Camino Day 7

June 25

​When we left Oia, Spain this morning the forecast showed a 90% chance of rain for the day and no promise of complete sun until 3pm. So, we made our wet weather plans in our day packs and got busy walking. For me, that means shorts and sleeves pushed up because my poncho can’t cover my legs or hands. It does cover my pack, which is key. I also opt for my Chocos in wet weather. Not perfect but having my dry Hokas later in the day is my preference. I only have these two pairs of shoes with me.

The rain really wasn’t bad. I walked most of the rain with Dagny and Adelaide and we did a good job finding the fun in it. Just as the rain stopped, we caught up with Magnolia and Dave for a morning coffee, which was delightful. Alastair has a significantly longer stride than the rest of us and most days he is well ahead of us scouting the best sights and restaurant at the end of our day. We use our family group chat to stay in touch, an app called Buen Camino which has specific directions and maps for each day, and Adelaide created a shared Google map for us with each night’s accommodations. We use our technology to our benefit for sure.

Much of the morning we walked near the highway, but by afternoon we were tucked back into the mountains. Highway is usually flat and sun exposed. Mountains are usually shaded, but many more hills and valleys. I feel like every day has been a combination of coast, farm land, residential, mountain, and towns. I love the variety. We find sheep, goats, horses, lots of cats, snails, lizards, dogs, birds, donkeys, and the occasional bunny. We always try to get the cats to come to us. They almost never do. Today Dagny found a house with a yard/garage with 13 cats. That might be too many for one house.

We stumbled upon an amazing lunch, probably my favorite so far. Alastair always chooses our starters and we devour a breadbasket. I don’t know what our calorie burn is, but we are so hungry each afternoon when we finish our hike. Tomorrow is a longer day, 17 miles. Fingers crossed for dry weather. We are all doing much better at taking care of our feet, knees, hips, backs, and spirits. This is not an easy undertaking. I am proud of all of us.

After lunch we all split up and did different things. This town is small and easy to navigate. Alastair and I walked some rocks near the beach and checked out the sea creatures in the rocks. We sat for a while and dipped our toes in the water. It was wonderful being with him and just being quiet and enjoying this part of the world.

We walked a dozen miles today and are in Baiona, Spain. This is my favorite town along the Camino thus far. So cute! Adelaide booked us overlooking the marina and beach and we have a balcony which I enjoyed very much today. It is 11pm and fireworks just started across the marina. So cool.

Buen Camino! Jll

Camino Day 6

​June 24

We woke up this morning in A Guarda for our first full day in Spain. We were slated for one of our shortest walking days yet, around nine miles. Even though it was a shorter day, I found it to be one of the most tiresome, as a majority of the mileage came directly on the shoulder of a Galician highway, with cars passing quickly nearby throughout the majority of the hike. Despite the less than ideal scenery encountered it’s still hard to find much to complain about when your day consists of walking, eating delicious seafood, and drinking nice wines. 

I arrived into Oia first, and took a seat by the monastery to wait for the rest of the family to arrive. Dagny, Magnolia, and my father arrived shortly after before Adelaide and my mother, who had been caught in the rain, made it to town. 

We grabbed a quick lunch at a bar chock full of locals, where the food was decent enough, before checking into our hotel for some quiet time before dinner. 

Oia is not a terribly impressive town, and you can see the whole thing in about five minutes, so when the Michelin app showed a recommended restaurant outside of town, I figured it seemed the most apt place to go. The restaurant, Porto dos Barcos, is the only restaurant recommended by Michelin between the Portugal/Spain border and Vigo, the first major city we will encounter since Porto, and has held the distinction for the last four years, so I figured it must be something special. 

What followed was some of the best seafood that I have ever had the pleasure of indulging in, with incredible grouper carpaccio, tuna tartare, grilled grouper and tuna, and a delicious, massive lobster, that cost about three times that of our entire lunch bill. After finishing off the meal with some delicious house made cakes and chamomile tea, we waited for one of two cabs operating in the area to whisk us back to our modest hotel, before tucking in to rest for yet another day of walking tomorrow. If you find yourself in a town with two cabs and a restaurant finds itself into the Michelin guide, it’d serve you right to go find out why. 

Alastair

Camino Day 5

​June 23

The Camino de Santiago joined my bucket list two years ago when I studied abroad in Spain and saw seashell markers for the Camino throughout downtown Valencia. I definitely had a romanticized view of the Camino before we started this week. It has proved to be both difficult and rewarding. 

We started this morning in Vila Praia de Ãncora in Portugal. Our apartment for last night was adorable, and we were hosted by a little elderly woman. She checked in on us this morning as we ate our leftovers for breakfast, along with pastel de nata.

Around 8:30am, we started our journey for the day! We started our 10 mile day walking through town, wove our way along the ocean, found drinks and pastries in another town, and then walked through Caminha, Portugal. There, we caught water taxis to transport us across the border (Minho River) into Spain!

In Caminha, we caught water taxis to transport us across the border (Minho River) into Spain!

We finished the day hiking through some beautiful greenery to get to A Guarda, Spain. I spent most of the day walking solo, which I have found is much more relaxing than racing to keep up with my speedy family. I’m in no rush during these walking days. Our new slogan is “Everyone walks their own Camino” and I embrace that wholeheartedly.

Once in A Guarda, we had drinks and Italian food until it started to rain on our outdoor patio tables.

We checked into our hotel which is so far the hotel that most resembles a hotel in the US. We showered, relaxed, and eventually walked downhill to the ocean. We found another restaurant for dinner where we ordered approximately 10 appetizers, along with our meals. Palmer calls it “hiker hunger.”

We decided that tomorrow morning would be a late start so we stayed out later than normal. We walked along the pier as Dagny and Alastair attempted to catch various fish and crabs with their bare hands.

I’ve learned many things in the last 5 days on the Camino. I’ve learned how to coordinate the portering of our 6 bags each day. I’ve learned more about this part of the world. I’ve been reminded that I can do hard things and that it is rewarding to put myself into uncomfortable situations. 8 more days left!

Adelaide