A guest post by Marie-Anne Lerjen, a walking artist from Zurich (Switzerland). Her website is in German.
We walked a good long walk (24 kms) from Girona to Banyoles in Cataluña, setting off in a considerable heat (27 degrees) and finishing after dark. Here is Marie-Anne’s Sweat Mapping blog
It’s a quick but good listen on Soundcloud:
Featuring myself and many other walking artists from around the world who had congregated at the Art del Caminar conference.
Estella to Los Arcos to Logroño to Najera
Castrojerez to Frómista to Carrion into Palencia
Mazariffe – Astorga – Foncebadon
Foncebadon – Molinaseca – Pieros
Walking into Galicia Pieros to Viega del Valcarce
Saria to Portomarín to Palas de Rei
Palas de Rei – Ribadiso – O Pedrouzo
Monte Gozo – Santiago de Compostella
(the end of the road?)Finnisterre No, this is the end of the road world
Via de la Plata camino day 1 Seville to Guillena
Guillena to Castilblanco los Arroyos
Castilblanco de los Arroyos to Almaden
Almaden through El Real to Monasterio
Monasterio to Fuente de Cantos
Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros
Villafranca de los Barros to Torremejia
Casar de Caceres to Embalse de Alcantara
Embalse de Alcantara to Grimaldo
Galisteo (to Oliva de Plasencia) to Aldeanueva de Camino
Aldeanueva de Camino to Calzada de Behar
Calzada de Behar to Fuenteroble de Salvatierra
Fuenterroble de Salvatierra to Pedrosilla de las Aires
Pedrosilla de las Aires to Morille
Salamanca to Calzada de Valdunciel
Calzada de Valdunciel to El Cubo
El Cubo to Villanueva de Campean
Villanueva de Campean to Zamora
Santa Marta de Tera to Vilar de Barrio (coming soon!)
Vilar de Barrio to Xinzon to Ourense (again)
Xunqueria de Ambia – Vilar de Barrio
And the few days before that: Laxe – Castro Douzon – Cea – Ourense
The last few days, which I walked first going backwards from Santiago de Compostella – Outerio – Bandera – Laxe. In the direction of Seville (north to south)
Camino Portuguese da Costa – Days 3 and 4, September 21st – 22nd 2019.
20 kms from Porto; 24.95 kms to Esposende
It was in this cafe that I accepted a cap and guide book which belonged to a woman who I had been seeing at hostels along the way. I assumed I would see here agin and so took it with me for her. Guess what? I carried them to Santiago but never did see her.
Link to the municipal hostel in Esposende/Marinhas. The Albergue San Miguel is one of the hostels that you have to walk through the town and almost out the other side to reach. The building in front, nearest the main road, is not the hostel but the Red Cross centre (the 2 organisations are connected through the Marinhas council) and the people there are used to exhausted pilgrims trekking through by mistake!
Nearby, and within very easy earshot, was an annual festival venue with bands, demonstrations of rural activities such as threshing, and more food than you might have ever seen in one long hall. People flocked from far and wide to sit around long tables in large family groups and have a good time. It was not possible to sleep, so as they say, when you can’t beat em, join em!
I walked through Monte, Lugar de Cima, Outeiro, Barros Sao Fins, Santo Amaro, Estrada,
I am reliably informed that this plant is one of the food plants for the Monarch Butterfly, in Australia. They prefer this, and another alien, over the native milkweeds.
The way was made up of large boulders and unevenly sized stones, some wet. I went fast to keep up with the man in front which was exhilarating, but I wonder if this is where I twisted my ankle without quite noticing.
And then the heavens opened. Before I could find a place to stop and take my backpack off to cover it and myself (even though I had, minutes earlier, been immersed in cool waters), I was soaked through. It was torrential. And steep, uphill. At the top I sheltered in a bus stop and watched the rain running down in torrents. More and more pilgrims joined me in that tiny space. There was a mobile shop on the Green opposite, but it was a bar – alcohol only, no hot drinks.
Despite their appearance, I was assured that they would not be ripe for eating until December at least.
The way into Viana do Castelo is across the Limia via a long, metal bridge. The hikers share it with the vehicles, although there is a narrow shaft where we walked. I could see the water’s of the Lima River far below through the grid I walked on, each step clanging loudly. The width of one person, there was no possibility of stopping to rest and, as I was limping by this time I must have slowed because I was aware of a queue of others behind me, all having to go at my pace. I kept doggedly on with no choice.
I allowed myself to be persuaded to take an extra trip that evening despite my sore feet. What a mistake! Although the sights were inspiring, my physical health suffered and I paid for it for many weeks to come.
Designed by Miguel Ventura Terra, this church venerates St. Lucy of Syracuse.
I am indebted to the people on the houzz.com forum who have an immense wealth of knowledge about plants and are so willing to help.
Previous blog – days 1 and 2 Portuguese Camino Porto to Vila do Conde
Days 5 and 6 Viana do Castelo to La Guarda
If you have also walked the Portuguese Camino, did you stay in the same hostels as I did? Please feel free to share your experiences in a comment below.
Early November 2019 and there are lots of hikers on this most beautiful Fisherman’s Trail, the Rota Vicentina along the south western coast of Portugal.
At Cabo Sardao for example, I saw 11 in 5 minutes – in groups of 2, 5 and 4 – something I’m not used to when walking in remote areas alone. A single walker and a pair were spotted this morning on the beach at Zambujeira do Mar. Ranging from German to American, there are walkers’ gatherings in cafes and hostels at the end of each stage, exactly as you would expect on the Camino Frances in Spain.
The trail runs from Cabo San Vicente to Porto Covo, or vice versa and is 350 kms in total, each stage being around12 to 22 kms in length.
The Rota Vicentina consists of two major routes (GR), the Historical Way and the Fishermen’s Trail, which contain 24 circular routes totaling 740 km.
You can be creative in choosing your route – trying the whole or part of it – to suit you, your physical capacity, and time availability.
The two grand routes are divided into sections which are varied in length: between 11 and 33 km. If you were to complete all of the sections at the rate of one per day, you would need the same number of days to complete the Rota Vicentina.
Circular Routes are shorter, ranging from 4 to 16 km in length.
Ideally, you would prepare yourself before departure and take water and groceries with you for the day of walking, since not all sections visit places with coffee shops and / or grocery stores.
At most of the start and end of stage points, you will have no problem buying food. Check each village to see what they offer.
Both the Fishermen’s Trail and the Historical Way have clear signs in both directions.
Mostly by the sea, the Fishermen’s Trail travels along the paths used by the locals to access the beaches and fishing grounds. It’s a single track, walkable only on foot along the cliffs, with lots of sand, and it is therefore more physically demanding. It’s a challenge, but contact with the wind, the sea, the coastal landscape and the presence of a wild and persistent nature makes it worthwhile.
‘I booked it ahead, very easy as the accommodation is all on booking.com, but I didn’t need to. I got the details from the Rota Vicentina website which is very good, but there was more accommodation than was shown on the site and in most places you have a choice of near empty hotels.’ John Hayes
John Hayes Walks website, in English, with accounts of each day in Spring time.
Walking without a donkey 