After a wonderful sleep at On the Way Mindelo Beach House, Ana and Antonio, our hosts, greeted us with a delicious breakfast. We had homemade raspberry jam on toast, fresh fruit, yoghurt and muesli followed up with a pastile de nata fresh from Porto where Ana & Antonio live.
The boardwalk from Mindelo is under reconstruction and we thought we may have to head inland. Ana told us the tide was out and walking on the beach was the best option.
Ana was right. It was a glorious morning and the walking was easy.
Claire and Maureen had sent their packs ahead and were striding out without the weight.
We soon reached Vila do Conde and headed inland to cross the Rio Ave.
We were making good time, though yesterday’s onshore cooling breeze had disappeared and it was getting hot walking under the sun next to the beach.
It was quite the slog as we chased whatever shade we could find.
Eventually we reached Povoa de Varzim where we stopped at Igreja da Lapa for a sello.
Close to the church was the local casino, a bizarre juxtaposition of uses.
We called into the local tourist office where we not only got a stamp and a great lunch recommendation, but learned of the strange symbols that we saw only in this town.
It turns out each family had its own symbol, a simplified coat of arms if you like.
The restaurant recommended for lunch was full of locals. We’ve termed the phrase – hashtag, eat where the locals eat – for all the good restaurants. We weren’t disappointed as our chilled beers and plates of fresh local fish arrived.
My sea bass was delicious.
After lunch, we trudged on in the heat with no wind for a few hours.
As we turned the last headland, we were met with a cooling wind from the north-west. What a relief!
We were sweaty, stinky and our feet were so hot, blisters weren’t far off.
We met our lovely host at Pe Na Areia who offered to wash our clothes. What a champion!
We washed and while Claire headed to the beach, Maureen, Steve and I visited the supermarket for supplies.
Claire took a dip in the icy waters, then retreated to the beach bar for a beer.
After a lazy afternoon where we stretched and rolled on my cork ball and drank chilled beers, we headed out for dinner. Only thing, it’s Monday evening and a lot of places are closed.
We decide to do our own dinner and grab some supplies from the supermarket.
After a hot day, we’re happy for the cool night breeze.
Tomorrow we have another long day, over 25km. But that’s tomorrow, no need to worry about that now. I just hope we have a cooler day.
The Long Portuguese Camino 