Third stage of Camino da Costa from Apulia Praia to Viana do Castelo

Yesterday, I started from the hotel as early as 7:45 AM, because a long stage was ahead of me. It was very pleasant to hike so early, and a nice breeze was blowing.

The stage began along the coast. Then I took a detour through Esposende. I walked through the town and didn't even know where to look first. Some building facades were adorned with the typical tiles found in Portugal, and colorful flowers were everywhere, either standing or hanging. Oh, it looked beautiful. A church was open, and I went inside, also fascinated by the interior.

After a delicious freshly squeezed orange juice at a small café, I continued. The wind (thankfully a tailwind) picked up a bit, making me feel like I was flying. So the first 10 km passed by really quickly.

Then I moved away from the coast, and the path led through some small villages. I find it so lovely when locals sit in front of their houses and wave/greet friendly. Of course, I also had to greet a little dog :-).

Along the way, I met many other pilgrims again. Among them was a German couple from the far north. Phew, the woman got on my nerves because she always called her husband by a pet name, stretching it out. Phew, I thought, 'I'll pick up the pace, maybe we’ll see each other again'... my thoughts... 'hopefully not', sorry, but that was really annoying and I just want to enjoy the path :-)!

There were increasingly frequent sections with inclines, well Daniela, our fitness training in Allgäu paid off. I had no problems with the ascents. A German woman said to her friend, 'nah, I’m going to call the agency now, that can't be the coastal path'...! I said, 'yes it is, you can read that on these signs!' Luckily, a tile with the appropriate inscription just appeared. Poor thing was totally worn out and didn’t want to take another step. They told me they had specifically chosen the coastal path because it was manageable. Well, I looked on with sympathy and wished them all the best.

There was a forest passage that was quite tough. The path was relatively narrow and rooted. There were also many larger stones. Unfortunately, an older man fell right in front of me. The gentleman couldn’t get up at all. His wife tried to pull him up, but his backpack kept him on the ground. I helped to take off the backpack and realized how heavy it was :-(. Luckily, the man wasn’t injured. We chatted a bit, and then I continued.

After 25 km, I took a longer break and had lunch. When I set off again after the rest, my legs hurt. The first few meters were really tough, and what should I say, there was indeed another nasty incline, and for the first time that day, I wondered how much longer this stage would last. Lo and behold, upon reaching the top, I could finally see the Eiffel Bridge of Viana do Castelo. I was so glad because now I knew that behind the bridge, my hotel was somewhere. I managed the last stretch and the walk across the 563-meter-long bridge relatively quickly to my hotel.

At 'check-in,' the guy asked if everything was okay? Yes, yes, everything’s fine, it was just a long stage and it’s hot. He asked how long I had been walking, and I looked it up on Komoot and told him 32.1 km. He stared at me and said 'You get an Upgrade' :-)! I was thrilled; I got a quiet large room with a balcony. After a shower, I jumped straight into the pool :-). The pool is huge, and there’s even a hot tub.

Today, I won't take a stage, but just reeeeeeeelaaaaaaax!

Best regards, Anke