Day 2 - from Vila do Conde to Pedra Furada

Good morning at 06:45 am! Surprisingly, we both slept well - last night we only had one big blanket and we were afraid it would be a battle for the blanket👀💪🏻 So Alex, I hereby banish the myth of your wife stealing blankets😜😅 But maybe we were just too tired and the expected fight for the blanket didn't happen👍🏻😄 Even my glowing nose didn't disturb our rest - my exposed sense of smell got a lot of sun yesterday and today I'll see how I can protect it👃🏾☀️👒

After a hearty breakfast, we started the next stage at around 08:30 am. Right in front of our accommodation, the familiar arrows showed us the way - but the Camino da Costa, not the Camino Central we wanted. But we weren't the only ones who got a bit confused, and another couple from the Cologne area joined us, so the four of us started searching for the right way. With modern tools, it's not too difficult anymore, and after about 2km, we were back on the marked path - I even remembered the highway bridge, because last year I sought refuge from the rain here temporarily. Sandra and I then took a short break for a coffee and a Fanta after about 1.5 hours of walking, and then we continued on our own.

But speaking of the weather... Last year, I was pitied a bit for the bad weather, and everyone wished for more sunshine and warmer temperatures. Please don't do that this year!!!🙈 For a normal vacation in Portugal, we have ideal weather - 33 degrees, almost no wind and pure sunshine. But for a Camino, the weather is not really suitable, because there isn't a single cloud in the sky and the sun is scorching down on us mercilessly☀️🔥🥵 Last year, blisters were my challenge, but this year, it's definitely the sun/heat - I'm not handling it very well and have to take more frequent breaks in the shade or replenish my sugar levels, while Sandra either copes with it well or simply complains less🤭🤭🤐🥴 We pass through many small woods, and I thought they would provide some shade, but the sun directly overhead destroys any hope of that, and so we slowly sweat and sizzle along the way... Another day like this, and I could probably walk around at home without clothes and everyone would still think I'm wearing socks, shorts, and a T-shirt😜😂😎

Oh yes, another topic of the day (or my entire pilgrimage?) are the socks - changed them twice today and they keep squeezing in different places...😖🙄 So, two new blisters, but still nothing compared to last time, so it's not worth taking any pictures😉😇 Sandra has also developed two small blisters on her toes by now and is catching up to me - just like a good friend😃😜🤭 but with blister plasters, it's actually going well for both of us, and we don't have any major complaints - so please don't worry!😘

By noon, the sun is almost unbearable, and we want to find somewhere to take a break. Unfortunately, there's nothing in sight - no café, restaurant, or even a snack bar. So we continue until we reach Rates, where we finally find a place to rest and take a break. For €7.50, we get a pilgrim menu consisting of soup, bread & olives, chicken with noodles, as well as a Fanta and an espresso. I don't know if it was really the cooking skills or just our hunger, but the food was great and we were refreshed for the afternoon💪🏻 

Afterwards, we briefly stop by the pilgrim hostel in Rates, where I would like to thank my kind helper from last year. But she's not there, so we finally set off again, and the temperature feels like it has increased again.😑😑 

We decide to walk only 7km to Pedra Furada and try our luck with accommodation there - it's just too hot to walk another 14km to Barelos. And we immediately find luck again, as the first private accommodation has a room available for us. Another bed (this time even narrower😄) and again only one blanket - let's see if we'll have our first "battle" tonight or just sleep exhausted😴😴 

The weather forecast for tomorrow doesn't look good... Well, actually it does, if you're not doing the Camino😉 It's going to be very hot again, so we plan to leave very, very early tomorrow to avoid the worst heat. 

In general, we can already say the following:

1. The route is completely different this time, even though we're generally walking the same route. I don't remember some sections from last year at all, apparently I was walking in some kind of trance. I also didn't think that my feet would take me this far.

2. Today, Sandra experienced the Camino just as she imagined it. Hot, dusty, and across the diverse landscape. That makes me very happy😉😊 Especially about the landscapes of course😄

3. An ugly pilgrim hat is an incredibly fine thing, and today it was truly indispensable!👒🧢💁🏻‍♀️

It's already 6:00 pm here, and while the laundry is drying, we're already going out to eat. After all, we want to get up early tomorrow, which also means going to bed early. 

So we wish you a nice evening!

Yours - slightly jealous of the 18 degrees in Munich - Sandra & Dani

PS: 3:00 pm - Portugal - the sun is blazing... Even no 3-weather hair spray can help you, and you don't care about your hairstyle anyway😜😂🤪