Miles walked 7.73
Miles in taxi: approximately 5
Flights of stairs climbed equivalent while walking: 52
Flights of stairs avoided by taking taxi: approximately 100 (and that many down as well)
We got up early and left Los Arcos without breakfast or coffee. (I did take a caffeine pill.) We had breakfast/coffee in Torres del Rio after about 4.5 miles of walking. We enjoy starting out on an empty stomach.
Most of those 4.5 miles were fairly flat and then it started to get quite hilly.
It’s been interesting noting the things we remember from being here 12 and 13 years ago. And the things we remembered wrong. Both of us were SURE Torres del Rio was up on a hill and Sansol was down in the valley before Torres del Rio. Turned out to be the opposite. Sansol is on the hill, Torres del Rio is lower. How could we both get it wrong?
Torres del Rio has the most amazing 12th century Knights Templar church, Iglesia do Santo Sepulcro de Torres do Río. It was locked today. (There was a number to call if you wanted someone to let you in.) But we noticed birds building mud nests up along its roof line. This is the third church where we’ve seen this on this Camino, something we’ve never seen before. Perhaps this is something that only happens for a short time of the year? Birds flitting about either bringing mud for the nests or perhaps food for their chicks? I took a video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/XrGVtR16LgSUu2iU8
Maybe you bird people can let us know what kind of birds these are and what they are doing??
The walk we needed to do today to get to Viana was longer than we wanted to do in distance, heat, and extreme ups and downs. So, we decided to take a taxi the last 5 miles into Viana. I felt so sorry and admiring of all the pilgrims we passed trudging through the hot sun. Of course, we had done that walk twice before: in 2013 and then again in 2014.
We are staying in a nice hotel in Viana. Kind of a faded glory hotel. It hasn’t been updated in a while. (Evidenced by the wall phone missing a receiver next to the toilet.) But quite comfortable, and inexpensive (65 euros). We ate lunch in their restaurant and it was amazing (and not cheap by pilgrim standards, but not expensive by USA standards). The trouble with these menus is I always eat too much.
I’m reposting this, as it seems to have not posted.
Another three part comment.
(1) The church at Los Arcos has undergone significant modification as the top of the bell tower is clearly Baroque, but the church is much older.
(2) Too much food!! With four appetizers, and considering the size of the salmon carpaccio, a main course, and dessert, you must have been positively stuffed. Way too much food. I’d have been happy with the four appetizers and dessert for half the cost!
(3) The trail looks like you couldn’t possibly get lost. On some of your other Camino walks on other routes the paths looked quite primitive and having an app that tells you when you are “off the trail” must be very handy. No app needed here.
Definitely too much food! We didn’t have dinner at all that day. When the server brought out the second course, a big hunk of lamb and a lot of fish, she seemed apologetic. Next time we’ll try for a split.
And yes, we are in the part of the Camino with copious markers and clear paths.