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Published: November 11th 2017
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Our fancy digs at the hotel Tuesday, November 7, 2017, to Oliveira de Azemeis, Hotel Dighton, should have been 19.1 km. Much the same kind of walking as yesterday. We again met a pilgrim going to Fatima, this time from France. Between my poor French and her poor English we didn't talk for long. Near mid afternoon I got a terrible stomachache, and we stayed a long time at our lunch stop. We stopped again soon at a gas station with a cafe for a Coke to settle my stomach. It didn't work so Charlie went to ask the barman to call a taxi to take us the last 6 kms. One of the other customers overheard him and said he would drive us to our hotel. Such a nice guy - Carlos. After our experience freezing last night I wanted a place with heat. We splurged on a very nice hotel. It's hard to believe a city this size has only 4 choices for accommodations - this hotel, an albergue in an old mill off the path, and 2 pensions whose phone numbers don't work. We ate in the hotel dining room and stuck out like a sore thumb among all the business travelers.
Wednesday, P1000478
Along the path November 8, 2017, to Malaposta, Feira Pedra Bela Hotel, 18 km. This morning we had probably the best buffet breakfast of our trip so far - included in our hotel price, with bacon and eggs and sausage, cut up fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh squeezed orange juice, sweet breads and ham and cheese and other things. I didn't want to leave the hotel. Besides being warm it was really nice. We walked through a lot of towns today. We're getting close to Porto so I think we're in its bedroom communities. We stopped for lunch at the first cafe we spotted coming into Sao Joao, but Sao Joao (St. John) is a loooong town and there were dozens more. We're in another hotel tonight, not too bad but a little cold and lousy internet, but they were nice when we complained, put a space heater in our room, and that helped. I could get spoiled with these hotels - not much pilgrim suffering here! There really aren't a lot of choices between Albergaria-a-Vehla and Porto.
Thursday, November 9, 2017, to Porto, Day 1, Airbnb apartment, should have been 30 km. Well, we wimped out today in favor of a warm
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Coming into Porto place to stay and an extra day in Porto. Porto is 30+ kms. away and not many options exist in between, and we read on another blog that Brierley's distance estimate is 12 km off! So we took the bus. We were able to sleep late (nice) and had another really good breakfast buffet included in the price. If we consider what we would have paid for breakfast the hotel cost was about what we paid for the cold pension 2 nights ago. The ride into town was slow - the local bus, but we didn't mind. We had the driver drop us off at the bus stop closest to the famous Ponte (bridge) Luis I so we could experience walking over it into Porto. What magnificent views of the river. We stopped at the Cathedral and picked up a stamp for our Pilgrim Credencial and checked out where our route was for leaving Porto. I love Porto. We were here last year after our Camino Frances. We'll be here 3 days, staying in a really nice Airbnb near the Cathedral, our starting point on Sunday, a great location. We have the whole apartment to ourselves (with heat!) for much
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Luis I Bridge less than a cheap hotel and just a little bit more than a hostel (Porto accommodations are expensive!). My body has been crying out for a good long rest before we start on Phase 2 of our walk - up the Coastal Route through Portugal and on to Santiago de Compostela.
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