Day 4 - from Portela de Tamel to Ponte de Lima

The night was quite short again due to the presence of lumberjacks, but we managed to sleep until 06:00. After a coffee, we started packing our backpacks and patching our feet😅🙈 It seems that I, or at least my blisters, have gained some sort of notoriety and even earned me a new nickname - I am now called "BBL" (big blister Lady - blister😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️). It seems that various people on the trail are discussing the little girl from Germany with the big blisters and they are happy to know me😇😝

Then Chloe had the saving idea of the day for me - there is a shuttle service for backpacks and since everyone said it was absolutely fine, I gladly took advantage of the service for €7🙈🤫 Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have been able to complete today's stage - it was 24.7 km to walk... Oh well, I had imagined it differently, but today it simply couldn't be done differently... The "Camino-Gang"😉 must stick together!

So we started at 08:00 in the morning - once again together with Francesco, our late riser... In the beginning, it was difficult to walk with the blisters, but after a while, I got used to it and made good progress in pleasant temperatures and with a slightly cloudy sky. My goal for today was to walk the entire way and arrive with the others. Soon, we caught up with Andreś (a Portuguese) and the Polish couple, and Andreś, Francesco, and I continued together until an early lunch break after 12.1 km. I shortened the break a bit and with the dark clouds approaching, I continued alone - the others will surely catch up with me soon. So I follow a group path, no longer paying attention to the trail, and suddenly find myself without a sign...🙄🤔 What you quickly learn on the Camino? When you no longer meet anyone who wishes you "Buon Camino", then you know you are going in the wrong direction😉 But it's not a big deal, and I soon find the right way again. The others have long since passed, but now I meet David from Ireland again and we walk the last 6 km together, which turn out to be quite challenging. But eventually, the bridge of Ponte de Lima appears and mobilizes the last bit of strength💪🏻 Happy and somewhat proud, we finally arrive at the pilgrim hostel around 15:15. It's still closed and there are already several pilgrims - mostly unfamiliar faces - waiting outside. I fetch my backpack at the nearest bar and place it with the others in front of the hostel, which immediately gets Luisa (Germany) and me into trouble - we are expected to go to the end of the line in a split second... Oh well, I'll just leave it at that...

After the shower comes the highlight of the day - the four of us go on a trip to the laundromat😃😊 finally clean and dry clothes, and for €7, a taxi is worth it to everyone - no one wants to walk another 35 minutes! So we put everything in the machine and go to the nearby bar for a coffee and a pastry - we all have a big and happy smile on our faces.

When we return, we buy supplies for tomorrow and then have dinner, and for €10, we get an excellent and plentiful pilgrim menu with steak with potato, including water, wine, coffee, and dessert.

There is so much more to tell (the people you meet, the experiences of the day, why I now always stay in the hostels, etc.), but I can't fit it all in. Besides, I need to have something to talk about when I get back home😉

So I will end my post here today and wish you all a good night from my mixed 25-bed dormitory😉😊 Good night to all of you 😘