Mom For A Day + Hills

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We were delighted to wake up to sunny skies and tuck our raincoats back in the pack. Leaving friendly Hostel 11, we walked out along the coast past old fortifications that guarded the entrance to Esposende’s coast. Today would be our longest hike so far - 16 miles and our first hills.

A few miles out of town we turn up towards the hills and start our climb. As we’re walking, we’re joined by a young woman named Ekaterina, who’s from the Czech Republic but currently working for booking.com in the Netherlands. We had seen Ekaterina on the Porto Metro when we were going to Se Cathedral to get our official “sello” or stamp marking the beginning of our journey. She now told us how happy she had been to see us, because we were the first people she saw with backpacks.

At 27 years old, daughter of a single mom, Ekaterina hadn’t traveled much alone and she was happy to see familiar faces. As we walk up steep pathways into the hill towns that run parallel to the ocean, we gain panoramic views over red-tiled roofs and we share our stories.

It’s a beautiful hike through cobblestoned streets between ancient stone walls. We all talk non-stop, which makes the time pass. Six or seven miles in, we duck into a tiny cafe for an espresso and in the 15 minutes we’re in there, the skies open and the only rain of the day passes through. A friendly local ducks under the awning with his 3-month old German Shepherd puppy on a leash, with a concerned mom following behind.

The main variation from cobblestoned streets is soft woodland paths running through fragrant eucalyptus forests. We follow one of these paths down to a stone bridge over the river Nieve, then up what seem to be endless straight-up climbs to a church and monastery with great 180 degree views. My calves are screaming and I feel like I have to deliberately lift each foot with every step. But at the top we take off our packs and sit in the sun for half an hour.

Coming down, we look expectantly to the village where we’ll grab a late lunch (2 PM). We have the standard chorizo and cheese sandwich and I have a small glass of tawny Port to take the edge off the ache in my back and hips. We’ve learned enough about Ekaterina to coach her a bit on her career ambitions for Booking.com. We all tackle one more challenging climb before descending into Viana do Castelo and passing over the long (almost a half mile) Gustav Eiffel bridge into the town. We part ways with our adopted daughter-for-a-day, we to a hotel just a stone’s throw from the bridge and Ekaterina to the telepherique that will take her to the albergue snuggled next to the cathedral on the mountain that towers over the town.

Data: 16.6 miles, 19 floors climbed

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