Today it was sunny all day. People were up early at the hostel so I was out on the road about 7:15am. The path was well marked for the first two kms, however at a fork in the road, there was no arrow.
As much as I am a fan of Yogi Berra – “When you come to a fork in the road, just take it.” I had to make a decision. My GPS for the route kept sending me West. The alternative was a steady climb up the curve of a small mountain. Going West was downhill.
However, it was a long walk over to the coast and the small town of Amorosa. Once there, though, the walking was perfect, until the boardwalk disappeared behind a huge sand dune. There was no alternative, but to double back and take the busy road – almost highway – around the problem area to the next town.
Rodanho turned out to be not a town, but a deserted beach with another disappearing boardwalk. A local group of hikers – not Camino pilgrims – suggested I take a rather obscure country path, through the woods to the town I was aiming for. I declined. It’s one thing to be lost near a highway and quite another to be lost in the bush!!
I opted for the buzy highway, which fortunately had a wide bicycle path on either side. Much better for walking than the drainage ditch I had to navigate earlier in the day.
About noon, having stopped for a coffee in Amorosa, I arrived at the bridge over the river Lima. This time, it was two decades of the rosary to get across, because it was a very long bridge, with one sort of handrail, a very narrow walking path and lots of traffic speeding past – gulp!
I am now in Viana do Costello at a hostel that was a former convent. It’s quite lovely with single beds – no bunks, lots of airy spaces and windows. Last night was a windowless room with eight bunk beds and very low lighting. The only negative is that the walk to the washroom is a bit long, with a few turns – a Camino of a different sort.
Still the cost for the accommodation was just 13 euros. I did have to pay an extra 3.50 euros for a heavy blanket. To keep my pack light, I opted for a thin sleeping bag. But the nights are a little chilly.
I’ve developed some blisters on my right foot. They don’t look serious, but they are sore and I haven’t felt like walking around town. Plus a freight train runs right through the middle of the city. Getting over the tracks is a problem. There happens to be a Pizza Hut right beside the convent, so it was Pizza for lunch and likely Pizza for dinner – easier on the feet.
I’ll splurge when the opportunity presents itself.
Bom Caminho