I assume you have all been waiting breathlessly for today’s post? A restless night’s sleep? Trouble concentrating at work? Did Andy survive the night?
Well, it turns out that it wasn’t too bad after all. At roughly 8ish we were summoned for dinner inside, (away from the flies) and the ten (ish?) of us sat at a long table in the owners kitchen. We were given vegetable soup (although it goes against my religion to rest anything healthy I wolfed it down) and then roast chicken with roast potatoes.. I think there was a bowl or two with other various green and orange things in but I had already hit my vegetable quota for the year so focused on eating as many roasties as possible without looking impolite.
We were supplied with jugs of wine during the meal and then various types of port afterward.. there was also a clear schnapps (60% proof) on offer but it tasted like a petrol/window cleaner mix so I only had two or three of those.
Strangely enough, after the meal things weren’t so bad there.. the flies disappeared, Celine found a guitar and started to play, pilgrims chatted happily to eachother across the table and yet again I could speak fluent German.
I guess I had misjudged casa Fernanda.. we finally removed ourselves from the table to sit outside and were given two more bottles of port to take with us. (Quite generous as by this time there was only me, Celine and an Austrian couple to drink them). Afterwards I zigzagged my way silently through the darkened room. Only tripping over three or four other sleeping people and flopped face first onto my comfy bed.
After a 7am breakfast we were out on the trail, it was still quite flat but the scenery was slowly improving and a decent sized range of hills loomed ominously in the distance.
Celine and I had talked about possible differences in pace and knowing that tomorrow involved climbing to 400metres I decided to let her know that due to my (some would say) superhuman strength and endurance I would probably leave her coughing in a cloud of dust as I rocketed upward (I’m toying with the idea of nicknaming myself The Firework…) I assured her that I would wait at the top though (possibly lay on my back, near a bar, chain-smoking cigarettes).
We ambled our way through the morning and got to Ponte de Lima just after lunchtime. We need a shop so wandered along the river into what turned out to be a very pretty little town (the places are definitely improving as we knock off the Kms).
(The obligatory church photo to keep Randy happy!)
After grabbing a bite to eat we wandered back along the river to the hostel where we were staying and set up camp for the night.
The plan is to get a decent night’s sleep and get out early in the morning. Today was over 90 degrees in the shade (30+) and tomorrow is promising to be hotter still. I’m hoping to climb the hill before it gets too warm.
To you all I’ll say goodbye for now.
To the owners of Casa Fernanda I’ll say sorry.. (or obrigado).
Until tomorrow
Andy.
A Camino Adventure 