6th Day: From Caminha to Valença

At 7 o'clock a noise similar to a brushcutter woke me up, coming from outside. In Germany, someone probably would have (rightly) gone after that person, but here it didn't seem to bother anyone. Except me. Despite the noise of the trains, I had slept well and now this...

Although everything had hurt the night before, I felt better today.

The horse ointment and the foot cream had worked.

The breakfast was also fine and the caretaker's daughter took advantage of my presence to improve her school English.

According to the plan, it should be about 30 km today, but I knew that wouldn't be all in the end.

It was even hotter than yesterday and the thermometer reached up to 31 degrees. I chose the option along the border river Rio Miñho. At least there was shade there more often.

However, I should have read my travel planner in between. Because then I would have known when I should have switched to the other (the correct Camino along a highway) route. So I walked until suddenly excavators and stop signs were at the end of the road.

Since I knew that the next town was not far away, I considered hacking my way through the bushes. I dismissed this idea and walked back about a kilometer instead.

But I realized that I had to walk back even further, because that's where I would have come out on the highway (which would have been the right thing to do in the end, but at that moment it felt wrong to me, because in Germany you also don't just walk on a Federal highway).

So bushes it was then. But first along the railway tracks, which was much less dangerous than the highway option.😆

I found a dried-out ditch and walked along it to the next village.

If someone had watched me, they would probably have thought I was crazy. 

In the next town, I walked to the highway and there with cars zooming past at 31 degrees. 

At the latest here, it would have been the end of the road for a companion.

That's why it's better to walk alone 😄

Today I had more mental than physical problems.

The heat did the rest. My water supply was running out again and again and I had to find a store in the next town, which wasn't always easy.

When I came through a wooded area, suddenly a "Bom Caminho" rang out from the right. 

When I answered with "Obrigado", something was shouted in Portuguese. I stopped and asked the sender "que?", although I wouldn't have understood it in Portuguese again.

But the bald-headed man, about 60 years old, immediately shouted in German: "there's fresh spring water here".

First I refreshed myself at the spring and got into conversation with the strange bird. 

He said that he has been pilgrimage for 27 years and has already done all the pilgrimage routes. 

He is always on the road with a handcart and a dog, and he has a tent with him.

"He certainly wouldn't have come with me through the bushes and along the tracks today with all his stuff" I thought to myself.

He said that there is different energy at pilgrimage sites and that it is already strong in Fátima, but in Assisi everything was literally vibrating with energy.

Ah yes...well, then I'll have a look at that in Fátima.

Spain is now off for me, as I don't want to go into quarantine. 

I will see Santiago de Compostela on the next tour.

I struggled once again to the hotel (Valença do Minho, €45/night) with my last bit of strength and after checking in I went straight to the pool with a beer.

I realized that my body slowly needs a longer break and I decided to spend an extra day here.

It will mostly take place at the pool😊😎