Well blog fans, today we will probably not overwhelm you with too many gorgeous pics or historical sights. There are really no official “cross-overs” between the two main routes of the Camino Portuguese. We have loved the scenery on the Coastal route but now look forward to experiencing the antiquity and the ‘undulation ‘ of the true Camino Central route.
In order to accomplish this we essentially blazed our own trail and followed a west to east highway the entire 15-mile route to Ponte de Lima. Now you need to understand that the term “highway” here means a narrow, two-lane road, with few sidewalks and often times non-existent shoulders. Also, a couple things to point out: (1) Portuguese drivers are not at all phased by human bodies anywhere in front of them. (2) While the posted speed limit was 50 km/h (30 mph) the average speed in which we were passed was in excess of 65 mph., with little separation. So let’s just say it was a unique adventure!
The other challenge with creating your own route is that it is impossible to plan stops, since the location of restaurants, etc. are totally unknown and always seem to be incongruent with our schedule. Today, for instance, we had traveled over 7.5 miles by 11:45am and finally found a place to eat. But, as luck would have it, they did not open until 12:30pm. Marched on -with very tired feet- for another 2.5 miles – until an oasis cafe appeared! We arrived in Ponte de Lima about 4:00pm , showered, washed our clothes, scouted a dinner spot, and went to bed.
LIFE ON THE CAMINO😎
