Day 10 Back home

 Another walk downhill with the suitcase brought us to our bus stop for our 3 a.m. bus. We were surprised to learn that cards were not accepted on the bus, it was cash only, and we had no cash.

Thankfully the Camino spirit was still with us and two young ladies from the Czech republic lent us the 5 euros. 

We arrived in Stansted at about 10 a.m. and had our first experience of charging a Zoe away from home (while drinking over priced coffee!).

We arrived home at around noon and while unpacking and doing the laundry, began to process our Camino experience. We made the decision to spend more time doing things that we enjoy doing. 

We were keen to return to complete our Portuguese Camino in 2026 and within a few days, decided to return in early March. Flights were soon booked and the process of selecting accommodation began. 

Coming soon: Our Portuguese Camino Part 2!!

Day 9 Back to Porto

 We left the hostel before 8. For a change, we were not leaving our suitcase at reception, but taking it with us. We made our way to the railway station. Thank fully it was all downhill this time. 

The station was unmanned and had seen better days but we were reassured to see our train was scheduled. We had time to walk up to the garage for coffee (twice!). It was possible to buy tickets online, via the Omio app or on the train, by card or cash. 

It was interesting re-tracting our steps of the previous 7 days. The journey took about an hour and 20 minutes. 

We dropped our case off at Change the World Hostel, did a small amount of souvenir shopping then headed back to the market for lunch. This time we treated ourselves to a meal at the vegetarian restaurant: a delicious tagine. We started with tasty spicy roast nuts and lupin seeds. 

We checked into our room then returned to the shopping area. We found an excellent , relaxing ,healthy eating cafe (Honest Greens) where we enjoyed iced coffee and I had banana bread. The food looked excellent and would be worth trying another time. 

We went to bed early to prepare for our early start but the street outside was even noisier than last time. The saxophone busker was replaced after a while, by a violinist. People were still chatting at the outside bars and cafes. Then there was the distant sound of clapping and drumming that grew louder and louder. Eventualy a procession passed by amidst more clapping and cheering. We assumed that they were football supporters. We probably managed a little sleep before the alarm went off at 2.a.m. 

Day 8 to Vila Nova de Cerveira

 We had an early start from Casa Ribeiro with pleasant walking by the sea. There was a nice little chapel for our daily stamp. The walk was  a lovely miixture of paths along the coast and woodland tracks. We were joined for a short while by a man from Denmark, who had been advised to do spend a week or so walking to help with his recovery from PTSD. 

At about 10 a.m. we enjoyed a coffee stop in Caminha with Susan, and Steve. Steve was feeling much better. We met up with two other walkers, one from Halifax and one from Australia. 

This was where we said our farewells to Susan and Steve as they  were taking the ferry to Spain to complete their Camino but we were walking our last stretch, to Vila Nova de Cerveira, along the river. 

This part of the walk started along the road, then we found a track that crossed the railway line, to a park and track along the river. We found a seat to eat our breakfast of hard boiled eggs, then continued along the way. 

Not far from our hostel, we saw signs to a restaurant. We were tired and hot and it was a steep walk uphill to the restaurant. We  were relieved that it was  open. It proved a lovely site with a view of the church and a welcome breeze. We decided to treat ourselves to a long lunch to mark the end of our Portuguese Camino, for this year. 

After lunch, we headed downhill, then up again to our accommodation: The Pilgrim's Rest. 

We were a little disconcerted to be informed that no shoes were allowed inside and unimpressed by the two small towels that we were given. When we found that there was no hot water we realised that this  didn't matter!

Still, we joined the other guests, who were American and ebjoyed some time chatting and debating with them. Then it was time for our communal meal which was a delicious selection of vegetarian food. 

So, some pros and some cons to staying in something more like a hostel.