Day 5 - 30.0km - Viana do Castelo to Caminho

The most important thing you can learn is no matter how many km you walk on the camino it is always more than the guides. For reference they are bollocks! On the Camino Frances they were often out by 2km. On the portuguese it is between 3 and 5! Todays walk was meant to be around 25-26 but we just hit the magical 30 mark as we arrived at the accommodation.

The day started with a steep climb that looked like it was taking us up the mountain to the monastery overlooking the town, but before it hit the peak the signs took us left and wound through the streets around the edge.

We are both now bored of cobblestones. Miles and miles of cobblestones is a killer on the feet and ankles. We walked along a street full of big, expensive looking houses and plots of land for sale, with fantastic views of the mountains behind and the sea in front, dreaming of holiday homes in the sun, without walking shoes needed!

Throughout the long walk we alternated between paved cobbled streets, rough cobbled paths and forest tracks. For a flat camino by the coast we also had a combined 800m of ascent and descent today.

Needless to say Andrea decided that where the fun ended at 25km on Sunday, and at 20km yesterday, about 10km was enough today. Which means she was hurting for around 20km. But with plenty of rest breaks she pushed on through!

The rest breaks allowed us to take in and enjoy our surroundings. Sat on a bench we made a little feline friend. The next was pools in a stream where i soaked my feet and gained an unexpected and somewhat suprising fish pedicure. We stopped for a coffee and a natter with various pilgrims, most of whom also did not find cobbles the best pathway. We stopped again for lunch and I had a kebab (when in portugal....?! Hmm maybe not!) whllst Andrea had a more standard sandwich. We also snuck in a couple of ice creams!

We had a nice patch for around 5km along a coastal path again the sound of the waves crashing and the sea breeze was nice.

Then the final 5km.

A long, straight, busy-ish road. It went on. And on. Then on a little more.

The last 500m to the hotel took us away from the road and through a few streets of Caminha. A small town at the estuary of the river Minho which marks the boundary between Portugal and Spain. Breakfast is at 7.30, then we get a water taxi over the river into spain.

Our Oblagados become Gracias', our bom caminho becomes buen camino and the super bock becomes estrella!

For now, we sleep and we rest. We need it!

Good night pilgrims.