The blister is bearing up, so the 5 mile walk into Ponte de Lima yesterday was very pleasant. As I am not much of a walker, we are taking the journey very slowly, with the result that we are constantly being overtaken by other Pilgrims. They are of all nationalities, and we have met some from as far afield as America.
However, going slowly does have it's advantages! We see things that you would miss if you walked quickly The industriousness of the Portuguese people, especially the women, is impressive. We have seen then turning the corn kernels over, and breaking up ploughed fields in their bare feet. One women was hand washing clothes in an outside washing house with only water, and others were harvesting grapes.
Yesterday a group of grape pickers inviting us over to watch them harvest, and share their grapes with us. Even a wedding party waved to us as we stood watching all the preparations. The people are universally very welcoming, constantly saying "Bom Camino!" as we pass!
The entrance into Ponte de Lima is quite spectacular as it is a very long avenue of lime trees, I think (I am not much a tree expert!). The town comprises lots of little streets, squares and of course a very long C13th stone bridge over the river Lima, which is crossed by the Camino. I can do no better than share some photographs of the town with you, so that you can get a sense of what it is like. Unfortunately, I cannot load photos at the moment, so I will try again later today.
We are just off on the next stage of our journey, which is a bit unusual, so I will share that with you next time I write!
Love
Rina
Well done Rina. The scenery looks as spectacular as ever and wish I could do it all over again! Love and Blessings to you all. Maura
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