Life's a Stitch

September 18: 15.6k plus a ferry to Spain

A day of some confusion. C and I had our wires crossed and we ended up on two different paths for awhile. I knew they would join at the end so no worries. I did, however, receive this email from him: "No wife, no map, no money…two of these are easily replaced."

We started out still in Portugal, walking with Anna from Russia and the Pac NW group. Spain's Mount Tecla was in the distance. 

Once in Caminha, a ferry crossing is required to stay on the Camino into Spain. One detail: the River Minho is tide dependent and at times you can wait five hours until the ferry can cross. Fortunately our wait was about half an hour. 

Arriving in Spain there was a stop at the snack booth near the dock for lemon beer and the best ever greasy, salty potato chips. 

We continued up, up, up, then down into the town of A Guarda. Looking back at Portugal:

We're staying at a beautifully renovated 17th century convent. The nuns lived here until 1984. In 1991 it was bought and renovated by an art collector/investor.  One room has a collection of 14th century china and from the 16th century, ceramic tiles with the Camino scallop shell.

I was afraid that I had misunderstood the price as we were walked to our room through what is a combination museum and hotel,  but I checked and it was within our budget. When I think that we've paid the same for merely adequate accommodation, this is a special treat. 

Spain is an hour later than Portugal which made it easier to wait for 8:00 dinner, more percebes (goose barnacles), this time cooked. We had fun introducing other pilgrims to the delicious but odd looking creatures.