Last night in the hippy dippy hostel we were all chilling when Karma came in and said “ You ought to come outside.” He was right. There was a beautiful sunset! Most all of us staying there were out to witness it.

And then we tried to settle in for the night. Started out ok, but a few of the old guys were having some sort of philosophical discussion rather loudly. Out came ear plugs for everyone. Good thing as there was a plethora of loud snorers. Even so, some sleep was had.

We woke very early and were the first ones moving about. We quietly went into the kitchen and had our breakfast of yogurt and granola. Packs were pulled into the kitchen to close up then out we went.

Brrrr! It was chilly! I had put on my Mellie just in case and was happy for it for awhile. Then all the hill walking warmed me up. But the real benefit of starting out so early was getting to view the sunrise. Over the town. Through the trees. Off in the distance. Glorious! The only thing marring it was the constant church bells ringing, many out of tune.

Today’s walk really had variety. We did lots of hills, some forests, some town pavement, the ubiquitous cobblestones, rocky paths- everything! I will say that my balance is much better these days, so I can negotiate the rougher paths easier than before.

We came across what was local town soccer field where some industrious individual had made a bit of a rest station. Only problem was that it wasn’t staffed, so no luck.

But down the path Karma found a branch that gave him an opportunity for fun. He does bring joy into things.

Besides the noise of all the church bells we were greeted all morning with a cacophony of rooster crows. It seemed they were everywhere! The only ones we actually saw were these two who amused us by looking directly at each other.

We also saw the first hórreo in this section. I’d seen them on the Primitivo, but not here yet. They are used as a granary.

Plus another unusual thing was the public washing station we came across, complete with a beautifully decorated ceiling.

The views continued to be amazing as we lumbered along a bit above the ocean side. We could view towns a well as a number of wind mills up on the hill ridges. I had memories of seeing them in the Spanish mountains and knowing it meant we would be hiking up and passing them. Thankfully that hasn’t been the case here.

As the day wore on I started feeling another hot spot on the left foot bunion. Yet again. Sigh. We stopped at a bus stop that had a nice bench so I could pull off my shoes and socks to check. Sure enough a small blister was forming. I finally decided we needed stronger preventative measures so I had Mandy actually cut away the part of the shoe where Karma had cut it a few days ago. I now have hole there but less pressure on my foot.

Soon we were crossing the rather wide Rio Lima on the Ponte Eiffel, a long bridge. I wish I had counted the number of cyclists that passed us both ways. The ones going in our direction were mostly cyclists on the Camino (which is a way to do it). The others looked to be serious local cyclists.

Eventually we made our way across into the city of Viana do Costelo. Being a Sunday afternoon there were all kinds of people out walking along the riverside, through a large park and out in a cafe laden street with upscale shops. We chose an Indian restaurant for lunch, which turned out to be delicious and a good rest

From there the walk continued as before with a variety of terrain. After about 11 miles I began to tire. We took more breaks. I knew it was going to be a long day, but it was the best choice on how to split up the sections to accommodate my slow pace and have good choices of places to stay.

We did run across a very amusing garden where someone had a good imagination. That, plus having put on an audiobook to distract me got me through the final push. I was so happy to see the hostel in Carraço, to get checked in, to take off my shoes for the rest of the day and to get a nice, hot shower. Plus they have a washer and a dryer! And wine! I’ve now had the chance to try their vinho verde. Delicious and just the tonic I needed.

13.9 miles with 35,367 steps