Cossourado – The Premeditations of Markus O'Reallyus

I am sitting in the shade outside a kitschy shop in Valença that doesn’t re-open for another five minutes. Adele has has wandered off on me, but was aiming to come to this shop, so I’m hopeful that she’ll be here soon. It is hot today. The weather app says 33 C.

Today’s walk was a short one, which was a good thing after yesterday’s slog. We sauntered from Casa da Capela to Hotel Lara in about 3.5 hours, in mostly downhill trajectory, with little to report. We stopped in a couple of capelas to light candles for people. The second time Adele put in €2 and about 10 candles lit up, so everyone should feel well covered. We also stopped at a restaurante & bar along the way, where the barman made us fresh squeezed lemonade.

After checking in early at our hotel, we’ve come up to the old walled city, which is where Adele and I briefly parted ways. Now back together, Adele tells me that she meant the tourism information office, which I point out is not a shop. ‘Whatever, I can’t find it.’ I say to follow me, and set off down the cobbled road.

‘It’s not down that way’, Adele calls to me.

‘Yes, it is’, I say. ‘Trust me.’

‘It’s closer to where we came in.’

‘No, it’s this way.’

I am right, of course. We go to the tourism office and get our pilgrim passports stamped, look around in a few shops, and then return to the hotel. It’s too damn hot for unnecessary walking, and besides, we have a long day tomorrow. We’ll be leaving Portugal and getting our first look at Spain.

I’m drunk. Since arrived at our hotel, I’ve had about a bottle and a half of vinho verde. Yes, I’m a lightweight. I’m old. -ish. Get lost.

Today was a hard day. The guide book said it would be, although it softened it by saying this would be “the most challenging day” of the Caminho. Christ, I hope so!

If you’re at all familiar with Vancouver, you’ll understand when I say it was like plunking half the Grouse Grind into a half marathon route. We gained 405 m – 1330 feet, for those of you who still think in such terms – during our ‘walk’ today. Most of it concentrated in a relatively short distance.

But we made it, somehow, and were even the first to arrive at our hotel. More drinking time for us! Winning!

For quite a while this morning, I wondered if they’d oversold the ‘challenging’ aspect of this stage. The we reached the grind – or what I’m now referring to as the ‘Portuguese Pummel’.

Thankfully we had purchased (and remembered to pack) trekking poles – although one of Adele’s crapped out, so we each used one. (Fair’s fair, right?) These proved invaluable in getting us up the rock-strewn gullies that appeared about 12 km into our 22 km hike.

It wouldn’t have been nearly so bad, though, if not for how hot it was. The temperatures reached the upper 20s C by 11 a.m., and by the time we reached the peak of our climb we’d hit 30 C, maybe more. The view, though, was spectacular.

Even after that zenith, though, today’s walk was a slog. The last time I drank this much water in a day (not counting the wine) was when I quit smoking, a little over 20 years ago.

We eventually arrived at our hotel, the exquisite Casa da Capela, at around 4 p.m., having left Ponte de Lima around 8:15 a.m.

It was a gruelling day, but I feel amply rewarded by the hotel, the food they served us for dinner, and – of course – the wine. (Oh, they also have a pool, not heated, which was great for soaking our feet in.)