Day 6 - Tamel to Vitorino dos Piães
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The route has taken us beyond the cities and towns and into the country now. We’re walking through small villages, past farms and vineyards on country roads. We left the lovely Leonchic mid-morning on yet another sunny day. We were on the Camino as soon as we stepped out of the door, half way up a cobblestone hill. We continued on up, heading towards Vitorino dos Piães, our destination for the day.
After a mile or so, we came across the Portela of Tamel, a landmark for pilgrims with a church and an 18th century stone cross in the churchyard. The cross features all the identifying symbols of a pilgrim: the shell, the staff and the gourd. We’ve seen so many stone crosses along the way and learned that they were erected as a way of ‘sanctifying’ the path for pilgrims, protecting them against disease, war, and evil.
Portela de Tamel
Pilgrim symbols on the stone cross: The shell, the gourd, the staff
Wildflowers again caught my attention in a kaleidoscope of colors… blues, yellows, whites, pinks, reds. Calla lilies, in particular, were abundant in fields and gullies and absolutely gorgeous.
There was a dearth of cafes along our route. Luckily, we had some snacks to munch on and found a convenient wall to rest and nosh for a bit.
The path crossed over the medieval Ponte de Tábuas and the Neiva River.
A small pond formed by the river waters was a swimming hole for some pilgrims and locals, we’re told. One pilgrim was preparing for a quick dip when we arrived.
The sound of croaking frogs was almost deafening as we approached… then total silence when we neared the pond. After a minute or two, the croakers peeked out and resumed their discordant chorus.
By midafternoon, we arrived in at the Estabulo de Valinhas, our lodging for the night.
The place was clean and tidy, but very, very basic. We had a very small room with a very small bathroom (a large person would have had problems taking a shower).
A dinner was offered for €16/pp and we joined the 12 other pilgrims at a long table set up in the yard outside the reception area. Chicken thighs, pasta, salad, bread and the farm’s own wine were set on the table and everyone dug in. We were all hungry and the cook pots were quickly emptied. Socializing amongst pilgrims is easy. Everyone has a story to share. Good natured chat prevailed and shared misery of blisters and fatigue were common themes.
We’re learning that some of what we read about the Camino is not exactly accurate. For instance, “Don’t take too many Euros. Credit cards are accepted everywhere!” Wrong! Last night, though our room at Leonchic had been paid in advance with a credit card through Booking, our meal had to be paid in cash (“dinheiro” in Portuguese). When we arrived at our hostel, we realized Booking had not paid for our room nor our dinner. Yikes… it took all but €20 of our cash on hand. Rosa, our host, told us ATMs were rare in the area as were places that accepted credit cards. She advised us to get extra Euros when we arrived in Ponte de Lima, our next stop.
We also read that there were lots of public fountains to refill our water bottles along the way. And there are… except not all of them have potable water. Signs are posted if the water is potable. David has been carrying an extra liter of water in his pack which has come in handy a couple of times already. That said, everyone’s experience on the Camino is different and we learn as we go.
We’re looking forward to arriving in Ponte de Lima. We’ve heard wonderful things about the town and we’ve scheduled ourselves a layday… a day off from walking, a couple of tourist days in the oldest town in Portugal. Join us for some exploring, some fine dining and some socializing in this 900-year old town.