Saturday, May 11, 2013 -- Padrón to Santiago de Compostela

Well I guess it is time to finish up these postings on my Camino that I took in May.  I’m sorry for not writing more often but I no longer seem to feel up to the task of keeping The Baguette going on a regular basis.  I wish I knew why but I can’t figure it out myself—it has nothing to do with the material but perhaps I’ve been spending too much time writing about things that few people are really interested in.  Maybe I should just try posting very small articles with very little text.  In retrospect, I think I only started this blog because I thought it would be nice to look back on my many adventures someday in the future.  I guess only time will tell if that was a good idea.  Anyway…  Woke up early to several people in the room of the albergue snoring loudly.  What actually woke most of us up during the night was a dog barking very loudly near one of the windows.  It took most of us very little time to get ready in the morning and some of us but we all wanted to make this last stage in the Camino a meaningful one by starting off together as a group and so none of us headed out without the others.  Walking out of Padrón took us past the Colegiata de Santa María de Iria Flavia, the first cathedral in Galicia dating from Medieval times.  Ransacked in 997, it was later reconstructed and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  The adjacent cemetery is where Rosalia de Castro was buried, according to her wishes, in 1885.  Although her body was later removed and interred in the Pantheon in Santo Domingo de Bonaval in Santiago, her gravestone still remains along the wall adjoining the main road.  Despite this being the last day on the Camino, everyone seems a bit reserved and quiet.  Perhaps we are all a bit tired of not sleeping well.  Perhaps we are all beginning to realize that our hike is coming to an end and we won’t be able to enjoy one another’s company for much longer.  Personally, I think some spiritual guidance has been missing from this trip—it just doesn’t feel like the Camino we all did last year.  That’s not to say we are all unhappy with the Camino experience—it’s just that there seems to be a different feeling this time around, a feeling that although we’ve conquered the bad roads and uncomfortable lodgings, the “joy” in accomplishment has yet to hit us full on.  Of course I could be wrong but that’s the general sense I have.  The number of horreos has also increased since we entered Spain a few days ago.  Now, every time I see one I count it like the the Sesame Street Count: “One horreo !  Mwhaa haa haa! Two horreo!  Mwhaa haa haa!”  I think I ended up with a total of seventeen.  It didn’t take long and we found ourselves walking along a busy road that led into the town of A Escravitude.  We stopped at a café that was absolutely deserted in order to have our regular cup of café con leche and a ham and egg sandwich.  The owner was quite happy to oblige but for some reason, he took FOREVER to serve our drinks and even longer to get our sandwiches ready.  It wasn’t until later we found out that he was waiting for his wife to arrive so she could cook for us.  While we waited we watched a program on his Hi-Def television about what it is like to walk the Camino in winter.  It was quite fascinating and full of extraordinary images—the kind of documentary you wish you could purchase on DVD but sadly do not exist in any of the souvenir shops in Santiago.  After leaving, we explored the nearby shrine and church built over a fountain, site of a miracle that took place in 1732.  Picking up the pace on this beautiful Saturday morning, we found ourselves passing more horreos and wayside crosses marking the pilgrim path into Santiago.  In the small village of Teo we came across one of the oldest wayside crosses in Galicia called the cruceiro do Francos.  It was here that some of us decided to stop and have our photo taken in front of the 10km marker just before crossing the rio Tinto.  From here on there was a section of road that was not paved over and we welcomed it under our weary feet.  The scenery was quite amazing with old farms on every side and colourful bushes everywhere ablaze with yellow blooms.  We all stopped at the Agro dos Monteiros, the high point of the Camino Portugués, to take our first look at Santiago in the distance.  It was a good feeling to see our final destination just within reach.  Before long we were making our way through the busy streets of Santiago heading directly to the cathedral and the shell marker in the center of Praza Obradoiro—the photo ending of our long walk—five sets of feet of five good friends who despite all odds, made it to Portugal and Spain just to walk with one another’s company once again.  Although our arrival in Santiago wasn’t as uplifting and joyous as our first time last year, I am certain we all felt a great deal of relief that the journey was now behind us and that we could spend the next few days in Santiago doing some of the things that we failed to do last year.  As for this moment, I think we all wanted to just sit and relax and take it all in.  The Praza Obradoiro was full of pilgrims arriving from all corners of the country—mostly from the Camino Frances.  Instead of heading to the Pilgrim Office to collect our Compostela we walked across town to the Seminario Menor where Santiago has its largest albergue and checked ourselves in.  Charly was the only one staying somewhere else—he booked a room in the city center and planned on staying in Santiago in a bit more style than the rest of us.  The albergue is a former seminary which not only has communal areas where pilgrims sleep in beds crowded next to one another but it also has individual rooms for the small price of 15 Euros per night.  Not a bad investment if you are looking for a quiet room to catch up on a few Zs after many sleepless nights in other cities.  Plus, many of the wings surround elegant boxwood gardens.  Once we all settled in, it was time to go back into town and have ourselves some lunch.  We found a cozy table in a small café across from the Fonseca Collegia and had several cups of coffee and multiple slices of tarte de Santiago.  I guess we could have spent the rest of the afternoon exploring town but we all thought it would be a good idea to head to the Pilgrim Office and get our Compostela.  Once we did that, we went to a grocery store and bought a few beers and some snacks to take with us to the Praza Obradoiro where we sat on the ground the rest of the day gazing up at the cathedral and watching other pilgrims arrive.  It was a relaxing way to spend the day.  The traditional pilgrim rituals could wait until tomorrow.  For now, we were all grateful for our arrival.  For dinner we headed to a restaurant that we really liked from last year's Camino called the Restaurante Central.  Just like the other restaurants in town, the many varieties of seafood are displayed in large windows that open up to the street.  It makes for an interesting menu to say the least.  Once again, the Restaurante Central was absolutely delicious.  Some of the dishes that we had were Caldo Galego soup, huge plates of paella, tuna salads, pulpo, squid and chicken with fries.  The best part was that the price was right and we were able to fill our bellies.

Thursday, May 9, 2013 -- Pontevedra to Caldas da ReisWe left town at around 07h00 and had a very nice walk over the Puente del Burgo and through the deserted town of Santa Maria de Alba.  We passed quite a few interesting old hórreos along the way.  In San Amaro, we took a break at the Cafe Don Pulpo and got our pilgrim passports stamped.  I went over to another bar in town and got their stamp as well but it took up four spaces on my credencial.  I thought I was catching up with everyone but I actually got myself lost for about 20 mintues.  I was fine with that since I was enjoying the beautiful countryside.  The fields were either overcome with bright yellow flowers or lush with green vineyards.  Near a small town called Tivo I came across the 50km marker and used the timer on  my camera to get these photos.  I was the last of our group to reach Caldas da Reis.  This is the first place you see before entering the town.  It is called the Igreja de Santa María.  Caldas da Reis is famous for its thermal waters.  Today, the town still benefits from its waters as a major health spa.  This is just one of the free thermal fountains in the town.  Many pilgrims like to stop and soak their feet here--we just stopped long enough to see how hot it was.  Everyone was waiting at the Cafe Thermas across the bridge.  A nice old lady on the street saw that we were having some problems finding our hotel and attempted to show us the way.  We thought she was very funny because it was obvious that we couldn't speak her language but she felt compelled to talk to us as if we understood.  Once again, we called ahead to make reservations at a place called the Hotel Lotus.  At 15 Euros per person, the accomodations were very comfortable.  The toilet in our room was not working but I played around with the handle and finally got it to flush.  I was also pretty tired so I took a nap.  About an hour later, the others woke me up and I joined them to explore the town.  This is the main church in the city called the Igreja de Santo Tomás Becket.  It was built in 1890 from the stone salvaged from the medieval castle where Alphonso VII was born.  It seemd to me to be the most active part of the city because there were many people hanging out in cafes around the palm-covered park.  After some window shopping at the Chinese Bazaar we all went back to the Cafe Thermas and ate pulpo and drank a few beers.  Later that evening we found a restaurant that served a pilgrim meal for only 8 Euros.  Charly, Tommy and I found this outdoor spa later int he evening and took some time to soak our feet.  The 40 degree water was so soothing I could have stayed in all night.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 -- Valença to Redondela

It wasn’t yet raining and I desperately wanted to arrive in Tui, across the bridge separating Portugal from Spain before the skies opened up. I don’t think this was on the minds of my other companions as they were not ready to go when I was. The only other people ready to head out this morning were Charly and Tommy. Charly was ahead of everyone the entire day and I’m sure he had the right idea leaving so early since there was going to be a time change once we entered Spain and the distance we were supposed to travel today was exceedingly long. Tommy and I left a few minutes after Charly and took the alternative route through Valença promising everyone that we would wait for them on the bridge so we could cross together. It’s a shame the weather wasn’t more accommodating because Valença was such a beautiful town and I would have liked to spend some more time there wandering around. As it was, I still got a pretty good look at the city since it was early in the morning and there were no tourists crowding the cobblestone streets. Valença is surrounded by the ramparts and ruins of massive walls called the Fortaleza which is a 17th century fort built on top of two small hills and formed by two polygons. There are many places to visit within the city walls including the tiny Capela de São Sebastião. This is the Capela do Bom Jesus with the statue of Teotónio (Portugal’s first saint) in front. I was most impressed by the buildings that were covered in azulejos as well as the window and balcony decorations that were still up from the May Day celebrations. It is customary for people to decorate their homes with wildflowers on the first of May but it seems that some people like to take it to extremes as this floral-patterned butterfly attests. This is the 12th century Romanesque church of Santa Maria dos Anjos. Beyond it is the Baluarte do Socorro with its cannons facing Spain. From here there is a wonderful view over the Minho and in the distance, the Spanish city of Tui. Before crossing the Valença International Bridge, Tommy and I waited for the others. Of course, it began pouring down rain and we had to wait for it to stop before crossing. On the other side we all changed our watches to Spanish time and walked to the Catedral de Santa Maria de Tui in order to have our credencials stamped. The cathedral is from the 12th century and has a very ornate interior. I wanted to take some photos but there was a guy running around telling people that they were not allowed. I did manage to get this picture in the chapel dedicated to Santiago Matamoros. I was interested in visiting the treasury and the (reputedly) only remaining example of a medieval cathedral cloister in Galicia but I didn’t want to dish out five Euros. Besides, it was almost 10h00 and we had so many kilometres yet to walk. The cathedral is mostly known for its Gothic façade which dates from 1225 and was created by French stonemasons. Its sculptures depict scenes from the life of Christ and the life of the Virgin. Leaving town, we had to walk the Rua das Monxas or Nun’s Way past the Convento de Clarisas with its huge walls and grilled windows enclosing the order of nuns of St. Clare. Further on was the 14th century church of Santo Domingo. Like most places in Spain, you have to pay 1 Euro to have the lights illuminate the altars and of course, the machine ate my coin. While the others continued walking without me, I decided to explore the gardens behind the church. From here there was another stunning view over the Minho River. This is the 11th century Romanesque monastic church of San Bartoloméu de Rebordáns. I wanted to take a photograph of the very old fresco painting in the apse but a very angry lady stopped me before I had the chance to focus my camera. From here one leaves the town past the pilgrim statue and crosses the Ponte da Veiga over the rio Louro. The ancient Via Romana XIX winds through here and crosses over the new motorway. The rain began to pour again and I slowly made my way down the highway wondering if I was ever going to meet up again with my friends. This is the Cruceiro San Telmo with a cross marking the mournful spot where San Telmo (Blessed Peter González ) fell sick and died of a fever in 1251 on his way back from a pilgrimage to Santiago. I think it was around here that I started counting hórreos. These agricultural constructions are used to dry, cure and store corn and other cereals. They are quite unique to Galicia and consist of an oblong storage chamber with narrow spaces on the sides to allow air to pass through. They are raised off the ground to keep out small animals. The path is quite scenic for about five kilometres but before long the way leads to Porriño with its huge industrial park that one must traverse for more than six kilometres—it is truly one of the most awful places along the Camino Portugués—soulless and unsightly. I must have walked what seemed a lifetime while cars and trucks spewing carbon monoxide fumes drove past honking their horns or trying to run me down. From here on in there was absolutely nothing of interest to see along the camino. I caught up with Frank and we walked together in the hope that we would eventually catch up with Tommy and Andreas who were somewhere ahead of us. At this point, I lost all hope of ever reaching Redondela. This is the Capela da Virxe da Guía somewhere along the road going through Porriño. After a few wrong turns, we stopped at a bakery and bought some cookies that we planned on sharing with the others once we caught up with them. Once we reached the Casa Consistorial, the ornately decorated town hall built in 1924 and designed by Antonio Palacio (the statue in front of the building), we got a phone call from the others asking us to find a taxi and pick them up. I guess there was no way in hell we were going to finish the next 12 kilometers to Redondela on foot—we were all so tired and the chances of finding a bed at the albergue were quite slim. Apparently, even in May the beds fill up fast since accommodation in Redondela is questionable. I would have felt guilty for taking a taxi but this wasn’t like my camino last year where I insisted on doing everything by the book and walking every inch of the way. Not far from the Fonte do Cristo we hopped a taxi and used our few words of Spanish to tell him that we wanted him to pick up our friends and drive us all the way to Redondela. It was a tight fit but we all managed to fit inside. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING good to say about Redondela except that it has roads that lead OUT of it—this way you can leave if you want to. My God, did I want to!!! Redondela is a dump without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. There is nothing to see and nowhere to eat a nice meal. Once we reached the albergue, Tommy went inside to secure our beds but was turned away since they were already full. Fortunately, our guidebook said there was another place we could try called the Albergue el Camino. Once we found it, we had to call the owner and see if he could let us in. He said that he had some beds left but that we had to wait until he arrived before we could rest our weary bones. While we were sitting in the stairwell waiting for him to arrive, another group of pilgrims arrived and they insisted on letting them pass by so they could get to their room. I was in no mood to argue with them but Frank wasn’t about to let them skirt the rules and told them that they had to wait just like everyone else. Of course a huge argument ensued and I was afraid that fists were going to start flying. I must say that Frank was in the right but I think we made an enemy and staying in the same albergue wasn’t going to make our night enjoyable. The rooms were cramped with barely any room between bunks to store our belongings or to even move around but we were all pretty happy that we could stay together in one room. Charly finally arrived (doing the entire distance on his own by foot) around 18h30. Once I had my shower, I collected everyone’s dirty clothes and sought out a laundromat. The lady was nice enough to do our clothes but I would have to come back and pick everything up later in the evening. I was pretty disappointed when one of my shirts came back covered in rust stains. As we were leaving the albergue to find a place to eat, we came across a guy from Lithuania travelling on bicycle who was trying to find a place to stay the night. It seems our albergue was now full and the only option left to him was to find a fire station or gymnasium. I hope that he found something! Finding a place to eat was a complete nightmare. The town is full of cafes and bars but none of them served inexpensive pilgrim meals. We did find an Italian restaurant but the hostess refused to let us all sit together at one large table. There was no one in the entire place so we started to put tables together but this only upset her even more. At this point, I wasn’t about to sit and have some pushy, impolite waitress (who obviously didn’t want our business) to ruin my meal. We all agreed to leave and find something else. After some thought, I guess she had every reason to be uptight. When you go to any other country, you need to conform to their unwritten rules of restaurant behaviour. Here we were rearranging tables and chairs to suit our needs. What a terrible day. What a terrible evening. What a terrible town…everyone’s feathers were a bit ruffled I guess. We ended up eating slop from a menu that none of us could interpret. Even the waiter was clueless. He showed us that we could order hamburgers and fries but when we got our plates we did not have anything resembling a hamburger. After we ate, we found a place to have a few drinks then Tommy and I went back to the room while the others decided to hit the town and find some more places to drink. Our room had three new pilgrims who weren’t there when we left for dinner and they were all wet from biking in the rain. They snored all night long. Stay away from Redondela if you ever plan on walking the Camino Portugués. Without any regrets, I am warning future pilgrims of this unsightly and ungodly horror NOW.  This place is the armpit of Spain—something they should truly be ashamed of in every way. Most people would say that if I couldn’t say anything nice, I shouldn’t say it at all but that would mean that future pilgrims reading this would not be completely informed about what they are getting themselves into. If just one person heeds my warnings about how truly awful Redondela is, then I’ve done my duty.

Sunday, May 5, 2013 -- Tamel S. Pedro Fins to Ponte de Lima

I started walking with Andreas and Frank this morning but I parted ways with them at the Ponte das Tábuas along one of the most awful parts of the Camino path in order to visit the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida in Balugães.  On August 15 each year, there is a pilgrimage to this shrine where a miracle happened in 1702 and a young shepherd who was deaf and dumb regained his hearing and speech after an appearance of the Virgin.  A chapel was built on the spot where she appeared and according to tradition, if you want to wash your sins away forever, all you need to do is climb through the narrow tunnel left beneath the chapel.  Better said than done since both sides of the tunnel were fenced off and locked; I was able to stick my camera inside the metal railing and grab a photograph but I’m not sure what I was supposed to see.  Walking around the property, I was pleased to find several water fountains to fill up my drinking bottles before heading out of town to rejoin my comrades.  There were no arrows showing me how to get back to the pilgrim path and the directions in my guidebook were practically in Japanese so I just kept walking in the direction that I “thought” I should go until I reached (completely by chance) the old Romanesque church of Balugães.  The waymarked route opened up to me there and led through a small woodland of pine trees before reaching the Capela São Sebastião near Lugar do Corgo.  I heard the bells ringing for Mass at the church in Vitorino dos Piâes and walked through the busy parking lot filling with church goers.  I wanted to stay and attend but I wasn’t sure how much that would put me back so I just explored the local cemetery and the interesting collection of carvings and sarcophagi in the forecourt of the church before moving on.  The pilgrim path is just awful.  If it isn’t mud and rocks then it is bumpy cobblestones or asphalt.  It’s hard to complain when surrounded by such nice scenery as eucalyptus trees, vineyards, orchards and fields of drying hay.  Still, I was very hungry and unsure if my companions were ahead of me or somewhere behind.  I ended up stopping at a restaurant called the Café Lotus in Seara where I sent a text asking them where they were.  Since they were not far behind I just sat down and ordered a beer and a sandwich.  This is a busy place with not only thirsty and hungry pilgrims but many locals who crowd around the bar and try to outdo one another by seeing who can talk the loudest.  Such a noisy bunch !  When the rest of my group showed up we each had a beer before heading out once again for Ponte de Lima.  The remainder of the pilgrim path winds its way through small farming communities and hamlets such as Pedrosa with its famous Cruceiro erected in 1636.  This is the medieval Ponte de Barros which crosses the Rio Trovela just before reaching the Capela da Sra. Das Neves outside of Ponte de Lima.  The farms along the way were all so nice with their fields rich with green grains and hanging grapevines.  There was a spring in my step after lunch and I found myself walking a lot faster than the others.  Nearing the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia just before Ponte de Lima, I came across several pilgrims who were walking in the opposite direction.  When I asked them where they were going, they told me that they had already been to the albergue in town and it wasn’t going to open for pilgrims until 17h00.  They didn’t want to wait around all day so they were going to the youth hostel where they could get a bed, a shower and wash some clothes.  In hindsight, I should have done the same thing since I really needed to do some laundry and I really needed the sun to dry everything.  In a bit of a quandary, I just sat on the steps to the Igreja de S. Francisco e S. António dos Capuchos, a 16th century church turned museum called Museu dos Terceiros with its impressive baroque façade.  Although I wanted to go inside, I feared that my friends would pass me by so I decided to wait and go inside later (I never did).  Once they showed up, we walked together into a very crowded town filled with visitors.  We asked if there was something special going on like a fair or a festival but we were told that it was just a normal, busy weekend.  Many of the main sites and buildings of interest are clustered around the town center and were easy to visit on our way in before crossing the medieval bridge to the new albergue.  This is the Monumento às Feiras Novas (the new fairs), a tribute to the ethnographic history of the local people who were given royal provision by king Peter IV of Portugal to hold a large fair here every September.  To the left, looking across the Rio Lima, is a legion of Roman soldiers a reminder to everyone that Ponte de Lima was historically significant as a Roman settlement along the road from Braga to Santiago de Compostela and Lugo.  This is the Torre da Cadeia Velha, a 14th century prison tower which now houses a public library.  Behind it is an evocative 18th century statue of a local woman carrying a water jar called the Estatueta uma Cantareira.  This is the Igreja Matriz, a 15th century parish church.  Since we had so much time on our hands, we stopped at an outdoor café called the Restaurante Parisiense to drink some coffee and watch the tourists walk by.  This is the Torre de S. Paulo, part of the original 14th century defensive walls of the town.  Occupying the center of the main square is a beautiful fountain called the Chafariz built 1603.  It is surrounded by many pleasant cafes and restaurants--a great place to hang out if you want to watch people.  We decided that we would come back later in the evening and have a few drinks.  The medieval stone bridge was rebuilt in 1368 on Roman foundations.  This handsome bridge is 300 meters long and only 4 meters wide forming a pedestrian link between the busy side of town and the quieter northern quarter.  We had so much time before the albergue opened up we decided to spend the afternoon lying on the grass in the Jardims Temáticos, a beautiful arrangement of small themed gardens nestled just behind the albergue and the nearby Capela de S. António da Torre Velha.  Tommy found a bar nearby and bought several bottles of beer which we drank while waiting for the albergue to open its doors.  We were the first ones in line to get our beds when the albergue finally opened but it took almost an hour to sign in as the check-in process was exceptionally slow.The volunteer hospitalero took so much unnecessary time and unimportant information from each of us that by the time we got to our beds and took our showers, it was already past 18h00.  I wanted to spend whatever amount of daylight that was left exploring the town so I headed off without everyone else and told them I would meet them on the bridge when they were ready to go to dinner.  This is the Capela do Anjo da Guarda or outdoor chapel of the Guardian Angel which sits beside the Lima River.  This is the statue of Dona Teresa holding out a scroll of paper (Carta de Foral) which is meant to be the town charter given on March 4, 1125, officially making Ponte de Lima the oldest chartered town in Portugal.  I must say that Ponte de Lima is one of the most delightful places I’ve had the pleasure of visiting along the Camino.  It is rich with beautiful old buildings and maintains a sleepy medieval atmosphere.  Palácio dos Marqueses de Ponte de Lima  This is just another church located along the river called the Igreja de São João Baptista.  I met the others sometime around 19h00 on the bridge and we all headed to a restaurant called Gaio where we all had the pilgrim menu for only 7 Euros.  Afterward, we went to the town square and had a few drinks in a small café.  By this time, it was getting dark and the tourists had all left for the day.  It was a perfect opportunity to get some nice photos of the sunset and more statues dedicated to the local peasant farmers.  In front of the Torre de Cadeia, our shadows stretched long and we thought this would make a nice photo opportunity.  I think if I ever do the Camino again, I’d like to spend a lot more time in Ponte de Lima.  I never did get to visit the museum or go inside some of the old buildings.  Oh well, that’s just how it goes sometimes along the Camino—you don’t get to see everything despite your best intentions. 

Friday, May 3, 2013 -- Lavra to Sâo Pedro de Rates

I think all of us slept very well last night.  Tommy was nice enough to go into the village and buy all of us croissants for breakfast.  It’s always good to have something to eat before hiking.  Together, we continued walking the coastal route past a spot along the beach called São Paio where we all stopped to remove some layers of clothing and take a small break before going on.  I wasn’t in the mood to just sit around after barely getting started so I left before everyone else and stopped briefly near the Capela de São Paio to see if I could find anything relating to the Iron Age settlement that my guidebook said would be here.  I didn’t see anything.  The others caught up with me in the fishing town of Vila Chã where we stopped to have some coffee.  Just beside the café was the community lavoir with several women doing laundry by hand and exchanging gossip.  After walking several hours through roads that led through dunes and marshes of Mindelo, I finally reached the town just before Vila do Conde called Azurara where I came to a church called Igreja de Santa Maria de Azurara.  I wanted to go inside but the doors were closes so I started to walk around the exterior until I saw an elderyl  lady with two buckets of flowers unlocking the doors.  I asked her if I could come inside and she graciously took me by the hand and led me around the interior of the church.  At nearly every side chapel she would stop and point, speaking to me in Portuguese about what I was seeing and giving me the names of several religious statues.  I didn’t understand much at all but she kept talking anyway.  Eventually, I left the church and the old lady wished me a “Bom Caminho” (the traditional Portuguese greeting and farewell to Camino pilgrims).  From one side of the River Ave before crossing the bridge into town, one is greeted by the imposing walls of the huge convent of Santa Clara, one of the biggest and richest convents in Portugal, founded in 1318, by Afonso Sanches and his wife, Teresa Martins.  The views entering the city are so breath-taking that I almost failed to see my friends who were waving at me to come and sit with them at a nice restaurant on the village square called Le Villageois.  I had fish soup and a smoked tuna salad.  While the others left Vila do Conde without exploring, I decided to stay and have a good look around.  The park along the river is shaded with trees and lined with monuments to the city’s past like this one called Rendilheira, a tribute to the town’s lace making history.  The medieval part of town is famous for its 17th century Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro and its white dome implanted on a rocky escarpment over the Ave River and overlooking the harbour.  The interior is quite small with a square plan and covered in 18th century azulejos which show the life of Christ.  In the nearby park is a replica of a sixteenth century Portuguese sailing ship, a tribute to the carpenters and master naval builders who contributed throughout the centuries toward placing Vila do Conde on the map.  This is another park along the river called the Praça D. João II.  At the top of the hill leaving the town is the Convento de Santa Clara with its imposing church.  Beside it are the remains of the Aqueducto de Vila do Conde -- initially constructed between 1705 and 1714, it had 999 arches and ran for four kilometres.  It is the second longest in Portugal, connecting a spring in Terroso, Póvoa de Varzim, with a fountain inside the Convento.  The way out of town was very hot (I had very little drinking water left, and nowhere to fill up my canteen) and along asphalt or cobblestone streets which were just awful on my feet.  Nearly a third of the Camino Portugués is along roadways like this while another third are on extremely dangerous, uneven and rocky paths.  (On a personal note, I don’t think I’ll ever walk this route again because it is so poorly maintained.)  I eventually caught up with my friends at the monastery church, Igreja de São Simão da Junqueira founded in the 11th century.  It’s a shame we couldn’t go inside and take a look.  Most churches are closed in the afternoons.  From here we walked through vast fields of bright yellow flowers, freshly cut hay and grapevines trained to grow in right angles high above the ground.  Sâo Pedro de Rates is most famous for its Romanesque church begun in the 12th century and the holy relics that once were kept inside.  Saint Peter of Rates is traditionally considered to be the first bishop of Braga between the years 45 and 60.  Tradition says he was ordered to preach the Christian faith by Saint James the Great.  He was beheaded in Rates due to converting pagans to Christianity.  Centuries later, around the 9th century, Saint Félix, a hermit, discovered the remains and had a monastery built on the spot.  The relics of the saints were kept here until 1552 when they were transferred to Braga cathedral where they have been ever since.  I don’t believe that any of us were pleased with the albergue; even the wilde Ostern turned around and found a different accommodation.  The property has a large courtyard for drying clothes and relaxing and also provides access to a small museum displaying objects typical of rural life in the area.  An interesting building called the Casa de Lavrador can also be found on the property next to the large windmill.  I claimed a bed in one room but had to change when I realized two small children, undisciplined by their parents, were screaming and crying uncontrollably.  We were all pretty hungry and headed out for dinner at the Café San Antonio where they only served a few dishes—all of us had fish and caldo verde for about 9 Euros each.  Distance walked today was about 29 kilometers.