The four of us: Luis, Nearess, Carolen, and I shared a four bunk cubicle the previous night at the recently updated Hostel Albergue O Meson de Ponte Sampaio. Our cubicle was similar to a cozy train berth. We left before sunrise and promptly got turned around leaving town. Back on track, we found our way and made good time in the cool morning.
Luis picked up the nickname “Spicy” back at Casa Carolina when he loaded up his soup with Piri-Piri sauce. It was a fitting ironic name for such a mild mannered guy. He and I referred to the Californians as “the ladies” for as long as we knew them, partly because we couldn’t remember their names early on. The ladies put some thought into naming me and came up with “Papa-razzi”. They said I had a Dad vibe and was the unofficial photographer of the Portuguese Camino. Not minding a challenge, Luis and I began brainstorming names for Nearess and Carolen. I think that point when you start naming your adventure partners is the point when you truly become a tramily (a trail family).
Petra
Petra, from Germany, was on her first Camino.. She had been walking with another woman for a few days but got separated. She hoped to see her again in Santiago.
Lukas and John
Lukas and John, also Germans on their first Camino, were joking and having such a great time when I caught up to them, that I assumed they knew each other before the Camino. I was wrong. They met while walking and hit it off. I did see them again when we all reached Santiago.
Zoltan, Franz, and Theresia
Zoltan (German), Franz, and Theresia (Austrians) were three happy pilgrims we first met at Casa Carolina in Anha, Portugal. We hadn’t seen them recently as they had moved to the central route past Caminha. Franz and Theresia, a couple, met and befriended Zoltan on their first day of the Camino and had been together ever since. We ran into them at a busy restaurant in San Amaro.
Family of Pilgrims
This Spanish family of pilgrims were having a great time walking together near A Portela Barro.
We walked 37.7 km this day to O Cruceiro a village with the Albergue de Peregrinos de Briallos. No other facilities in this village were open so we called a taxi to take us to Caldas de Reis for lunch.