Yesterday one of Alan’s closest friends suggested that as it would rain again on Sunday we should have a wine tasting day. When one of his “daughters “ heard that together with Rihanna he was considering the options of either walking 28kms or 13kms, she advised him to walk the shorter distance in the rain and save his strength for longer distances for fine weather.
Discretion being the better part of valour he worked out a plan with Rihanna to walk shorter distances over the next few days of uncertain weather!
One effect of this wise decision was that there was no need for an early start!
We left our floor space and the welcoming, but cold fire brigade building around 9 o’clock and after a short walk found a Café for breakfast!
We noticed another couple of hikers/pilgrims soon after, but had no opportunity to speak to them then.
The route took us away from the main road and along a coastal path. There were many joggers and other walkers using this lovely route too.
The path took us alongside a railway line which we had to cross. This we did at a station where we now met the pilgrim couple again. They were Hanna and Jork from Finland. They spoke little English and like us stopped for coffee in the station snack bar, but were soon off on their own!
After 12.8kms we came to Alhandra and the fire station that Alan had originally wanted to stop at once leaving Lisbon. The total distance from Lisbon would consequently have been just over 40 and not the 31kms stated in the guide book!
Our humans stopped for an isotonic drink along the sea front of Alhandra and shortly after starting again met up with another pilgrim. This man was on his fourth Camino and as luck would have it another Dutchman from Groningen called Theo!
He decided to walk with our humans.
Along the nice path they now walked were various opportunities to sit by paintings and so they had their photo taken by the one painting of a pilgrim on the path.
In the railway station earlier Alan had used the opportunity to book two beds in the hostel in Villa Franca de Xira. Theo decided on a single room and so we never saw him again.
Today being the 13th and a Friday it was not an unlucky day for us as it did not rain. The sun even came out so we could walk in shirtsleeves! But now we found that our room was also number 13, which has its own loo and shower room number 13 just opposite in the corridor!
We even have a small balcony with fine views over the town.
The small town has a large lovely building as a fresh market which Mönchengladbach should copy!
This is our hostel.
Our humans went out looking for a place to eat and chanced upon a nice family run place. Mother and daughter and friend.
On the TV was the Bull Fight in Seville and the daughter told us that she had been injured by a bull. In Villa Franca, like Pamplona the bulls run through the streets to the arena and she had got caught by a bull!
Alan had a sort of surf and turf followed by chocolate mouse and coffee!
So ends another day on the Camino!
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