Allyson Johnson

Pieces of my Mind

Archive for the category “Camino Portugues”

03 Nov 2026

Day 9 on the Camino – part 2: Disaster averted!

We continued on down the hill and followed a lovely shady woodland path along a babbling rock-strewn brook, the Rio Umia. The path is punctuated at intervals by a series of abandoned stone grist mills which were early users of hydropower. I lagged behind a bit and then strove to catch up; B, planning to resume his role as sweep, stepped aside, slipped on a wet rock, and landed in the creek. Miraculously, he bounced on his backpack, and leaped out of the water so fast that only one leg of his shorts was wet. (Obviously noone had a camera, but I looked over at the crucial moment and saw him soaring over the water – the drawing reflects what is pretty much seared into my mind.)

We shuddered to think of how badly he could have been hurt – head cracked, back broken, leg splintered – but no. One knee was a bit hyper-extended, and he walked slowly, but resolutely – there was no other option, as we were about at the midpoint of the natural path and the nearest civilization would have been up through the underbrush and who knows how far away?

Fortunately, the path was level and lovely up to our next stop, and we were able to enjoy a dinner al fresco outside our hotel

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27 Oct 2026

Day 9 on the Camino: Combarro to Ribadumia – Ups and downs – part 1

Scampered back to the apartment from the restaurant last night amid scattered rain and thunder bolts. Happily the host had advised Bob on what to do if the power went down so we were not left in the dark longer than it took him to find the fuse box.  So I packed my rain poncho today just in case.

We got a good early start today as we had to wheel our suitcases over 5 minutes of cobblestone streets to the luggage pickup station. We then found a bakery/coffee shop and settled into such a good breakfast that by the time we called for a taxi all were already commandeered. So we get to hang out with the Cafe wifi for an hour until the second wave. It’s a religious holiday today in this Catholic country (Pentecost,  Dory says, so that may explain the taxi shortage.

M had a brief panic this morning when my husband in an email wondered why we planned such a long hike between Ribadumia and Padron, and M realized she had omitted a stopover in lining up our luggage service. Fortunately, she was able to correct the mistake fairly easily thanks to B’s excellent Portuguese and her own excellent Spanish. I wish I had spent more time in advance of the trip remembering my Spanish.  However most people here speak Galation which is closer to Portuguese than to Castilian, so maybe it’s a moot point.

This section of the Variant Spirituelle includes the longest uphill climb. I read several accounts of how “we thought the trail would never end – up and up and up again- but when we finally reached the monastery at the top it was all worth it.” But remember, we are not doing penance on our Camino, and my sensible sister, rather than having us exhausted by the time we reached the high point of the path, simply called a taxi which took us along a scenic road directly to the destination in about twenty minutes. Brilliant!

The monastery is lovely, with moss-covered old stone walls, a beautiful chapel interior, and a gift shop. And we were full of energy to enjoy it.

This was definitely an UP! Tune in next week for the DOWN!

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29 Sep 2026

Day 7 on the Caminho – Evening in Pontevedra

We ambled out of our mid-town hotel looking for an evening meal, and found that Pontevedra was in the midst of hosting some sort of foot race event – it was particularly focused on women runners, and supported cancer survivors. Some of the early finishers were already receiving tumultuous welcomes as they crossed the finish line.

Hoping to avoid crowds of spectators, we found an outdoor restaurant in an out-of-the-way plaza, but by the time we were served our excellent meal, we discovered that our plaza was actually right on the race route. The leaders had already passed, but a number of women were still in the running. We could see a family watching from a neighboring fourth floor window; we also watched two little girls escorted by their father run up to their panting mother as she passed; the hugs exchanged were worth a winner’s ribbon, for sure!

Per M, my permanent-resident travel companion, there is something to celebrate every day in Portugal. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I was thrilled.

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15 Sep 2026

Day 7 on the Caminho – Valenca to Pontevedra

M’s counselors had recommended hopping around Tui to begin the “Spritual Variant” of the Camino just beyond Ponteverda. So instead of taking the pilgrim route across the International Bridge over the Rio Minho, we walked further downhill to the bus depot and hopped the bus to Yigo. The bus took us around the natural harbor at the mouth of the Minho.

B and M had familiarized themselves with the route on an earlier trip, so when the bus stopped at Vigo for a two-hour layover, we hopped off and into the Mega Mall adjoining the bus station.Quite a change from the cathedrals and chapels with their gilded icons and bleeding martyrs!

We found a burger bar with quick service and delicious burgers – we were all a bit tired of the standard lunch fare of Iberian ham and fresh cheese on a bun, even with the wonderful Galician bread.

From here we swept along the main road parallelling railroad tracks on one side and the Rio de Vigo on the other, avoiding the industrial town of Porrino. We come to rest in a three-star pilgim shelter, the Hotel Virgen de Camino, which we expected to find near the Plaza of the medieval center, but instead is located in the center of a bustling downtown. The rooms, as you see, were unpretentious, but comfortable, and the breakfast included was ample.

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08 Sep 2026

Day 6 on the Caminho: Rest Day in Valenca

Our hotel is just arund the corner from the Praca Republica. The day started off substantially. This is considered a “simple” breakfast in Valenca.

 Valenca is right on the border between Spain and Portugal. The Spanish city of Tui is a point where many pilgrims begin their trek – it is just over 100 km from Tui to Santiago, which is the minimum distance required to earn a certificate as a peregrino. Tui is full of interesting and lovely historic monuments, but M and I preferred to have a restful morning while D and B found their way across the International Bridge and came back with some additional photos and memories.

Instead of checking off one more cathedral in Tui, I spend the morning investigating the fortifications, museums, chapels, and shops of Valenca. There is a lot of tourist schlock to be found, but also some lovely pottery, embroidery, and other crafts, as well as the usual gilded altars, bloody crucifixes, and statues of saints.

From the old walls of the city, you can still peek out to a landscape that doesn’t seem to have changed much since the Valencans were warding off invading Gauls or the troops of Napoleon.

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25 Aug 2026

Day 5 on the Caminho: Rubaies to Valenca

Last segment in Portugal and just as lovely as the rest. Walking through rural villages, peering over walls to inspect blooming gardens, and the city of Valenca approaching.

After M had  been saying “Only 30 minutes to go ” for an hour and a half, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel from the Cafe where we were stopped for an ice cream break. It was all the way across the  city threading through the medieval gates in the  city wall and would  certainly have taken us at least an hour. 

 We stayed at one of the two hotels called Alojamento da Vila, this one with Golden added (Alogamento da Vila Golden).  It was the only time our luggage went astray (we used Top Santiago (www.topsantiago.com) because we didn’t include the last word on the label; but as they are two medieval blocks away from each other, not a big problem!  

This is a very nice hotel, excellent lounge area with free wine and snacks available as well as a good breakfast.  I would stay here again even if not on a walking holiday.  The city of Valenca is charming, worth a visit on its own. There is a cute dress shop just around the corner, several interesting craft stores, and a big public plaza with outdoor eateries.

Since our luggage is not here yet, I can’t take a shower (no clean clothes) or go for a walk (I have a small blister that needs treatment and I don’t want to put my boots back on). D has gone to see the city in her hiking gear while M and B go to retrieve our luggage.  

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21 Aug 2026

Day 4 on the Caminho (Cont.) Ponte de Lima to Rubaies

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Yes, we have been walking through vineyards and under shady grape trellises the past 2 days.

Beautiful views out over the vineyards of Galicia

This cross reassures us that we are on the Way. The path zig-zags down to the picturesque little church halfway down the hillside. At this point my toes are quite tired of being shoved into the front end of my hiking boots, so I delay to take a picture every chance I get. My super 5-toed sox did not get dry from last night’s washing and I had to wear my silk sock liners with wool sox dating back to my trek in Nepal fifteen years ago- so dated! D is heading down the path ahead.

Tomorrow I am going to lighten my pack by two punds by leaving my dop kit in my suitcase – M infected me with paranoia that the suitcases might get lost, but on today’s hike I begrudged every ounce. This was the steepest elevation over a boulder-strewn path – I was glad for my sticks but at some points I had to hand them to B and hug a tree to get around to the next portion. (The maintainers of the Way certainly do their best to maintain the authenticity of the experience!) At another point I tried to force myself up an unusually high step and with the pack on my back I almost overbalanced and fell backward.  I was VERY careful after that, leaving me trailing behind the other three with younger bones or less fear of falling.

Below – our first view of Valenca in the distance – we have a lot of valley to traverse before we get there~

We had made sandwiches from the breakfast offerings, plus fruit, so even though we were only “30 minutes ” from where Michele wanted to stop for lunch we took advantage of a bench and some rocks and picnicked. 

Further on we were delighted to find a little bit of California in Portugal – a drift of sunny California poppies!

Finally – arrival in Rubaies! Nice view out the window, two double beds with matelasse/embroidered coverlets, a shower with a tub so I can soak my weary feet (the blue nail is no worse)

We are to go down to meet B and M and share a glass of wine while we exchange photos – but since they have iPhones and D and I are of the Android persuasion I don’t expect much success.

We are to be picked up and transported to the best restaurant in town (probably the only restaurant in town) at 6:30 so I’ll have more to tell you when we return about 930 our time, 12:30 your time.

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11 Aug 2026

Day 3 on the Caminho Portuguese: Vittoria de Paies to Ponte de Lima

tarted off the day ust packing up for the next leg . I must confess, by he end of the first day of hiking I was grateful for a cozy bed, a dark room, and ibuprofen . Our lodging for the night did not include breakfast so we moseyed on down the road to a local pub, where some of the other customers drove up on tractors.

This was a much shorter day, eased also by the wonderful five-toed hiking sox that had been given to me by DM, and were highly recommended by some pilgrims on Day 2 who sympathized with our developing blisters. The 5-toed sox keep the toes from rubbing against each other, and the toenails you forgot to clip from slicing the neighboring toe, so all you have to deal with is the friction between your foot and your boots. We were heartened also by the many encouraging signs and markers we encountered on the way, including this stalwart pilgrim.

Ponte Lima was one of several towns along the way where we agreed we should have allowed more time. Our first view of the medieval bridge, still used for pedestrians to walk across the bridge, was only a hint of the interesting streets, shops, and historical markers waiting for us to explore.

In addition to the attractions of the town, M and B have two friends who have established residence in Ponte de Lima, and of course we shared dinner with them. M had hoped they would invite us to their home, a stone cottage which they had been renovating for awhile, but apparently the home is located an impractical distance from the town center and construction was ongoing so instead we met in a local bar on the other side of the medieval bridge from our hotel. On the way home, we were entranced by the lights outlining many of the features of the town, its church, and its bridge.

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21 Jul 2026
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Walking the Caminho Portuguese: First, the Plan

When my long-time travel companion DM (see “Nepal” and “France” tagged entries) suggested we should do another walking trip together, I hit on doing at least part of the Portuguese Way of the pilgrimage to San Juan Compostelo’s cathedral in Santiago, Spain. My sister M and her husband B are permanent residents of Porto, Portugal, a popular starting point for the Portuguese Way, and they immediately signed on with enthusiasm.

The average age of the foursome is over 75, and all agreed that they felt no need to earn a Compostela – a certificate affirming that the pilgrim has walked at least one hundred kilometers along the Camino. We were inspired only by the desire to travel together in a way that would enable us to enjoy the countryside of Portugal and Spain on a path largely inaccessible to tour buses. We did enjoy getting validation stamps on our pilgrim’s credentiales, as the restaurants and auberges along the way vied to offer the most interesting stamps.  But instead of tracking miles and steps, Michele consulted with experienced Camino walkers to identify the most interesting and most scenic stretches along the Portuguese Way, including one stretch on a boat up the Rio Ulla to Padron. The quartet began in Porto on May 18, and used trains, buses, and taxis as needed to finish their Camino in Santiago on May 30. 

Rather than work with a tour group, M booked accommodation each night through Bookings.com.  Accomodation varied from elegant hotels in Barcelos and Valenca to four twin beds in a single room in a tiny town between Padron and Santiago. M also arranged luggage transport from each accommodation, so the walkers had only to carry daily essentials (food, raingear, extra layers of warmth, and first aid materials) in our backpacks.

All four of us were fit, fairly experienced hikers, and well -equipped with hiking boots, walking sticks, comfortable backpacks, and broad-brimmed hats to fend off the Iberian sun. How well did that all work? Stay tuned for a day-by-day account!

Coming soon: Day One on the Caminho

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