling in the evenings waiting for late night football games!
Friday morning I took myself off to the beach…Pretty Bay in the south and spent a couple of hours in and out of the sea…
Until it got a bit busy…dodging balls being tossed around by kids just having seaside fun! Before hitting the supermarket (Lidl) for a decent shop… home to unload groceries and then an afternoon visiting with cousins!
Saturday I was up early to watch the All Blacks play Italy in the all nations game and walked to the Bormla (one of the three cities) waterfront for coffee… fully intending to walk back but it was really hot, so took the bus…and hunkered down for the afternoon in the air conditioning ….reading!
Sunday is family lunch day…but having been pounding the pavements in sandals I decided it was time to replace the discarded hiking shoes…an activity I really don’t enjoy…as one never knows if they are good until they have walked a few miles…I settled for the Salomon’s again…as the last pair did a good job (on the Camino) and my feet are now used to these hard soled shoes!
After this ordeal I drove back up to Senglea (another of the three old cities) and had a coffee by the Harbourside…before heading to the family for lunch….which as usual was the best meal I had had all week!!! After this I settled in for an evening of Tennis (Wimbledon) and football (World Cup playoffs)
Yesterday was spent waiting…waiting for tradies to come and look at a plaster and paint job and waiting to see a doctor…to check out my eyes… I got directed to the poly clinic (like hospital A&E)…. With over a hundred people waiting (6+ hour wait for free) I opted for the walk in paid clinic across the road (€10 for the visit and only an hour and a half wait) Five hours not waiting is certainly worth €10! Some eye drops and peace of mind, a couple of hours later…I took lunch on the way home to wait (again) for the tradie who didn’t turn up at 8am and was coming at 4pm…which he did!
Today I decided to test out my new hiking shoes so took off early …. Before 8, to head to the street market in Birgu…
All was quiet on the streets as I passed the Paola church…
With its decorated pavement out front – the Maltese cross….a good shade on one street side, as the sun was still low, passing through Figura to the open fields…
Between Figura and Zabbar…to Notre Dame gate, the division between Zabbar and Birgu..
Where the streets are closed on the other side for the kilometre long market…(on Tuesdays)
The monument guarding the soccer pitches…
I continued walking from the top of the market towards the old city of Birgu (the third of the three cities) …. Resisting any purchases as bag space is limited…
The Anchor just outside the wall…
And as I passed through the gates to Birgu…I was reminded again why I love this place…
Full of stone and statues…
Narrow cobbled streets…
Hidden tunnels…I remembered where to find this one on the other side of the square…leading me to…
The Kalkara Harbourside…a much less travelled (by tourists) path and a local swimming spot…
I continued out towards the point where St Angelo’s fort stands at the entrance to the harbour of the three cities! I had taken a towel with me in case I decided to have a dip… but was enjoying the return and wandering through this area…just before the fort there is a cut through to the Birgu harbour…
Where all the superyachts come and go from…
The mast on this one was higher than the fort!
And this one is flying the Maltese flag…alongside a number of other gin palaces … all being cleaned and restocked in the morning sun by their crews.
The clock tower of the maritime museum standing tall at the end of the Birgu harbour…unfortunately this museum is currently closed for refurbishment!
It’s cannons guarding its entrance.
Passing through the lower gate…to look back up at the Birgu cathedral.
Further along the harbour towards Bormla…imaginative planter boxes enticing the tourists to take a joy ride in the “rolling geeks” … golf carts for hire, that tourists drive and clog up the narrow streets…
I stopped and took a coffee by the marina…then debated on a bus home…but as it was still morning I chose to keep testing those shoes! So far so good…except a little warm for this time of the year in Maltas 30+ degrees!
Another gate, this time St Helen’s Gate……my exit from Bormla and the three cities area…
On foot one really gets a feel for the centuries past..and all the history in these heritage sites…
Another hour or so and I was home…now sweating…10kms of shoe breaking in and no sign of foot damage apart from being very hot…nothing a nice cool shower didn’t fix…now ready for an afternoon of book time before the 9pm football semi final between France and Spain!
After three wonderful days with friends from my kids childhood…I am now on the sea about to head back to Malta…We certainly filled in a lot of the 25years…as yesterday we started talking about cooking recipes! Is that a sign or what!
Yesterday morning Niall had a couple of work calls so Jayne and I went for our morning wander … through the town…
Hotels…
Monuments and cute little shops…all terribly overpriced but cute Italian designs, and some not so cute…the fashions from Spain and Portugal have overflowed to the Mediterranean (for men) with the current look of matching knit shorts and T-shirts (selling for around €200.00 (NZD400) in terrible patterns! Most resembling pyjama sets!
Our wandering took us back along the foreshore..,where the beaches were starting to fill up mid morning!
A little pink from the day before…I made sure I was well sunblocked on the bits that haven’t seen the sun for a while…and shoulders covered!
However by the time we had gone back to collect Niall and have a snack, and ventured to the beach…a strong onshore wind had got up and the beaches was clearing out…
As there is very little tidal movement in the Med, we set up on the wet sand and avoided the sandblasting that those on the dry sand behind us were subjecting themselves to!
There was even a little wave…and the foil board wind surfers having a ball!
Trying to find a bar for the World Cup soccer game last night was impossible…so we set up on the outdoor deck, beer/wine in hand and soaked in the excitement through Niall’s IPad…
Today…it was a welcome rinse and repeat…morning walk, coffee, late breaky and beach time..,again a bit of wind but just great to be on the beach and in the sea!
Jayne and I took a drink at a beach bar, while Niall went home to crank up the coal BBQ…for a late lunch….i have been very spoiled!
I threw my clothes into my backpack…and we walked to the ferry…scheduled to leave at 7pm from Marina Di Ragusa (Sicily) to Malta..,passing the locals ….KNEE deep in a card game… knees being a critical aspect of this game…holding up the board table!
This seems to be a popular pastime with the old blokes here in the afternoons!
I’m thinking…I am now getting my summer tan on…but the sun here is strong and will ensure I am well plastered with sunblock every morning!
Niall and Jayne…we must never say goodbyes (a thing I learned on the Camino) as we never know when our paths will again cross…we mustn’t leave it another 25 years, I will be 90!!
On board the vessel a bit after 6pm..
And roaring out of the harbour by 6.50pm!!! Again leaving early…I really didn’t think early was a word in this part of the world!
Sunday evening I took the 5pm ferry from Malta to Marina Di Ragusa in Sicily, the land of sandy beaches, hot spots and erupting volcanoes….
A perfect evening for a boat ride out of the Grand harbour
Too bad for anyone who arrived late, we left the harbour at 4.45pm (transport leaving early makes a change from delays!)
Leaving Valetta… this fast ferry service put the foot down and docked in the Sicilian harbour of Marina Di Ragusa at 6.30pm, half an hour before schedule!
My Irish friends, Jayne and Niall, who I hadn’t seen in 25 years, kindly invited me to join them in this holiday spot for a few days…as finally we happen to be in the same part of the world (well almost). Our oldest sons both started school together in NZ when we were all living on the North Shore!
On arrival…the beach nearest the centre was humming on a Sunday evening.,,standing room only on a beach! But as the temperature was a balmy 30 degrees at 7pm…it’s fair that swimming in the Mediterranean Sea was a great activity to finish the weekend!
We plonked ourselves down at a beach bar…for a few hours and started catching up on all the years since they returned to Ireland!
Yesterday morning, as the yarns continued, we walked along the waterfront (5kms)…
The sea like glass…and the day promising to be a bluebird beach day!!!
Niall managed to capture the Gals…before our coffee stop at one of the many cafes on the Marina! Some things just don’t change!!!
Back to the house…and a breakfast of fresh fruit, donning our bikinis (?) and across the road for some beach time!
Sand(golden) and clear blue sea!
The first swim of this summer break for me! And I spent the few hours, in and out of the water…it was heaven!
We returned to the house…deck shower, lunch and a rest…before a big night out!
Portugal/Spain Football game, was playing at 9pm, Niall had scoped out the one bar in town that would show the game with a bit of prompting….as World Cup fever is sweeping the rest of the world, it seems these Italians here in Sicily do not have the slightest bit of interest!
We ate dinner at a nice restaurant and then moved to the bar…outside table with the game on! (commentary in Italian) .. there were maybe only about 10-15 people at the bar in the beginning…however as the evening went on and the game progressed the place was full..possibly tourists gasping for some football action!
As luck would have it, for Spain, they scored in the dying throes of the game…and we were not committed to another hour of extra time and shootouts! Getting into bed just before midnight!
This morning I woke at 6am…to the sunrise off my terrace…
Promising to be another day for wallowing in the water…this morning however, I might explore the town before beach time…
Mt Etna is still erupting..airports here are closed for the second day in a row…but as I am doing boat travel and we are on the south coast there is little effect on my mini break…except a black ask dust gathering on the white tiled terraces!
On Thursday… I travelled 11 hours from Fumel to Malta…2 trains, bus, airplane (Ryan air of course delayed) and arrived after 10pm at night….
Sally and I left Monsempron Libos together…. On a delayed train around 11.45 am…we were hoping to get lunch in Agen before we took off on trains in opposite directions…
The young station master at Monsempron…has the same Peugeot bike as me … we had a wee chat… 1976 model, but his is only one gear (mine has three) and mine definitely needs a birthday! – Kevin brought mine back to NZ in a container in the early 2000’s …. He brought it from a market in France … project bike restore for me is in order when I return!
Sally and I managed a quick lunch at Agen…before she boarded her train for Paris and me to Toulouse…although the platform I had to run to..,seemed like I was halfway to Toulouse before I even boarded the train!
Off the train and on a bus to the airport … I had about 2.5 hours before take off … but Ryanair…one thing you can almost guarantee is that by the afternoon they are always delayed… the gate came up and 45 minutes before takeoff…the announcement came! It was kind of obvious as there was no plane for us to board!
So another hour before boarding, by which time the French rugby teams (a ladies and a men’s) sharing this flight with me were well on the way to being drunk! French rugby teams are loud at the best of times so you can imagine how the flight went…no one sat down when asked…and more alcohol imbibed, and the yelling from one end of the plane to the other got louder and louder during the two and a half hours of lockdown in this confined space!
However the sky(sun) set was spectacular…as we headed towards the tiny island of Malta!
One more final Bolt (taxi) ride…and home to Kevin’s apartments by 10.30pm…
I sat on the dusty terrace (as no one has been here for three weeks) and drank the one cold Cisk Excel… to unwind after another 11 hour travelling day.
Thank goodness the new watering system has been doing its job and for the first time in three years I do not have to nurse dead plants back to life!
Yesterday was a catch up day..,terrace clean, laundry, bank visit and supermarket shop! And a little afternoon nap…before navigating the 500 TV channels and finding Wimbledon (tennis games) and World Cup soccer…and even the All Blacks test (Rugby) against France this morning…thank you Irish TV! Seems UK TV channels have decided they don’t want to talk to me (no sound) … Sooo …. Ireland you rock!
Today…Saturday, after watching the Allblacks close out France (just).., I was off to visit my cousins in Attard…However, as my Vivienne (car) is still in the garage, I am to use Kevin’s 4 door Subaru…realising last night that he had omitted to list me on the insurance, I will not drive this on Maltese roads until coveted…I decided (at 11am to walk the 8 kms – rather than bus) to my cousins! I know 8.5!kms after Camino walking seems pathetic…but in the heat of the day….through Malta landscape…believe me it was enough! Especially with only Teva sandals that livened up my broken toe blister!
Leaving Paola…I still had a shady side of the road and the Addorata church and cemetery rose high into the now clear blue 30 + degree sky’s
I was a little nervous.., how I would get under or over the spaghetti junction of motorways at Marsa at the bottom of the hill…
However, surprisingly enough there is a cycle and walking track under and alongside… and only me on it at this ridiculous hot time of the day…
Seeing things I have never seen before…a sparkly piece of art, never noticed as I have zoomed along the bypasses in my car!
I asked google to avoid main and busy roads…so here I was heading past farmland and stables (relating to the race track)
Sandals not ideal on once again stone roads… but without traffic…and with the aromas of horses pens…I felt like I was in the countryside again! …. Which is not a common occurrence in Malta!
I went through a couple of more built up areas..found a seat almost in the shade outside the Statue of the assumption of our lady and Church … dating back to the 1500’s… church closed in the early afternoon as everything in Malta is at this time of the year… all close at midday until 4pm!
By now nursing the rejuvenated toe bluster from the sandal buckle… this route took me along country farm roads which, in all my 40 years of visiting here, I have never travelled… walking is a gift to find new places!
This garden rocking the sunflower growth …. These ones over 7 foot tall!! That is a challenge for me when I plant my sunflowers in spring!
Rows of horticulture… the downside: no shade and warm water(I could have made a cup of tea) ….still a few kms from my destination…. I had no choice…but to keep putting one foot in front of the other…with a wet T/shirt competition going on!
Stone fences and shrine to “our Lady” marking the side roads…
Some big lifestyle blocks behind stone walls and bougainvillea thriving in these dry and rocky conditions..
I finally emerged from the farmland back onto the main drag and found a pastizzi (pie) shop that sold cold drinks and had a small table inside in front of a big fan!
I inhaled a 600ml of Coca Cola (cold) and sat for 20 minutes even though I was only 15 minutes from my destination!
I finally arrived at my cousins, who all thought I was mad walking in the heat of the day…and sat in the airconned kitchen for half an hour…cooling off and drinking water… spent a lovely afternoon catching up on the last 8 months since I was here and got dropped back by my cousin (a taxi was definitely on my radar) via a favourite old haunt in Bormla ….Rouge cafe for a cool evening ‘Pina Colada’ …
Actually two…as I just made the happy hour timeframe!
My Cousin dropped me back to the apartment…and my old neighbour was on the doorstep…so I sat with her for a bit before heading up to the penthouse…
World Cup soccer on…shower soon… but a cold Cisk Excel…. (Beer) first!
St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles – day 1 – 25kms – The Camino Frances….day one of walking!
If I had written this story at 4pm when I arrived in Roncesvalles (Spain) from St Jean pied de Port (the start of my 800km trek), it may have been vastly different….now I have hot showered and filled my tummy (with the only thing that made sense on the menu) a hamburger…I am finally, warm, dry, breathing and not hungry! All I can say is you never get what you signed up for!! So my story begins…
Breakfast at my hotel did not start until 7.30am, and I was ready to go at 7am with an hour before the rain came in to get up the first hill at least, I forewent breakfast knowing I had a pastry, two apricots, nuts and a chocolate bar to snack on before the only eating place on this leg (8 kms away and all uphill)
This guy was watching the idiots clim out of his town, as he probably does every morning. I have to say there were a few of us getting an early start!
Then these guys settling in under a tree for the day, smart move in light of what rolled in around 9am!
The photos I have are from this morning only as after the rain came in …. My phone was buried deep inside the five layers of clothing I had put on this morning – in hope of keeping some warmth going on!
So we just kept going up and up and….
Up more as the sealed road ended and the real tramping deal kicked in….this was about the time the rain came in…and there was another two hours of Up before reaching the Orisson refuge…
The only building in this town…supplying hot drinks (first coffee of the day at 10.20am) soup, sandwiches and hearty food for cold drowned trampers! I took a loo stop here(the only one of the day weather I needed it or not)….they had one loo!
For a moment, while I was waiting for the loo…the rain stopped and it was clear enough to see where we were in the Pyrenees. When I arrived there I was engulfed in rain and cloud so had no idea where I was!
I was only 8kms in to the days 24.5kms…and as I left here…still going up….one foot after the other….this is where the predicted weather rolled in! The next three hours were going up, in howling 100knot winds (almost blowing my walking poles out of my hands!) the fingerless gloves, now wet in the driving hail (which was pricking my face skin) and rain, meant the ends of my fingers were numb with the cold! Luckily inside a thick black sack, in my now wet backpack, were Mums possum gloves! Which saved the day, or at least my fingers from getting frostbite!
I battled on to the sound of flapping ponchos, on other people…a waste if time today as they were almost launching the wearers into the clouds (and everything underneath was wet anyway!) I was just wet, without the threat of becoming Mary Poppins!
We peaked at 1450metres above sea level – at which point I saw the most exciting thing of the day…couldn’t retrieve my camera quickly enough…so I’ll have to paint a word picture….
Just as I was about to hit the 14km mark and nearing the peak of my climb…to my right a flock of Latxa black faced sheep, native to the Spanish Pyrenees, was wandering beside the track…down into a valley….then from above,on the left, a herd of wild Pyrenees horses came thundering down the last ascent, within 50 meters of where I was standing…circling and bucking around for a bit, then ran off down the side of the mountain! There were about 6-8 wonderful looking beasts, obviously trying to keep warm like the rest of us!
The last climb, or so I thought, stopping at the only other refreshment place on this day, a tatty old food truck, selling hot (sachet) drinks, cold boiled eggs and bananas….the food of athletes?? I grabbed a hot coffee…it was terrible but it was hot!!!
So a couple more 1km ups, then the terrain plateaued out for about 5kms followed by a steep 5km decent into Roncevalles…my destination for the day! I was starting to feel the knees by this stage!
Leaving this morning at 7am arriving at 4pm! A nine hour day…possibly due to my fitness level, but definitely weather restricted tentative walking…with at times zero visibility, lots of mud slides, and the super chill factor coupled with soggy clothing!
Nothing a very hot, long shower, full set of dry woolies, a cold beer and food…
The beef burger, which was delicious. I am now lying flat relaxing before another early start. Breakfast here at this hotel is 7am, so I will definitely grab a bite before I head off into another mountainous wet day! (Longer distance but less altitude!)
I started the day with a brainwave….as shoes were still soaking from night before…
Some previous guest had kindly left their hair dryer!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any colder…I woke up this morning, with a sore knee…donned all my walking woolies, strapped the sore bits…fully anticipating a 27km walk through more mountains, looked out the windows and it was snowing….heavily!
So sub zero temperatures! Before breakfast I went for a walk outside to get the feel of chill and slipperyness and gauge whether my knee would handle it!
Yes it was cold and yes it was slippery, but
Kind of beautiful too…this is Roncevalles at its picturesque prettiness! Last night when I arrived it was kind of run down and just grey!
One more snow photo for the road…. Or not…I joined a table for breakfast with an American couple, who informed me a man died on the route I took yesterday and another had a nasty fall and smashed his face, to be rescued off the track by police and paramedics! These people took the low road yesterday (I didn’t know there was another one) and thought I had done very well to complete the mountains in those conditions!
My next decision was easy…I have hundreds of miles ahead of me and today’s route posed a very long slippery downhill before the town of Zubiri…and a bus came through at 9.30…to take me over the mountains….then a gentle 8km (undulating) walk from there to my next destination!
The difficult bit was finding out where the bus left from! Running around in the snow for about an hour I finally found an old Spanish woman who had a friend who could translate for me, that it left from the carpark! (around there!)
Off I trudged, to wait in the carpark…and get very wet and cold by the time 9.30 rolled around!
There was an American man, named John, whose destination was Zubiri, from where I was walking who also figured a bus ride this morning was a good option!
We arrived in Zubiri around 10.30 and went and grabbed a hot coffee…he headed off to his hostel around midday and I hit my Camino for the day (8kms) from here to Akerreta!
Leaving Zubiri to join the Camino trail (rather than follow the (busy) main road,
The sun was peeping out from time to time, however the waters were high …. As I hit the track….
I felt I was walking in a rain forest…as so much water has come down from the mountains…
The paths were rivers and at the lower points there was a bit of fording to do!
This was a little precarious and calf deep and fast running…so it was no haste all care…but saturated shoes again!
A few ups and downs…
And waterfalls on the side! …
An ancient 18th century abbey on my travels…looking rather empty and forlorn.
A bit of street art on the back of someone’s garage!
And roses and arrows showing me “The Way”, possibly not in the biblical sense just yet…it was more like get to my next hotel before the next rain shower swept through!
Too wet for snails…but this big fat slug escaped being trodden on by this kiwi pilgrim!…he was lucky as due to the wet nature of the path I did spend most of today’s walk looking down!
More beautiful Spanish country gardens on my final ascent to my abode for the night…arriving an hour before check in…I donned my Poncho and enjoyed a rest…
Waiting till I saw some life at my hotel, which once again is great (although I am on the 2nd floor and my transferred bag is heavy)
No I’m in a very cute rustic room with lots of exposed beams that look like a hundred years old! And yay…I have a bath…albeit a shortish one, so had had a nice hot soak, going to take a beer and order my dinner…I may meet my breakfast companions from Florida, who I think they said they are heading here tonight! I can’t remember their names, oops, I wish every man was called John – that seems to stick on this trail!
Akerreta to Pamplona – Day 3 – 20 kms…a little longer than anticipated as I got a bit lost getting to my hotel, and being a Saturday….the bars are bursting at the seams…
But let’s go back to the beginning of the day!
I woke to a misty morning – the view from my window…breakfast was at 8am as today was a “short” day of walking…
Had a great dinner at the hotel Akerreta last night with Camino friends Betsy and Bob from Florida! Maybe too many of these…
A 6.5% local beer, tasted great at the time….but I was certainly ready for my freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee at breakfast… I tootled off around 8.30am…and ran into a couple of young chaps I had met on my first day over the mountain….as they roared off into the distance, I picked my way carefully down the hills – trying to take care of my knees!!
Past Wild flowers in the paddocks…
Following the river on still very soggy tracks…but not much rain, just the slight drizzle here and there!
A few raging rapids and river still really high…it was really nice to walk with the sound of the water rushing down beside me.
About an hour in, I crossed to the other side and got a fellow walker to catch me in action! Yes I am actually here somewhere in Spain!
A cool cafe on the side of this bridge, but a little early for my 2nd cup of coffee (as toilets are few and far between)
A little roadside walking before heading back off grid through small villages…
Following the yellow arrows and blue and yellow scallop signs…
Bridges crisscrossing roads and rivers…
The first leg to Zabaldika complete, I then had a gentle descent back towards the river
And walked between the wheat fields and the river.. this was turning into a very pleasant day!
Then as I got nearer to Pamplona…the trail sent me up high….
I’m guessing to get my first glimpse of Pamplona…. I knew what this meant however…if you go up you must come down…and down is what my knees don’t like!
However before the final descent into the city, I spied this little ginger squirrel munching on a nut…a couple of loud French ladies appeared around the corner as I was trying to catch him in action, so I put my finger to my lips and pointed to the little guy…they stopped talking for long enough to take a photo then marched off and turned the volume up again!
I crossed the old stone bridge into the edge of town…
This was the beginning of city walking… having just come down from the hills and realised that final steep, long descent had got my right knee again..
However, I was still 3 kms from my destination and carried on straight through Pamplona new town…followed by what seemed to be a large area of construction sites and paddocks…at this point I met up with a chap from Texas (Dallas) called Ron and we both took a shortcut heading to our respective accommodations… thinking we were very clever and we weren’t, we ended up doubling back to the original route and the only bridge to cross another river into the old town…here we parted ways…as we do on this journey…me to the left, him to the right!
I climbed up another hill, uphill is good – never thought I would say that!!!
With the walls of the old city opening up to the bustling streets of Saturday young people all queueing for drinks and having fun…I found my hotel in the middle of all this madness and had an hour to kill before I could get into my room…I had to get off my feet and found a bakery
And a nice hot cappuccino- as it was now drizzling again and the temperature was barely double digits!
I had a quick look at the main square, devoid of people not wanting to get wet…
However the alleyways and covered terraces were heaving!
A bit much turmoil after my day in nature to be honest! So as soon as I could check in I retired to my room – took a hot bath and hand washed a few bits….the old rolling in a towel, then my new trick of drying with the hairdryer…all my hotels here seem to have hairdryers – which I don’t use on my hair but are great for clothes and wet shoes!!!
Soon I will need to venture out soon as I am hungry! But would like to get a take out and come back to rest my knees in hope that I can do the 24km walk tomorrow!!
Sometimes what seems like impossible is actually possible…last night with a very sore knee and a cold coming on – I had plan B ready to catch a bus for day four walk!
This morning I thought…not so bad …strap knee and get out there… the forecast for no rain!!
I left Pamplona around 8.15 am …. Found the starting point…,
Followed other backpacking people to clear the city and look for my yellow shell trail for the day…
Within a couple of miles…the countryside opened up with poppies and wildflowers…
I stopped and stripped off a couple of layers as the sun was shining and I was heading uphill!!!
Goodbye to the crazy busy party city of Pamplona and into the wide open spaces of rural northern Spain.
High clouds and skies clearing into the first little village of Cizur Menor…,about 5 kms from Pamplona
And what did I spy…the Maltese cross! A hospital….in the heart of this small village! It was “the sign” my heritage is with me….not long after this I ran into a lady from Michigan who was called Sue too! And was also nursing a bit of a knee injury from our first treacherous day…
The two Sues joined forces and headed south up the hill and away from the city…both intent on smelling the roses!! And taking care of our knees! As we had a 24km walk today…this was the beginning of a great day!!!
A comfortable gradual ascent…towards Alto del Perdon …. The highest point of the day…,
Up hill..,for the first couple of hours – good on the knees!
Looking back to Pamplona as we climbed up to the first village of Zariquiegui..,
Fields of wheat and wildflowers
A snack break, water refill, and a loo stop!!! As the church bells rang out for the 11.30am mass(being a Sunday) …
Another 2.5kms up….
Headed towards the ridge line wind mill farms…
And peaking at the top with the well documented (photographed) steel statues of the pilgrims…
In line with the wind farms windmills… and then what goes ups (Sue and Sue) must come down… a moment I was dreading….
Ahead of us was a 3.3km steep rocky descent…
Starting at the circle of stones…each representing a village in the area..
Carefully navigating this downhill stretch …zigzagging on the path to minimalise the from knee pressure an following the Camino signposts atop either rocks? Why I say are there various piles on rocks on these signs? There are several theories…1. To honour a person who has passed…2. To bring a stone from your home to place and leave your fears and mistakes behind…3. or simply to mark the touts for future pilgrims!
The next village of Uterga … starts with a St Maria (virgin) statue … and meanders through a small village!
Then the next village of Muruzabal … had a very busy garden bar becoming all pilgrims on their final leg for the day…unresistable!! A cold beer on what was now a very warm afternoon!
The other Sue, relaxing on the terrace!
One more village of Obanos…roses in bloom…another field trek..
Wildflowers and poppies… Bordering wheat fields into the homeward stretch with more country colour…
Planter boxes overlooking their homestead!and it was one more (zigzagging) down to the final destination of Puente la Reina…. My hotel first the Sue carried on another Km to hers! We said goodbye and both agreed we had had a great day…compatible in our walking and knee care and curiosity!
Ok so here I check in and the bag transfer had mislaid my bag…a very helpful receptionist track it down to another hotel and said it would be here in 30 mins… at this point I ran into a young chap (welsh) I had met a couple of days ago and joined him and an Englishman for a beer…until my bag arrived … a quick shower and back to join the team..with a Dutchman thrown in to even the odds!
This morning I left Puente La Reina in northern Spain for my next leg of the Camino Frances trail… around 7.30am….
The Puente stone bridge, where one is supposed to take off shoes and cross barefoot (I was told later)…kind of pleased I didn’t know this at the time as it was still chilly, even though I had donned my shorts in anticipation of the temperature rising during the day!
The overcast morning, with the view from the bridge….meant the water was green and murky!
Leaving town I noticed the locals had also been up early as the laundry was already hung out from the windows…
The path meandered through fields and wild poppies…which seem to grow prolifically in this Navarre area.
The sun was trying to peep through and warm up the day…
Breaking though to highlight the fields of yellow wildflowers! Halfway up the first climb, I can get up with my pilgrim friends Sue, and the Gals from New Jersey … we walked together for a while into the first village..
Of Maneru…an ancient village with another uphill climb entering through the gates…
Cobbled streets and sandstone brick buildings, very reminiscent of my Malta home! we came across a public toilet (yes one only) and all decided we should utilise this facility as the next one could be mikes away!
This convenience area also had the luxury of flying bats!!! Upon leaving this village (on the top of the hill there was a very long descent…
It was at this point that I suggested the girls carry on without me as my knee requires less pace and lots of zig zagging on these stones downhills… the undulation continued as I picked my way through the countryside…
Yes another slow downhill!
Through wheat fields, olive groves, and wild roses…
It was here I caught up with Bob and Betsy, my pilgrims in beer drinking crime from a few nights ago…or rather they caught up with me….
And here we are on Day five, with over a hundred kilometres under our belt! Minus 10 for me as I took a half day bus on day two after my treacherous mountain crossing…
We visited a beautiful Catholic Church… and carried on to Lorca – the coffee break, lunch stop village again high on a hill…I took a coffee and met up with my Dutch dinner companion from last night…whom I left the town with!
And for all you wine lovers….we are heading into vineyard country, with rows and rows of grapevines…in the infant stages of fruiting…
Still wheat fields and still wildflowers and poppies! In the next little village a local was picking cherries from his huge cherry tree and he offered me some….delicious! a young Croatian girl and I walked for the next little while…until another steep decline slowed me down again…do the last few kilometres I walked solo into the town of Estella…underneath these water bridges …
Spanning the countryside from hill to hill…
Another little bridge and alongside a river into town…
Spying this castle on the other side of the river…I cannot find any reference to its history, but it was rather impressive…
The locks that lead to the hydro power plant on the edge of town…
My booked hotel was on the other side of town…and being mid afternoon all was very quiet in the streets…as closed up for the afternoon siesta!
I walked past the chapel of San Andrés, patron saint of the city, which was built in baroque forms in 1706. As I had an extra kilometre to cover…the first bar I could find open(and only 600m from my destination) deserved my patronage! And medication for my knee…
My medication of choice is now san Miguel beer!
I arrived at my hotel after my little sojourn, and reflection upon my 22 km walking day, around 5pm…I love these hotels…they all have baths…perfect for soaking the sore bits and doing another round of washing!
I am really getting the hang of this…up at 6am…dress, sit on suitcase to close, then dump it at reception for transfer to the next hotel…make sure I have all my emergency supplies in daypack…off to breakfast….then walk….today actually only added up to 18kms!
The sunrise in the morning from my window in Estella….today promised to warm up (considerably) … I ate, not much as it was less than desirable at breakfast…had my water bottles full…and started walking around 8am…yay it was an up!!! As I was leaving town, q Camino friend, who I had had dinner with a couple of nights ago was trying to work out the route for today…I was following another backpack and Jan’s joined me! He has actually been walking since March from Rotterdam…do I thought our buddy walking would be short lived (due to my downhill knee issues)
The first attraction at a little after 8am was the wine (or water) tap as we left the town!
Some imbibed at this hour but either a 6 hour walk ahead for a non wine drinker…this was merely a photo opportunity!
We carried on out of Estella past the monastery at the top of the climb, we then continued on bush pathways until a big downhill … at which point I took it slowly! and thought I would be walking solo! But my knee managed the zigzag and Jan’s and I climbed up into the village of Azqueta….
Uphill is still my friend…
Through the odd tunnel…to a fabulous cafe!
Run by Dutch people and overlooking the valleys! great coffee too (and a restroom – 4stars, Tona)
The view from our lounge chairs and it was still only 10am…with a 3rd of the walking for the day done!
The next bit was a bit of a climb…good for the knees…but sun bursting out to an exposed 25degrees! So as I de layered…we climbed higher towards the abandoned castle on the top of the hill…not tempted for the side climb though!
A pocket photo of my Shadow…that is now (in the sunshine) coming with me all the way!!!!
We plateaued out to a small village -Villamayor de Monjardin…at our highest point for the day
St James (bronze statue) holding fort in front of the church…
And the church…not open to pilgrims (a little rude) with double padlocked doors! The next 12kms to Los Arcos was a little more of the same…
Walking through wine country exposed to the hot sun…now down to T-shirt and shorts! having some one to chat to whiled away the miles…and in the middle of like nowhere…
A man and a guitar pounding out sounds and adding another sound to the click clack of piles and scrunching of boots on the stone pathways!
More and more stone pathways…until we reached a Foodteuck in the middle of nowhere, with a few trees around perfect for a potty stop (or bush wee) and a rest for the now burning feet… from her 6kms for me and 13kms for Jan who couldn’t get a room in this town of Lis Arcos! However it does mean he only had a 21km day tomorrow and I have 28!!!
Entering los Arcos- there was a menageries of goats and confused Roosters crowing their heads off at 1.40pm! Yep I made it in the proposed 5.5 hours… thanks probably to my walking buddy of the day!
Who carried on his final 7km while I sat down and had a cool beer to reward myself for the days walk… it’s now a little after 4 going to message some Camino buddies and see if they are up for an early dinner….or not happy to do this on my own…
The days fly by in the Yellow and Green and my week is almost over in the beautiful colours of the Lot Et Garonne…wining and dining Daily…. Enjoying the respite from the 10 day heatwave…before temperatures rise again in the weekend!
Monday morning we drove to Agen to collect our friend Sally from Paris!! Past fields of torne sols..smiling towards the sunshine. I had been a little concerned that the usual fields of Yellow were absent from the landscape, but it appears planting is staggered more …with fields of younger green plants with flower heads only just developing!
Kevin dropped me at station to meet Sally off the train…I was one end of platform, she got off the rrain on the other end and we totally missed each other…and I caught her outside looking for the car!!! Wasted exercise!
We collated ourselves back in the car and headed towards our lunch destination.
Tournon d”Agenais …the square on the top of the hill and fortressed commune, founded in the 1200’s by Phillip III (King of France from 1270-1280)
Artwork and archways…adorn the square..
We headed home mid afternoon, just as the painters were winding up for the day and spent a pleasant evening in the garden catching up!! And keeping up on World cup(soccer) and Wimbledon(tennis) updates! Between the internet and Kevin’s 500 Tv channels we can catch almost every game …. Sally and I are in Pigs heaven…Kevin not so much!
The next morning…we had a couple of errands to run around the town…still taking time to smell the roses…
Soaking up the scenery…
Crossing the odd bridge…
And enjoying an iced coffee!!! This one was quite a production!
We then headed to the village of Grezels, further east along the Lot river towards Cahors…
Winding our way up a very narrow road to view the Chateau de La Coste…the high point of the town.. A privately owned ruined castle dating back to the 15th century…
We then went to our lunch destination, which was on the edge of the river under covered terraces, very full of patrons, glad to be able to brave the outdoors in the cooler temperatures!
The river beaches not yet occupied as the main summer holiday period in France will begin in a couple of weeks!
Not a breath of wind…the water like glass…
Another evening of garden yarns, tennis and soccer!
Yesterday we went to another friends for lunch..,yes I have been eating myself around the environs of Kevin’s home town! Will definitely have recouped the weight left behind on the Camino (and more!)
Yesterday afternoon, we melted in this ongoing heatwave….managed to set up the fairy garden lights and the solar water fountains..
Which burst immediately into action under the 39 degree sunshine! Apart from that we could only lie horizontally with fans blowing on our barely clad bodies! ( just enough to be decent!)
The local street cats…took refuge in Kevin’s shady garden….this one (the cat with no name)getting as close as possible (to my fan) without actually coming inside…the other one (Gaston) gulping down the water from the front of the house…both ginger ironically( there seems to be an abundance of ginger street cats in this area)
Too hot for wine (Kevin) and beer too heavy (me)…
We took refuge in the famous Porto Tonico cocktail…with white port wine, lemon mint, heaps of ice and tonic! Very refreshing…consumed inside in front of fans, as too hot in the garden, even under the trees!
This morning was decidedly cooler, (about 26 degrees) with a little cloud cover, so I plastered up my last blister, put on my Tevas(sandals) and took myself off for a walk….Aaah to walk again…
Down the street (with trees that need no water and flourish in the heat obviously)…to a big green belt that runs from Fumel through to Monsempron Libos (the nearby village). Remembering to Bonjour (rather than Bien Camino) the dog walkers out early.
Stone roads…. I almost got the Camino feel going on! Not ideal paths for sandals, but having discarded my worn out Salamons (shoes) and not yet replaced I had no option..
Meandering past little rivers and bridges…
And stately homesteads…this one had a river running underneath it!
Historically Monsempron, the old town on the hill above me and Libos, the port town on the river Lot …that (from the 19th century) serviced the ironworks in Fumel, were two separate communes. However, due to the towns growth with this industry, in 1958 they officially became one and the Commune incorporates both towns – now officially known as Monsempron-Libos. The original villages date back to the 1100s. .
As I have never really explored the old township on the hill, I decided to take a hike up there, and get a little hill work…
Climbing up the hill…were the views over the Libos side of the town …
And climbing further into the village of Monsempron…
Were the fortified stone buildings above me and those dreaded cobbled streets underfoot….careful not to roll an ankle on a morning stroll!
French wildflowers growing in Stone earth…these hardy plants choose their home!
To the top of the hill where the Chateau Prieural sits…an 11th century Benedictine Monks priory and neighbouring Convent…I have noticed (in Spain as well) Monks and Nuns residences go hand in hand, so to speak!
This imposing structure, declined after the 100 years war in the 13th century and has since been restored to house its surviving sculptures, ornaments and other historical arrangements that suggest important pilgrimages took place here…
And the convent is now a private residence (I realised when I wandered through the open door!)
However, the views to the north from the Chateau terrace are spectacular. This, now museum, opens to the public a couple of times a year…and for special private events (like art exhibitions) The next opening is in July to coincide with Europe’s Summer vacation period.
I continued wandering through this very quiet village, being a Sunday morning there was not much action or human evidence. I think they are all locked behind closed doors with fans on to keep their homes cool!
To the outside of town and the Town hall area, actually a rather modern public toilet leapt out in front of me, perfect timing…
A a book donation/exchange in the park! I perused the entire cabinet, desperately seeking an English book…about anything…I am so ready to read!!! But alas no..I guess I could practice my French but with my limited vocabulary the stories will most certainly be list in translation!
I then wandered my way back down the other side of the village, stopping often to snap pictures (as my Camino friends know I do!) descending back towards the Libos side of town
The railway station, running between the towns of Libos and Monsempron opened in 1863 (for the iron transportation) and as all trains, on this regional line are cancelled today (as they have been for the last week in the heatwave) I stopped right in the middle of the tracks!!
Past the deserted train station…
Caro and Trudi, you will recognise this! having caught trains with me from here over the last few years…
Through the residential streets into the village centre of Libos…not so quiet on a Sunday morning…
This newer Church of Notre-Dane de Libos, built between 1869 and 1891, catching the morning sun. It features the rare distinction (for a church) of facing west rather than the traditional east orientation chosen for most churches of this time.
It is on one side of the centre square (which is actually a carpark) and on the other side a small grocery store and the bakery doing a roaring trade…but not so much as the only cafe in town…
My coffee reward after the first 5kms…well actually that was most of the walk…another kilometre back to the Fumel house! For a a bit of rose pruning and wall preparation (for painter tomorrow)…lunch and a lie down! As thunderstorms roll in for the evening (so they say!)
Thursday, was travel back to Fumel day…. A relaxed morning in Porto.. fondly saying goodbye to our smelly flat. And ubering to the airport in 20 degrees around 9.40am.., got rid of my bag… all going smoothly.. through customs…. Still smooth…found gate…
Clear calm day for take off…watching the sights and sounds of airport life…
Airport cyber vehicles – Elon Musks influence one could say!
Plane leaving at 12.30… and in typical Ryan air fashion was a little late.,,,but only 30 minutes…landed within 15 minutes of scheduled time…
Walked out of Toulouse airport…and we were hit with the heatwave that France had been suffering all week! However there was the shuttle bus leaving in 5 to the train station..air-conditioned!
All going well, apart from starting to melt! Our train was on time, but many other trains on the board were suspended…this should have rung alarm bells! But we just thought we had an angel on our shoulder taking us home…
There we were, slitting in our train from Toulouse to Agen- the last leg of our journey to collect the car and drive the 40 minutes home to Fumel! Scheduled to be back by 7pm!
The train left on time……one, then two, then three unscheduled pauses…stopping to rest on the lines for whatever reasons…and halfway through the journey at Montauban…we were all told to get off, the train was going no further!
So there we were in 40 degrees, with a platform full of confused disgruntled passengers all wanting to get to Agen – and no trains going…
They were putting on a bus…in half an hour…
Luckily Kevin knew what the bus looked like…he dealt with the luggage and I pushed and shoved and grabbed a seat on the bus…a few people (like 20) were standing after loading and had to get off as the driver couldn’t drive the hour and a half with standers!!! ….we meandered all the regional roads…stopping at the scheduled train stations on the way…and finally arrived in Agen a little after 8pm…
Out of the noise of airports, planes, Train stations, trains, platforms and buses…and heat, we fell into the air-conditioned Citroen in silence for the drive home…
On the positive side…no traffic on the roads except a bunch of heat dazed pigeons who did not fly off as usual and Kevin had to play dodgems with them!
We arrived to the house a little after 9pm..to every room in the high 30s… fans on, doors open, Kevin connected the aircon unit upstairs, watered gasping garden…and a cold beer as the sun sank around 9.45!!!
Yesterday promised similar weather…but up at 6am to catch the mid 20 temps and get as much of the cool air into the house…then Kevin’s painters arrived about 9am…they hadn’t worked all week in the heatwave, but were back!! So Kevin set them up and we went off to the supermarket (air-conditioned) after hanging two loads of washing out! Good drying weather!
The Lot river…looking very still, with not a breath of breeze…
Shopping done, we came back, unloaded, while the two painter boys toiled on in the rising heat…with their spray machine and cherry picker! I collapsed on my bed…fan on, Kevin wanted to keep an eye on them as they don’t cover windows etc….so he worked in the garden …. Losing buckets of sweat…..for several hours! I brought the laundry in and folded it!!!
Now…my brother in law had left me a couple of presents…namely boots… which I was dying to try on! But…swollen feet from 35 days walking, a big travelling day yesterday and the extreme heat…. Seemed I had gained a shoe size (for now)…
However with a thin sock, I managed to squeeze into these red cowboy boots!!! Am I ready for Texas or what!!!
Around 5pm the painter boys packed up and left…and We took cold showers…as we were meeting Kevin’s English friends for dinner out… dilemma…what to wear…
Thanks to my friend Jean from the Camino, who kindly donated me a Spanish cotton skirt, and some nice sandals, I could rock the skirt as a dress, with only one other item of clothing needed!
We met Kevin’s English friends, who took us to a cafe by the river in Puy L’Eveque.,
Terrace cafe…we had a great time…cold beer desperately needed, even with my minimal clothing choice, I still had rivers running down my body..,so what does a gal do..,
Finish the meal with an ice cream Sunday!!
I’ll soon be back up to my weight goals at this rate…
Today, Saturday here, is going to be another high 30’s day…so we are hoping no workmen arrive….and we can have a relaxed “fan” day!
We had a relaxed morning, and locked up and left around 10am…just in time to catch a train to Aveiro…a seaside town just a little over an hours train ride away..,our last day in Portugal…so we might as well see the place while we are here (as Russ would say)…
The wanderers arriving at Aveiro station, and having made friends on the train with a Dutch couple, they insisted on taking our picture together… they didn’t realise how much Kevin hates being in pictures….
The old railway station from the town side with its ornate ceramic decoration…we are guessing one the most photographed stations in Portugal…
We wandered down the Main Street and had our mandatory coffee and Portuguese tart! I am now over these tarts, that is the last one I will have, having somewhat overdosed on them in the last week!!! We decided to head towards the seaside….
More ceramic tiled facades of buildings .. a real feature of these Portuguese towns…
Walking along the canals, with the riverboats…our guide from yesterday told us, this town is the Venice of Portugal…and the ribbons tied along the rails symbolize love, friendship, and personal wishes.
Out of the big cities and back to street art murals…
The Royal school of Languages building in Aveiro is a premier language institution that has been operating for over four decades. It is housed in a prominent, historic 19th-century building situated in the centre of the city, directly along the scenic waterfront of Aveiro’s city center canals.
Small plaster churches like this one are common in Portugal…and seem to appear when you least expect them… no fanfare or introduction….just there they are, on a street corner!
More Street art…
This building “Capitania fo Porto” was once a tide mill, then a drawing school, a cooperage, a storehouse, and the seat of Aveiro Port authorities and today it is the seat of the Municipal Council. In a privileged location on the banks of Cojo Channel, dating back to the 15th century.
We had been wandering for over an hour…still aiming for the seaside….Until we actually realised we were still 10kms away…a couple of hours walk…my partner in crime decided unless there was a bus, reaching the destination was out of the question!
So we looped around and came across a beautiful green area…
City Park….The Grotto in The City Park, this park is the largest green space in Aveiro…
Peaceful and cool…lakes, rivers , walkways and ancient trees…
Covered pergola walkways …. This actually leads to the public toilets …. Very convenient! A further half hour walk ahead back to the station… to head back towards Porto, with maybe a stop off at another town half way…
And yet more street art….
And more ceramics on outside of buildings…..passing by….
The Cathedral of Aveiro…. The city’s primary landmark which was the 15th century Monastery of Jesus – another remarkable piece of Aveiros Architecture and history! …. Crossing a bridge, getting warmer and closer to the train… we spied…
The Aveiro Congress Centre. This is a striking cultural and convention venue in another historic area of the city and was formerly a 20th-century ceramics factory, constructed in the early 1900’s
We caught our train around 2.30pm…and with a little over an hours ride back to our hood decided not to get off and look for a late lunch in our area!
After yesterday’s fiesta and football game madness, most of the cafes had decided to close for the day…leaving only the two Indian restaurants open. We had gad our fill (2 nights in a row) of Indian food…so jumped a bus to the centre of town, and found a great cafe for a nice early dinner (5.30pm), cocktail(for me), wine (for Kev) a great salad and full tummies!
Uber home was cheaper than two bus tickets…dinner done…feet up, ready to pack up and shift countries tomorrow!!
Yesterday’s adventure was so big and crazy….so here we go on the journey!
We had booked a wine tasting trip to the Duoro Valley region, I know; wine for a beer lover!
Our day began at 6am, to arrive at the meeting point before 8am…A bus ride with the locals and a deserted city Centre! Not a coffee in sight!
We were being collected by a driver in a van, maximum of eight people…
There were 6 of us, at this stage, we were collecting another 2 on our way! I was kindly given the front seat…as at this hour I get car sick…so had full view of the motorways and countryside as we sped (130kph) east towards the Spanish border…Dressed for Portos predicted high of 23 degrees! (not a wise decision as it turned out)
Span bridges on route, about 1.5 hours to the village of Peso da Regua, where we were collecting our final two tour buddies…and a coffee (and Portuguese tart) stop!
After our coffee, and restroom stop we wandered across the walking bridge .. looking east to the Duoro Valley wine region…and Spanish border (100kms away)
Soaking up the sights!
We were ready for the day, 2 Kiwis, 3 Irish, 2 Dutch, and a girl from Florida, and our Portuguese driver…quite a combination!
What we didn’t realise, was the cool Atlantic influence of Porto was behind us as we had tunnelled (3.5kms of tunnel) through the mountains into the Duoro Valley, and the temperatures had risen by 10 degrees, we were in the heatwave zone!
We left this town and wound along the regional roads to our first destination, a local winery…high on a hillside…this area is all hillsides and the grapes for the port wines famous for this area grow on steep slopes…
We arrived (after a mountain goat climb) at the Panascal winery…with temperatures soaring towards the 40 degree mark!
Walked up to the terrace through a canopy of pea plants!
And looked down…over the low brick wall
Stone and Slate, greenery covering the buildings…
And the port wine tasting glasses (three each) set up on the terrace…at 10am in the morning? Even for a wine lover, that’s a bit of a push in 40 degrees! I shared (actually gave) mine…sipping on my water!
Port wine, is quite sweet…and heavy…and very much the pride of this wine region! A small tour of the distillery (no longer used)
The stomping vats…where the grapes, after being hand picked (they still are), were loaded into these vats and stomped (by feet) for hours…still 15% of port wines are produced with feet!
It is then stored in these barrels for up to 18 months (depending on the level of fortification they need) …. The longer the stronger! Port wines have up to 22% alcohol content.
A glance over the side (as close as this vertically challenged head would take) before we loaded back into the (air- conditioned) van to head towards Pinhão….and our cruise on the river…
It was hot…van now reading 42 degrees outside…so a bit of water time was welcome! I had already turned my jeans into shorts…rolling them up above my knees, and our driver had changed into his T Shirt and shorts!
We were left in the hands of another passionate Portuguese chap…who expelled his knowledge and anecdotes for the hour cruise…
This time under the bridges…and yes there was a slightly cooler feel!
Fantastic views of the terraced grapevines…through this national heritage section of the Duoro river … with water so clean you could drink it (they say) in emergencies!
Long boat cruises passing us by…and creating that rocking sensation in our little boat!
And our treat for the cruise, a port wine famous cocktail! Surprisingly, with lemon, mint, ice and tonic water, this was quite delicious! And one I could drink…
The vintage train chugging along the hillside…in light of the temperature, I was glad that this excursion was booked out…as an unconditioned train ride in this heat would have been unbearable!
From Pinhao, we wound our way up into the mountains…
Stopping at a lookout point back over from where we had been!
Perched on the wall…for a moment in time!!!
To our lunch destination…a garden cafe in another family owned vineyard…again exuberant hosts…glasses of port wine tasting and bottles of sparking and still water !!! With a theee course lunch…nibbles, meat and smashed potatoes and a “port” wine cake!!
Another tour of their distillery, which was airless and hot…I did need to sit, as I felt my blood pressure drop in the heat, so retreated to the garden, to wait for the rest of the crew!
By now it was 3.30pm and we once again loaded into the van to head back to Porto, dropping of the 2 Dutch crew on the way and hitting the carpark (motorway) within 3 kms of the city centre!
Today was a public holiday in Porto….culminating in the Festival of St John…the biggest party of the year….doubled with Portugal playing a World Cup (soccer) game beginning at 6pm live (on big screens) all through town! 1 million Portuguese descend on the city centre for this festival and most of the streets are closed to vehicles!
So needless to say we were driving back into chaos! We couldn’t get anywhere near our departure point and were dropped somewhere near a metro (train) stop…
As you can imagine…I was hanging out for a nice cold beer (having only had water all day) and the first street cafe…there we were, us and the girl from Florida! and then the young couple from Ireland walked past and joined us for a bit! Camino vibes!!!
As one is not enough… Kevin switched to Rose…and the generous full glass was a surprise!! There was cheering up and down the street as Portugal racked up the goals, and everyone was carrying plastic hammers…hitting people on the head (this is a festival tradition evidently) and if you get hit it means good luck! Kevin wearing his Portugal hat got lots of good luck!!!
And last but not least, the smell of BBQ sardines…a Portuguese tradition… very smoky and very smelly…
We got kicked off our table around 8pm as they wanted to start serving dinner (sardines!) so we said goodbye to our new friends and ploughed though the crowds (on foot) in the general direction of our accommodation (we thought) But ended up in the middle of a huge square…with thousands of football fans watching the closing stages on big screens!
Reset…we managed to get outside the street closure zone…and get an uber…by now needing more food! Most of the cafes near us were all closing…but found another Indian one and ate at 9pm…. Before finally reaching our flat and crashing for the night, just in time for the fireworks to start … right outside our house…in our neighbours backyards!
All who wander are not Lost girls 