“The Roads go ever on..and on…and on ….and on…”

08 April 2016

Bright but chilly start in VFdX this morning. There was quite a strong breeze from the North blowing. My route was more or less due North, so I felt its chill.  I walked through the little streets in the centre before meeting the first main road.

After a couple of kilometres, it ducted me off to a field with path through it for 1km. That was to be the only non-road section of the day. The high point of the route was crossing over the railway bridge at Carragedor then back to the roads   Hence the title of today’s blog.

Back to last night. The restaurant served grilled whole Robalo (sea bass) and bottles of local, unlabelled wine. The results in both cases were excellent.  The full price, including cheese was just 13€.

Back to today.

My feet suffered blisters yesterday, and so today I was walking quite slowly. I was passed by a couple of peregrinos – one from Portugal, The other from Germany. We stopped briefly to talk. They planned to go a little further than myself today as they have a shorter schedule. I doubt we shall meet again, but who knows…?

The roadside seemed interminable. The trucks whooshed past on their way to who-knows-where. I have little to report today as my pictures show.  The Way follows the main roads for so many kilometres.  I suppose it is understandable.  The original paths linked the main towns.  The Romans came and straightened them and paved them.  The Roman roads became the basis for the first main roads, and so history progresses.  The trucks are making their own pilgrimage.  They are just doing it noisier and faster.

The weather gradually grew warmer.

I reached the Ouro hotel and Oh Boy was that a welcome.  My clothes are being machine washed as I  a write, lounging in long, hot tub. A word to the wise – bring your own bath plug! This is something I learned long ago and always have a universal plug in my pack.

I am told that tomorrow will bring an improvement in the tracks and scenery. Here’s hoping…