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Always better to concentrate on the positive I think...stages are so much more than the place, they're the company, they're a bird that lingered in a tree just long enough singing that you noticed and are convinced its singing to you!... Just my advice, but why search for something you wish you avoided (when you didn't)...just my thoughts...Here is my curiosity for this Sunday day!We all have different tastes, different allocated time and different goals for the camino. And some no goals at all! I hear a lot said about the cities that were so amazing and that they wish they had given more time to that stage, like the espiritual variante, etc... Here is the reverse.
Now reflecting over your stages on the CP which part(City) you liked the least and thought you should have gave that extra time to the next (or other) village. Or even which stage you wish you skipped and why? Eventhough i realize this can be a matter of personal experience and taste.
More opportunity for additional explorations in the future with the experience you learned.I wish my knees had been feeling cooperative so that on my inland Portuguese trek I could have walked on another few kms past the one Albergues on the highway at Albergaria-a-Nova. Reviews since I stayed are pretty uniformly awful. Would definitely walk to the Catholic Refugio at Pinheiro da Bemposta (and other places there have good reviews too).
Also: wish I had stayed in Mealhada on my first night instead of walking further on to Sarnadelo -- which was very much a truck-stop. It "saved" me only about 1.8 kms on the next day and I paid in terms of amenities, interest etc.
Yes. I will start from Porto but like you i heard people not so excited about that first part there of leaving Lisbon like you said. Nice to be able to choose which ones to repeat and which ones to avoid. Specially for those that go totally uninformed or unprepared not knowing if they will face hills, flat surface, traffic or nature... for example i already know that i will want to avoid the industrial part towards o Porrino and choose to go close to the river... i am sure i will face different challenges in any path but some i can avoid. No need for me to look for and walk constantly on traffic, if i dont enjoy that and if i could sometimes have the choice to just turn towards the river. Or for some that keep sleeping in bigger cities if they like smaller ones. Even though i know the experience will be beautiful no matter where i walk and my body tells me i can go. But when i can i just like to put the cherry on the cake.It's the journey for me... each part is a portion of the whole. Without the bad experiences (rare), I'd maybe fail to appreciate how wonderful some of the other experiences were.
Addressing the question: purely a matter of taste, but that first leg leaving Leon is forgettable. The first two legs leaving Lisboa on the CP are also on my "do not repeat" list. Generally, any leg taking me through an industrial district is on my "taking the bad with the good" list. It's unavoidable if you wish to complete the whole journey.
Buen
Hi Faye! Good Day!! Please am trying to understand you calling Mealhada your first stop (?) means you started around 20-25 km south that morning ? Possibly Coimbra as the start of your CP? Had you walked the section Lisbon to ( assuming ) Coimbra stretch on a previous camino and were back the 2nd time ?I wish my knees had been feeling cooperative so that on my inland Portuguese trek I could have walked on another few kms past the one Albergues on the highway at Albergaria-a-Nova. Reviews since I stayed are pretty uniformly awful. Would definitely walk to the Catholic Refugio at Pinheiro da Bemposta (and other places there have good reviews too).
Also: wish I had stayed in Mealhada on my first night instead of walking further on to Sarnadelo -- which was very much a truck-stop. It "saved" me only about 1.8 kms on the next day and I paid in terms of amenities, interest etc.
Hi Faye! Good Day!! Please am trying to understand you calling Mealhada your first stop (?) means you started around 20-25 km south that morning ? Possibly Coimbra as the start of your CP? Had you walked the section Lisbon to ( assuming ) Coimbra stretch on a previous camino and were back the 2nd time ?
Very Best.
Capt Bonnie
Agree completely. However, on the way out of Leon, take left right after La Virgen del Camino for the alternative route via Villar de Mazarife and next day to Hospital de Orbigo: A peaceful, easy alternative. I will take that alternative each time. Never again being a "Highway Man"! And I no longer worry about leaving Leon.Addressing the question: purely a matter of taste, but that first leg leaving Leon is forgettable. The first two legs leaving Lisboa on the CP are also on my "do not repeat" list. Generally, any leg taking me through an industrial district is on my "taking the bad with the good" list.
I should have looked up, I would still be there rolling on the ground laughing, Good share!That's a tough one!
When I was walking from Via Chã to Vila do Conde, I accidentally switched from the Senda Litoral to the Coastal. It was a lot of cobblestones and certainly not my favourite part of that Camino. But if I had not made that wrong turn, I would have missed the church with the waterspout pictured below.
Were I to do it again, I might sacrifice seeing Caldas de Reis in order to walk the Variante Espiritual. Not because I was unhappy with Caldas de Reis, but because I've heard such glowing reports of the VE. I might also head west to the coast when I got to Valença/Tui to pick up the Coastal route in Spain. Again, not because I was unhappy with the route I walked but because I've heard that the Coastal route in Spain is spectacular.
What I saw on my accidental diversion:
View attachment 104672
I started to continue down the highway after La Virgen, but it was being very heavily traveled and I thought that this couldn't possibly be the official route. After about 1KM, I consulted my guidebook and realized I had missed the (alternate) route to Vilar de Mazarife. Turned around and went back until I found the left turn to VdM that I had missed. The sign to VdM had been partially obscured by yellow paint which I later discovered was a misguided attempt by some of the highway businesses to keep us pilgrims headed their direction and away from VdM. One learns interesting lessons on these walks.Agree completely. However, on the way out of Leon, take left right after La Virgen del Camino for the alternative route via Villar de Mazarife and next day to Hospital de Orbigo: A peaceful, easy alternative. I will take that alternative each time. Never again being a "Highway Man"! And I no longer worry about leaving Leon.
Btw very creative composition.That's a tough one!
When I was walking from Via Chã to Vila do Conde, I accidentally switched from the Senda Litoral to the Coastal. It was a lot of cobblestones and certainly not my favourite part of that Camino. But if I had not made that wrong turn, I would have missed the church with the waterspout pictured below.
Were I to do it again, I might sacrifice seeing Caldas de Reis in order to walk the Variante Espiritual. Not because I was unhappy with Caldas de Reis, but because I've heard such glowing reports of the VE. I might also head west to the coast when I got to Valença/Tui to pick up the Coastal route in Spain. Again, not because I was unhappy with the route I walked but because I've heard that the Coastal route in Spain is spectacular.
What I saw on my accidental diversion:
View attachment 104672
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