Allyson Johnson

Pieces of my Mind

Archive for the tag “women trekkers”

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.

Posted in bus travel, Camino Portugues, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , | Leave a comment
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.

Posted in Camino Portugues, Freeway Free, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , | Leave a comment
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.  

Posted in Camino Portugues, Freeway Free, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
21 Aug 2026

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

\

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.

Posted in Camino Portugues, Elderly travellers, Freeway Free, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
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.

Posted in Camino Portugues, Freeway Free, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
04 Aug 2026

Day 2 on the Caminho – Barcelos to Vittorino de Paies

We woke up for our first day of walking to meet a drizzly morning. We were undaunted – each of us was equipped one way or another with rain gear – DM had a voluminous poncho which was parr of the swag from one of her cruises, I had my lightweight hooded gown courtesy of a Maid of the Mist tour at Niagara Falls, M and B had more elegant fitted jackets and backpack covers. D even unfurled her umbrella, but the rest of us decided to keep our hands free.

One of the few miscalculations M made in her planning was to have us start off with one of the longest hikes, Barcelos to Vitorino dos Paies. We started off through the center of Barcelos, which we had explored the evening before, spent some time in the suburbs, and finally reached open country. (M agreed later that we could easily have hopped a taxi and skipped the suburbs, though if you want to learn a country the suburbs count too.)

Along the way there were plenty of accomodations for pilgrims. We learned to be alert for the scallop shells in the pavement or bright blue and gold signs, whether to announce a meal opportunity or sanitary facilities.

After seven miles, (broken by lunch and snack breaks) we limped into Postela ready to sit and soak our feet. Despite two layers of socks I still had a blister forming on my left big toe and the toenails on both my little toes were turning blue.

Posted in Elderly travellers, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
28 Jul 2026

Day One on the Caminho Portuguese- Porto to Barcelos

At Porto, the Caminho starts in front of the cathedral, looking out over the city. Here is where you pick up your empty Camino passport – filled with stamps from businesses along the way it might earn you a certification as a true peregrina. The symbol on the pylon is the official stylized scallop shell logo of the Pilgrimage. The arrow, of course, points the route, and within the small oval is the number of kilometers you have between you and your goal in Santiago. From one of many vendors about the place, you can purchase an actual scallop shell to hang on your backpack to let everyone know you are on the Way.

Following the advice of a Caminho Whisperer whom Michele consulted, we are taking the train through the industrial outskirts of Porto, and beginning our walk in Barcelos, a charming town about fifty kilometers along the way.

We are staying just across the river from the medieval walls and chapel of Barcelos, at the Top ‘Otel. This is a modern, sleek, brightly colored inn, whose only defect is a lack of elevators to carry us to our rooms on the top floor.

Barcelos is famous for its roosters, based on a legendary appearance of Saint James in support of a pilgrim falsely accused of theft and sentenced to hang. A medieval cross within the castle grounds illustrates the miracle.

The condemned man cries out to his judge who is eating a dinner of roasted chicken “As sure as I am innocent, that cock will rise and crow if I am hanged!” To everyone’s shock, the roasted cockerel did rise and crow, the judge rushed to the gallows and found that the pilgrim, though hanging, was not strangled: Saint James had appeared and supported his feet.

The man was cut down, the judge apologized, and the rooster became the symbol not only of Barcelos, but also of Portugal.

Posted in Freeway Free, Memoir, Portugal, Travel and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
21 Jul 2026
2 Comments

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

Posted in Camino Portugues, Freeway Free, Portugal and tagged , , ,
23 Aug 2022

Tiny Trailer Travel 2 in 2022 – Day 3: Stayin’Alive up the 5

After the heat of our second day, the cool of the next morning at Schroeder County Park finds me up early. I find a small hotel soap cake in my dop kit and take a shower, even washing my hair with the soap.  Feels wonderful.  M wakes, sees my wet hair, and follows my example. Breakfast again of strawberries, blueberries, granola, yogurt.  We both feel great.  What could be nicer, with the river sparkling, the air fresh, and the heat wave broken!

Locked, loaded, and leaving by 10 ,  we are proud of the improvement in our getaway time. We think we have an easy 3.5 hour drive up to our brother’s house straight up I-5 in Washington state, so we are open to a scenic detour. M calls friend in Corvallis to invite them to meet us in Corvallis’s central park for lunch – M is eager to show her old haunts, and the detour would be pretty.  but the friends are on their way from Corvallis down to Winters along with another couple that M knows well, and are on I-5 headed the other way.  We rendezvous at a Wendy’s in Eugene and the five friends are soon in full catchup mode, with lots of exclaiming, explaining, and suggesting.  I feel like a hat rack, but it’s ok.  I use the loo.

On our way again.  We stop for lunch at another rest stop.  We stop for gas and check the GPS. Hmmm.  What was a 3.5 hour drive at 10 AM is now, at 2, after driving 2 hours all told, still a 3.5 hour drive.  What had been a clear blue shot through Portland is now blood red.

It takes us two hours to get through Portland. We are delayed a bit by M’s fear of the electric connection coming loose again, so we pull off on Swan Island, home of rail yards, lovely homes, and lot of homeless encampments. Vagrancy and loitering used to be crimes, but certainly there should be a better alternative to jail time than these ugly shambles.

A homeless campsite on Swan Island’s Lindbergh’s Beach. (KATU)

Once we clear the Columbia it’s an easy half-hour to Kid Brother’s house. We get a warm welcome, a bedroom for each of us and a tour of the latest quilts, wall hangings, glitter dot pix, and other crafty things which KB’s wife has put together since our last visit. .the fully de-frosted salmon in our cooler provides the centerpiece for a fine meal, with side dishes from KBW’s well-stocked fridge, and wine from KB’s well-stocked cellar.

KB plans to retire in March of 2023, and he and WBW are planning some long long trips in their long long trailer. There are sights to see north of the border, relatives to visit in Idaho and Montana and Texas and California. When vagrancy comes packaged in a 30-foot trailer, it becomes a lot more glamourous.

Posted in Memoir, Oregon, Travel and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
16 Aug 2022
3 Comments

Tiny Teardrop Trailer Travel 2 – Day 2

Up by eight in our RV Resort near Castle Crags, hoping to beat the heat on a hike up to a waterfall and scenic viewing platform touted as not to be missed on the Camp brochure.  Turns out the trailhead is up the highway a bit, so we lock and load, out by 10:30.  We locate the trailhead, but the parking lot is already full of earlier birds than us, and there is no easy spot for the trailer, so we forego, and head up I-5 for Oregon

We stop in Ashland and lunch with M’s college roommate and her partner. Allison is a retired lawyer and her partner Madge is a retired CPA.  They live in a craftsman bungalow remodeled tastefully and surrounded by a lush garden of fruit and flowers and art objects, a dream of retirement come true.  The conversation is focused on the artistic life of Ashland, the lively drama scene and how it accommodated to the pandemic, and the advantages of bungalow life vs condo life.

Three of us decide to walk to Hither, a cute-as-can-be brunch/lunch spot about a 10 block walk away – the dog needs exercise and so do we. It is HOT.  The trip there is downhill, and we are in no hurry. I stop often to admire some interesting old house or flowers or pretty art thingy, but by the time we get to Hither’s shady outdoor patio we are ready for iced tea/beer/iced coffee. They are out of avocado toast, but herbed scrambled eggs are delicious.

The walk back is even hotter. And more uphill.  We pick the shadier sides of the street, and don’t stop as often.  M and I are sweltering by the time we get back to the house.  Maybe Ashland is not the perfect retirement paradise after all. We worry about the next few days, with 100 degree temps also predicted for our destination.

Brief goodbye’s and on our way again in our air-conditioned cocoon, which we now appreciate even more.  We stop for gas.  Still hot.  We look for the closest Baskin-Robbins. Tucked around a corner we find it after cruising the hot asphalt parking lot from one end to the other.  Thank goodness for the walking option on GPS!  Mint chocolate chip, very berry strawberry, and triple mango swirl do a lot for our attitudes.

And much cooler weather as we arrive at familiar-from-last-trip Schroeder County Park west of Grant’s Pass does even more.  We set up painlessly, put our camp chairs at the edge of a rise which wafts a cool breeze directly up from the river, and relax. Later we go down to the river and wade again, waving at rafters and kayakers as they pass. Then we bring out wine, hummus, cheese, crackers, and veggies to dip, and by the time we have nearly finished the wine we realize we don’t really need to cook dinner.  Bed and books look good.

Posted in California, Freeway Free, Memoir, Oregon, Travel and tagged , , ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries