Caminho português - Page 3

Portela de Tamel - Ponte de Lima

Breakfast was later today, the restaurant from the evening is still closed. The path led today decidedly less along roads, it often went through woods and meadows, an enjoyable hiking. At about halfway, we saw the sign "Casa Fernanda" in a kind of garden settlement, a beautifully natural, peaceful spot with a garden house. We had heard on the way that one can also spend the night here. But we only wanted breakfast and went inside. A nimble pretty woman was already serving 4-5 pilgrims. And super friendly she immediately put on coffee for us and brought homemade cake.

The obvious question was, of course, why not make a pilgrim hostel out of her garden. It was a coincidence, she said. A few years earlier, a pilgrim had asked her for help, she could not go on and there were no lodgings in the area. Fernanda let her sleep in her garden house. The lady was thrilled with the helpfulness and put the info on the Internet. Since then, more and more pilgrims came to her and since she had to give up her job anyway due to illness, since then it was her job to be hospitalera with all her heart.

Over fields and through small villages we walked to Ponte de Lima. A nice place on the Rio Lima, but unfortunately just built up the circus and it sounded horrible music over the river. I tested the bar next to the hostel, while Manu went for a stroll through the city. The hostel opened over punctually 16 o'clock, since a very unfunny young woman did the service here. She quickly answered all pending questions with "No", in order to avoid any work. After a not so tasty day menu in the bar and the all the more cozy evening drink with other pilgrims, it was off to bed. The hostel was actually quite decent, but the clientele tonight was unearthly noisy. There was snoring from every corner and it was musty when some cold sensitive people closed the window at night. If I overheard it, I opened it again. Anyway, it was one of the less good nights on the way or we had drunk too little 🙂.

Ponte de Lima - Cerdal

Breakfast once again in the bar from the previous evening, then we went shortly behind the city into the countryside. A beautiful path with lots of forest awaited us, but also a decent mountain. We did not yet know exactly where we wanted to run today. In Rubiães there was a hostel, but the night before we had seen a poster hanging in the bar of a nice private hostel 10 km away. At a kind of food truck we took a coffee and talked with a young Dutchman, he was one of the few pilgrims who walked the way in the opposite direction, towards Fatima.

After we had mastered the mountain well and arrived way too early at the hostel in Rubiães, we decided to continue walking. This was rewarded, because in a small village a wonderful private hostel was waiting for us. A Canadian, Geoffrey, had built the house here to run it as a pilgrim hostel. He had walked this path several times and found this place made for his future life. Everything was top maintained and we were lovingly cared for. In the evening we cooked and ate together and Geoffrey philosophized a bit. A restful sleep in absolutely quiet surroundings awaited us afterwards. And all this on a donation basis.