Stage 12. Albergaria-a-velha to Sao Joao de Madeira - 29.5kms, cloudy and humid

Once again, we were on the road and walking out of town early this morning.

There's an art to leaving early for a day on the Camino. We organise our gear the night before, including filling our water bags. We get up as others in the albergue are stirring, usually about 6am and sleepily roll up sleeping bags, wash and pack the last of our gear. We tape what needs taping on our feet (which seems to be more and more each morning!), take up our sticks, and then move out the door with a relatively vain attempt at silence. 

Some mornings there's breakfast at an early opening pastelaria on the way out of town, as we enjoyed today. Other mornings, we wait until the first rest stop and feel very virtuous with 5-10km under our belt before the first cafe con leite (coffee with milk)!

It was another grey day as you will see in the photos. It began with very light drizzle and mist, but the continued grey seemed due in part to this....

Neil was inspired thus ...

A pall of smoke hangs

low over the valley.

Autumn burning day.

A feature of today was the number of rail crossings.

P

Once again, most of the stage was on road but not such busy ones. We continued to pass through villages and semi-rural suburbs, enjoying the varied buildings, and the yards growing veggies, storing beautifully stacked wood and guarded by dogs large and small.

We've passed many shrines over the past few days, ranging from small niches in walls and in private gardens to larger structures in the middle of cross-roads or on bridges. Their contents also range from rather kitsch pictures of pallid Marys, to more striking images like this crucifixion. This one was on a bridge in the midst of a corn field.

This is the bridge.

And here is the corn field, complete with peregrino!

Some more photos from the way - dried husks of corn for feed.

Eventually we made it to the outskirts of Sao Joao. Geoff and Neil were a little ahead and had a beer waiting for Annemarie and Sarah - cheers!!

Shortly afterwards we found our digs, well situated in the central plaza. Here's the view from our window.

And here's the view in the room - not bad, and they even provide a basin for soaking tired feet!!

We have caught up to some of the crew from our first stage so we are looking forward to connecting over dinner. 

We are also hoping that Ilja has made it safely to Porto and the end of this stage of his Camino. Ilja, well done. We really enjoyed walking those early days with you. Safe travels home too.

Bom caminho

Sarah and Neil