A good news and a bad...

Phew... absolute emotional chaos for me right now!

Today's route was Ponte de Lima - Rubiães. I was prepared for a steep route because I had read it in the guidebook, but what I encountered today was beyond my imagination. Flooded, muddy roads, narrow paths next to a stream, rocky ascents, beautiful nature, everything was there. A real challenge for me! The first half of the route went great. Sure, there were some narrow, muddy roads and uphill sections, but all was fine. The second half was really tough! Steep ascents, uncertain paths, rocky trails, and above all, it has been raining continuously since this morning. In short, it was really dangerous today! I slipped on a rock and fell once, but fortunately nothing serious happened. Exhausted both physically and mentally, I finally arrived in Rubiães. So far, so good... now let's move on to the bad news: I actually couldn't find any open accommodation. I rang at 3 places. Either they didn't open the door at all, or they told me that they only open in mid-February. Bad luck, it wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't just walked 8 hours over rough terrain in the rain. I sat down on a chair and contemplated. My body was telling me that it couldn't go any further, I was shaking all over and soaking wet. One option would have been to walk to other accommodations, sometimes walking 1.5 km back and not even being sure if they would be open. So, with a heavy heart, I decided to listen to my body and ordered a taxi to take me to the nearest town. Yes, this means that I won't be walking 15 km of the Camino de Santiago, but I think that's what it's all about: not giving up when something seemingly hopeless comes your way, but to look for solutions and stand by them! I will continue on foot tomorrow! I hope for better weather and will keep you updated!