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It seems like a lot of time (almost a rest day) right at the edge of Santiago. What was there about Padron that commended it to you (twice) as a stop as opposed to pushing on towards/into Santiago?Padron. Twice. The second time the boat changed its sailing time the day before, from 10am to 7am. So we walked into Padron at about 10am. They originally had the small boat scheduled, but had to change to the much bigger boat to meet the demand, and the much bigger boat had to sail at high tide, so it couldn’t leave any later than 7am. We were staying about 2 or 3kms away, so we had to leg it to the harbour in the dark to get there by 6.45am.
I have plenty of time either way, so no reason to bus or forego the Compostela.We haven’t done it yet, but are planning to get to Santiago the same day the boat arrives in Pontecesures - to fit in the walk to Muxia in our available time. There are frequent buses from Padron and the other towns on the route ( Monbus), as a back up in case the ferry runs late that day. However, that does disqualify the compostela if a person wants it.
I suppose every camino leaves you with a few “I wish I had....” and I think that the hat museum in Sao Joao da Madeira and a detour to the monastery at Herbón would be my two for the Caminho Portugués. I assume you have seen all the descriptions, and the response by @Kiwi-family is the typical one given by people who have been there. A few kms off route, but it looks like the perfect place to spend your last night on the caminho.When taking the boat ride from Vila Nova de Arousa to Pontecesures, do most people carry on all the way to Santiago in that one day (26K), or stop in Padron/Herbon, or somewhere in between?
[And, yes, I recognize the "it depends" nature of the question (timing and length of the boat ride, weather, companions, ambition, schedule constraints, etc.).]
It seems like a lot of time (almost a rest day) right at the edge of Santiago. What was there about Padron that commended it to you (twice) as a stop as opposed to pushing on towards/into Santiago?
But I want it all, and I want it now!I suppose every camino leaves you with a few “I wish I had....” and I think that the hat museum in Sao Joao da Madeira and a detour to the monastery at Herbón would be my two for the Caminho Portugués. I assume you have seen all the descriptions, and the response by @Kiwi-family is the typical one given by people who have been there. A few kms off route, but it looks like the perfect place to spend your last night on the caminho.
That sounds absolutely wonderful, especially if coupled with an evening at Herbon.One of the best things to do on the whole of the Camino Portugués (and few people actually do it), is in Padrón, and that is to climb Monte Santiaguino. The access steps are across the bridge, to the right, and immediately on the left. Not far from the municipal albergue. The cross at the top of the hill is on the front cover of Brierley. This is supposedly the very start of St James’s ministry in Iberia. It’s very peaceful up there, just sit and contemplate your camino, before arriving in Santiago next day.
I surely don't look the part.He did look like an athlete, though.
But I want it all, and I want it now!
If we don't go onto Santiago, we're definitely staying at the monastery. Right now I'm just juggling where I make up a day so we can still walk to Finisterre. My preference is three days in Santiago rather than two, which means I either give up a day in Lisbon, or the day trip to Braga, or I put in a few longer days to pick up an extra day en route.
I also have rest/tourism days in Tomar, Coimbra, and Porto, but I'm not inclined to cut into those.
And yet he lights up like a Christmas tree at the memory! Compared to my unsolicited advice to him, yours was as if from the lips of God.Ok, here are some unsolicited reverberations to your post. As your dear son Joel so well knows, I love giving unsolicited advice. But the good thing is that I don’t care one whit whether you follow it, it is just FWIW.
Three days, and I won't cut into my final stay at Hotel Alen do Mar (always my second reservation after locking flights).How many days are you going to take to walk to Finisterre. My bet is that you will find it quite to your liking to do it in three days, especially if you go the first day to the lovely albergue in Vilaserio. If you have planned 4, that will open up a day.
Sintra is big on Bennet's desires (who knew the Moorish castle would attract a 16 year-old boy who grew up on Tolkien and Pirates of the CaribbeanLisbon is already pretty tight for you, IMO, in fact, I would probably give up Sintra and stay in Lisbon for your entire stay.
I was planning to day trip from Porto on the first and last trains of the day, and then taxi/uber to get to Bom Jesus, walk to Sameiro, and taxi/uber back into town. I would likely visit the music shop suggested by @Albertinho in quest for a Portuguese guitar for Kaleb. I am not familiar with Mateus.How are you going to work the day trip to Braga? It is a pretty little city, but i don’t think it stands out above Tomar or Coimbra. If the purpose is to go either to the Bom Jesus or the Mateus mansion/winery, those are both out of town and will require some travel planning that might make a day trip complicated.
Of course that's your opinion. Where do you think I got them from originally?Days in Tomar, Coimbra, and Porto are great ideas, IMO.
I actually like to putter around. Attend Pilgrim's Mass and pray at the crypt, plus Confession and daily Mass in English. Get compostelas. Visit museums. Stay out late. Get up late. See La Tuna. Shop for friends and family back home. Stash shopping at Ivars so I don't have to carry it to Finisterre. Hang out and meet people we've seen along the way. Celebratory dinner at Abastos 2.0. Two days feels rushed for this, and three feels right. Four would definitely be too much.Are you going to spend time in Santiago when you arrive from Padrón or when you return from Finisterre? I personally, and others may vehemently disagree, find that after one full day in Santiago I am feeling bummed and post partum. I think that is not an uncommon feeling for people who have been walking a long time and are trying to accept the reality that they cannot walk anymore. I know I’ve spent a lot more time there than you, and if you are feeling like you will be up to full blown tourist mode, you can surely fill all of those days. The one absolutely not to be missed spot, aside from the Cathedral and the square, of course, is the Portico da Gloria. A visit there might take some planning.
Muitos abraços em troca!So there you have it. Since I have obsessively thought about my own camino 2020 for so long, it’s time to turn my energy to other people’s. FWIW. Abraços from Laurie
I am not familiar with Mateus.
A good thing, given your profession!(The drinking age in the US was 18 when I was in college, so there was no illegal behavior going on).
That's always the case. All the planning now helps me to manage reality as it presents itself.maybe this is one of those many camino decisions that will unfold and make sense as you are actually walking.
Padron is really central to the tales of Saint James in Iberia. It is here that he is said to have had his mission when he lived and it is here that the boat with his remains is said to have fetched up after his martyrdom. If you have any interest in Saint James (and it is his relics that are, at least in theory, the reason that people walk to Santiago), then seeing these locations might be of interest.It seems like a lot of time (almost a rest day) right at the edge of Santiago. What was there about Padron that commended it to you (twice) as a stop as opposed to pushing on towards/into Santiago?
I walk to Santiago for far more than relics and traditions and theories. I walk for him to which they (and St. James himself) ultimately point, which makes everything else interesting, but not compelling.Padron is really central to the tales of Saint James in Iberia. It is here that he is said to have had his mission when he lived and it is here that the boat with his remains is said to have fetched up after his martyrdom. If you have any interest in Saint James (and it is his relics that are, at least in theory, the reason that people walk to Santiago), then seeing these locations might be of interest.
I love Padron peppers and will eat some there simply for the sake of saying I ate them in Padron, regardless of whether I pass through or stay. As I regularly eat hot chilies, I've never met a Padron I've considered more than mild. Likewise, I have no expectation of ever walking away from the roulette table as a winner . . .As well, Padron is known for the peppers (or pimientos) that bear the name of the town. They really should be tried when one is in Galicia, and what better place to try them than where they originate? Just beware, eating them is like playing roulette. Every once in a while you may find one that is a bit hotter than the rest.
Ah then, but then why Santiago? Isn't what (or who, not sure of the correct pronoun) you are walking for present everywhere? I do recognize that for many (most) pilgrims it isn't the relics that are the inspiration to walk. That's why I wrote "theoretically". But they are certainly the reason that Santiago de Compostela became the pilgrim destination it is today.I walk to Santiago for far more than relics and traditions and theories. I walk for him to which they (and St. James himself) ultimately point, which makes everything else interesting, but not compelling.
As a Catholic, I believe that God is indeed everywhere; the challenge is in my attentiveness. The camino aids me in being attentive; it helps me to listen, to see, to taste God where I would usually miss him. As a Catholic, I also believe that my full and complete participation in the Mass and reception of the Eucharist enables me to receive more grace than any pilgrimage, no matter how long or difficult. The camino aids me to participate more completely. Thus, the journey and the destination (and everything that go with them) are merely means to a much greater end.Ah then, but then why Santiago? Isn't what (or who, not sure of the correct pronoun) you are walking for present everywhere? I do recognize that for many (most) pilgrims it isn't the relics that are the inspiration to walk. That's why I wrote "theoretically". But they are certainly the reason that Santiago de Compostela became the pilgrim destination it is today.
Ok, here are some unsolicited reverberations to your post.
Lisbon is already pretty tight for you, IMO, in fact, I would probably give up Sintra and stay in Lisbon for your entire stay....FWIW. Abraços from Laurie
I am fairly sure that Emilio, the hospitalero in Vilanova, told me that it is €20. My memory is bad and there were insufficient pilgrims at the beginning of July this year so I had to walk. Depending on when you plan to go the price may be immaterial!What is the current price of the ferry from Vilanova de Arousa to Pontecesures?
I agree 100%. When we walked the route in 2016, my friend and I both felt that this place was the true culmination of our pilgrimage.One of the best things to do on the whole of the Camino Portugués (and few people actually do it), is in Padrón, and that is to climb Monte Santiaguino. The access steps are across the bridge, to the right, and immediately on the left. Not far from the municipal albergue. The cross at the top of the hill is on the front cover of Brierley. This is supposedly the very start of St James’s ministry in Iberia. It’s very peaceful up there, just sit and contemplate your camino, before arriving in Santiago next day.
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