Viana do Castelo 10- 12 May

Viana's a charmer! Last time we were here we had walked for hours in the rain and as we crossed the famous two level historic Eiffel bridge all we could think of was getting  our shoes off and hot showers. What a difference a sunny day makes! As we came  into town we noticed the spectacular Scared Heart of Jesus temple high up on a hill on the edge of the town.  We didn't even see this from a distance last time.

With the sun out there was exploring to be done.  As we wandered into town through quiet residential streets we found those gorgeous exterior house tiles in abundance, houses looked like doll house creations, only life size.

After dropping our packs we set off for that temple on the hill and rather than climb 700+ steps we opted for the funnicula.

Elevador de Santa Luzia takes you up to the  Temple of Santa  Luzia. It's the longest and steepest funicular in Portugal and totally worth whatever we paid in euro for the 7 minute ride. The ticket seller was all brusque and I think totally didn't give me the correct change but hey ho, all part of the adventure. I did notice at the top funnicula station the return the price was clearly marked so no fudging it. I did try to catch the ticket seller at the lower station on our return but he wouldn't meet my eye....hmmm.

More than three centuries ago there was a humble chapel overlooking the town. Now a remarkable granite temple sits proudly stop the hill with spectacular views. 

You could see for miles from that elevation, down to the river and the double deck Eiffel bridge and further  down the Portuguese coast from where we had been walking for several days. Time for a look inside the temple.

Spectacular double domes and rose windows but as a newer church, just a few hundred years old, it was surprisingly simple inside. 

So glad we decided to have a rest day or two here. Only staying one night last time we missed the gorgeous village squares, the sculptures and the stunning gothic renaissance churches. 

Viana is famed for its gold filigree work and it's in abundance in many of the churches which really act as museums to superb artists and craftsmanship over the centuries.

The city is festooned with flowers to celebrate May and spring and the garden beds are fit to burst in the squares, it's gorgeous.

Viana has the unique combination of the river, the sea and the mountains. So naturally the river and port required a visit. 

Lots of mullet in the marina and a good sized fishing fleet.

Viana had a shipbuilding history and the Gil Eanes Hospital Ship tied up at the wharf is now a museum. Originally built in Viana to support the cod fishing industry it's now a top tourist attraction.

The Monument to the 25th of April or  Statue of Liberty, is tribute  to the people of Viana do Castelo  who fought for freedom in the carnation revolution of 1974.

It's pretty impressive, zoom in and you may be able to make out the 40 water jets  in front that represent the 40 parishes of Viana and the chains under the arch. The chains symbolise the lack of freedom that existed before the revolution.

Marinhas

 9 May 2024

Another hot day, in fact hotter than yesterday with some inland walking, so no sea breeze, ouch! The locals had painted a big Camino arrow on the road to ensure you didn't miss the way 😁

Today we walked along Praia de Estela, through Apulia, Fao, Esposende and our final destination was Marinhas.

The coastal walking was lovely. We set out early and it was good too see the local folks out on the beach boardwalk too and as we passed we traded 'bom dia's', good morning greetings.

We were thankful for the morning cloud cover as the track went inland. It was hard underfoot with little stone cobbles, I felt every cobblestone! 

We had a rest break at the lovely chapel of Apulia and used the restroom there. What a sweet wee place, beautiful peaceful garden and lovely simple chapel. 

The inland walking , on the blasted stone cobbles, was pretty much through a horticultural area. The planting was pristine, never seen such straight rows and weed-free fields. We did notice the farmers were all pretty old,  looked retirement age but out there working hard and it's not easy work. Not a young farmer to be seen. 

Well earned lunch break at Esposende, the cloud cover had gone and it was flaming hot. Out came the safari type sun hats with the back neck cover - looked daggy I'm sure,  but very necessary as you could have fried an egg on the marble paving. 

Esposende turned on the  charm - cute little lanes, outdoor cafes, more chapels and churches than you could throw a stick at and  wonderful public art - we liked it this time round without the rain 😁.

Still more walking after lunch. Lots of interesting homes, some with the blue tile and some just tumbling down.

Back to the coast for the last push to Marinhas. Maybe the beer at lunch wasn't such a good idea. 

Stunning fortifications and sculptures as we left the town and Esposende port. 

Just to test our stamina as we turned away from the coast to our hotel,  inland a short way,   the  path turned back into tiny  stone cobbles....my feet were protesting and spirits were flagging. 

However after a shower and obligatory sock washing (remember we are travelling light and keeping our backpacks under 10kg) we could admire the view over the fields and down to the sea. Maybe the glass of fizz helped too.

Another good day unplugged from tech, just  walking in nature, watching out for the trail markers, chatting to others on the path from all over the world, testing your stamina and being with your thoughts. 

Agucadoura

8 May 2024

 

Too tired last night so pic of last nights dinner follows - a pilgrims walks on their stomachs - well it helps.  After our late afternoon  sock washing duty we found a fabulous little restaurant and had a great dinner of fresh veggies and linguine Nero with prawns 👌 the broccoli was amazing!

Today we  joined a steady stream of pilgrims walking out of Vila do Conde. There was a beautiful sculpture beside the river Ave that honoured the lace makers of the region. They would have been kept busy making vestments and adornments for the Santa Clara monastery.

The public art / sculptures are incredible. Each region has so many wonderful sculptures and they are well cared for and not had the you know what kicked out of them and graffiti free thank goodness.

The sculptures along the sea coast were extremely evocative, many acknowledging the role of the fishermen in the community.

A sobering sculpture to the men and women lost in the wild Atlantic sea storms.

We noticed as we walked along the Povoa de Varzim waterfront a slightly more affluent feel, slightly 'posher' restaurants and cafe's and more glitzy shops.

We left the glitz behind us and settled into walking along the more isolated coast line. The locals had  little wind shelters they set up and then they could soak up the sun without the wind sandblasting them. 

You could really see the force of the Atlantic ocean with the beaches having terrifically steep drops to the waters edge. We stayed at Praia de Santo Andre in Hotel Santo Andre, there was not much else around. The receptionist at warned us not to swim in the sea as it can be dangerous with strong tides, so we took a swim in the pool which was certainly refreshing!

To close off our day we had heard there was one little cafe that served local food, A Tasquinha do Silva. There was just our hotel in Agoucadoura and this one cafe. Knowing we were having brekky in the hotel the next day we opted to try the local.

It was like sitting in someone's front room. Carolina was the host and she didn't speak a word of English and our Portuguese was limited to say the least - but what an experience!

We just went with the flow. The phone rang at one stage and we heard Carolina say "no English" and then she handed the phone to me. Turned out two Aussies were wanting to make a reservation so I assured them they were in for a night to remember. Carolina immediately brought prawns and flaming chorizo sausage to the table and then tried to explain the menu but said "no English, Carolina happy to have you" all said with flair, drama and the most gorgeous charm.

It was fantastic! We had fresh caught octopus with potatoes, grown by her neighbour on the corner, fresh harvested clams from the coast,  local olives, home made bread and a half litre jug of local red wine - perfect!

We closed out the night with Carolina's cake and a local after dinner schnapps. A night we won't forget for a long time. 

 

Camino Portuguese coastal to Vila do Conde

 7 May 2024

We decided to retrace our steps on the Camino Portuguese, well at least the first five days,  as we didn't really get to see/enjoy the way due to driving/torrential rain every day on that adventure. Next five days weather forecast was looking good so we were off.

Really enjoyed re-walking the first day out of Porto along the coast to Vila do Conde. 

Lovely to see the golden sand beaches and coves, it's a spectacular coastline. 

This stretch of coast is renowned for its fishing fleet and wonderful shellfish and octopus. We saw many a fisherman hopping about on the rocks looking to catch octopus on the long sharp spear they carried.

The little fishing villages along the way were busy bringing in  the night fishing catch and cleaning their nets. 

Many homes along the coast have decorations  that reference the sea, St James and the Camino pathway. 

In 2016  when we walked this path we saw maximum 10 pilgrims, we saw that many in the first hour this go round. The Portuguese Camino has truely been discovered with really high numbers along the trail each day. Still more walkers, only two bicigrinos. 

So many lovely little chapels perched on the coastal path, still open to the public which is nice. 

What a day we had for walking the coast, brilliant sunshine, blue skies and a gentle sea breeze. As we turned inland to Vila do Conde it got hot, hot, hot and we were glad to get an early check in to our hotel.

Talk about a room with a view - we had an upstairs corner room which looked directly up the  Ave river to the weir and the monastery  of Santa Clara and the Aqueduct of Vila do Conde. Fun fact the aqueduct had 999 arches, is the second longest (4ks) in Portugal and delivered spring water to the monastery.

Our room was in the yellow building in the right hand side corner of the above pic. We could look up and down river, primo!

After a long days walking in the hot sun a pilgrims work is not yet over - socks need to be washed and dried for the next day before showers and siesta.....and more walking exploring the village. 

Thank goodness for sock dryers in hotels, they help finish the job off and ensure tender tootsie's.