CP end of July - how to get from porto to tui / valenca ??

[directeng]

Hi everybody

I'm new here. I intend to walk the Camino Portugués on the end of July. I'm traveling with a German friend and we intend to walk some 102 km.

Here's our plan

We fly in to Porto around the 24th and travel from there by public transport or so to Valença or Tui (any tips how to get there ?)

• Valença or Tui – Redondela 30 kms (July 26)
• Redondela – Pontevedra 20.5 kms (July 28 or 29)
• Pontevedra – Caldas de Reis 21.1 kms (july 29 or 30)
• Caldas de Reis – Padrón 17 kms (July 31)
• Padrón – Santiago 23.9 kms (August 2)

As part of our trip , we intend to participate at the fiesta del Pimientos de Padron in the nearby Hebron. We both love these green peppers...russian roulette peppers.

Once we arrive in Santiago, we'll stay two days or so

Anyone else going to same road ? Would be nice to catch up with you

We've only decided very recently to walk the Camino Portugués and we are not well prepared. Today, I walked 18 km at the Belgian coast in order to start preparing myself. I already feel exhausted.... :roll: need to train a bit more in the next couple of days

What I'd like to know from people who did the CP ?
- would you take a sleeping bag ?
- which preparation is really essential according to you ?
- what should I really know ?

I'm very much interested in your feedback, you can also email me if you like

Bye bye...and maybe we'll catch up somewhere on the road...sounds good

 

[elzi]

Re: CP end of July

I think the sleeping bag thing is up to you, but it's possible you could skip it. I took a big one (quite lightweight in itself) sent it back to england quickly and bought a REALLY small thin one whilst out there. There was a spanish couple i saw quite a few times with really tiny luggage who didn't have sleeping bags they were just sleeping in their clothes - we were all really jealous of their tiny backpacks!! The albergues in galicia all give you those temporary sheet/pillowcases and most had optional blankets so if it's warm enough (esp in July) it's probably a matter of choice whether you also need a bag!
Buen Camino!

 

[cait]

I walked Camino Portugues from Ponte da Lima mid June with two 14 year olds. We took bus from Porto - got details on the internet. There is also a tourist office at the airport in Porto and they are very helpful. It was our fist experience of Camino walking and it was wonderful. The teenagers are allergic to walking at home so wasn't sure what to expect but they rose to the challenge and once we got them up in the morning they enjoyed mapping the route, meeting fellow pilgrims, staying at hostels. They hardly noticed the walking there was so much to see - each day was different. It also helped that we had no rain for the 6 days. We stayed at hostels in Tui, Redondela, Portela (municipal hostel), and Teo. At weekends revellers in Tui and Redondela can disturb sleep. Portela hostel is very basic = no hot water, no cooking facilities but blissfully quiet. We slept for 10 hours!! We had small lightweight sleeping bags and kept contents of backpack to a minimum (about 6 kgs). We are fairly fit but didn't do any specific training. There were so many highlights - meeting other pilgrims, wonderful meals in unexpected places, seeing our teenage son and daughter in a different light (and hopefully they us!),
Enjoy your Camino = Buen Camino
We had a couple of days before coming home and took a bus from Santiago to San Francisco - a small village just past Muros on the coast. Beautiful deserted beach and lovely hotel.
Cait

 

[Javier Martin]

...As part of our trip , we intend to participate at the fiesta del Pimientos de Padron in the nearby Hebron. We both love these green peppers...russian roulette peppers.....

The pimientos de Padron were brought to Spain by the franciscanos on 17th or 18th century. It were brought from Mexico, it was a kind of chile.

Then the franciscanos had a convent in Herbon, 2,5 km. from Padron. They planted this chile and it became famous as it was known. As the population of Padron is much important than Herbon, the pimientos were called "de Padron".

Today, this convent is an albergue, or much better, an Hospital for pilgrims, since august 2009. The hospitality that the pilgrim receive is the same that the franciscanos offers since ever. Is an Hospital of "donativo" with dinner and breakfast, the same than in Corcubion, Tosantos, Grañon, Zenarruza in the Camino del Norte, etc.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.