Vitorino dos Piães → Aborim (11km)

The pilgrim’s meal yesterday evening was good (spaghetti with vegetables, tomato salad, garlic bread and homemade rose wine), but it kept my stomach busy right up until the morning.
I decided to start a bit later today, and began the day with a cup of chamomile tea (not that I particularly like drinking it).

It was a bit tricky to find the right direction when I set off at 10 am. The navy were confused, I was confused, and the signs were unclear because I was heading in the opposite direction. But on the third attempt I was on my way again, and the first pilgrims came running towards me. 
Anyway, over the last few years, I’ve learnt to swim against the tide.

But I’m not the only one walking in the opposite direction. Moritz, my flatmate from Germany, set off from Santiago de Compostela and, just like me, is walking the Central Route to Porto. By the way, he used to be a lecturer in chemistry at a university and is starting a new job as a software developer next week.

I found it a bit of a struggle to get going at first; my legs were still tired and I was feeling a bit demotivated. The route consisted almost entirely of tarmac roads, and every stretch of woodland or country lane was a welcome change. But I had a few nice views and the weather was fine again. It wasn’t long before I was walking in a T-shirt and shorts.

Sometimes I can follow the blue arrows, which point to the Portuguese pilgrimage site of Fátima, just south of Porto. This route follows most of the Camino Central route in the opposite direction, but is not well signposted. 

Today, it was okay for me to walk just 11km and to be the first pilgrim in the "Casa da Santiago" at 3pm. So I had the shared bathroom and kitchen for me and prepared me the free welcome snack at the terrace.

I'm sure others will turn up later on and perhaps there'll be some interesting conversations again...