Day 4 Ponte da Lima- Rubiaes 18 km

Resting Day?

Today is a day of 18 km. The Portuguese pilgrim says she has a friend who did this before and she told her it is a very steep route. Now it rained so much we get afraid because it is wet and because it is a dirt road, the stones roll down when stepping on them. We need to be careful. My Italian friends, don’t want to take the risk. One is a young doctor and he says: “I like to reach Santiago alive.” His plan is to stay two days in Ponte da Lima, and stay inside tomorrow. Thursday the weather will be better, and then his idea is to do the following stage from Rubiaes to Tui on Thursday. I also like to stay inside with heavy rain. But where to stay or what to do… In the albergues you can only stay for one night… except in our casa, where you can stay for two nights too!

I know what to do; I will take a day off, because of the storm and rain. I will visit a museum in Ponte da Lima and go to Rubiaes with the bus. It is wise to skip this part, you need to cross the mountain, and the path is a river now. That is what Anna said, who did the path a few days ago. Soon we receive messages from pilgrims who started early in the morning that you cannot pass because of the water. This means you need to take another route, via de road.

Ponte da Lima Resting Point

The rain and storm was so heavy that we don’t have electricity in the Albergue. We have a great breakfast with my fanorite sponge cake Pao de Lo,, and pastry with chicken. Then I go to a museum for toys, but they have a problem, no light so all is dark. What do we do now? She advises us to go to another museum, Vinho Verde museum. The Brazilian pilgrims likes to go there and we go in the rain, luckily this one has electricity and is open. I buy a vinho verde rose, to drink today with the other pilgrims. Then we search for a good restaurant, and yes. The woman from the bakery advises Restaurant Mercado, a cheap and good one. The pilgrims menu or menu do dia was great, we have a choice between fish and meat, soup and it costs only 7,50 including a drink.

Meanwhile the Italians let us know they wait for us and we go together to the next etappe by taxi. It is good to have a rest day although it feels strange for the men. It feels like a lost day,. I see it differently but it is strange to have a whole day, and nothing to do while having the goal to walk and reach a certain point.: I am happy that I stay dry today, and yesterday too. Also today, first day of all my caminhos, I have a breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks in between. Last few days I only had one proper meal, and some fruits, and bread during the walk.
During my dinner with other pilgrims I see films and photo’s of the flood and the road, which really looks like a river.


 

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