Camino Portuguese: Day 2

10/10/12  Azurara to Fao, 21.5km

Not a lot of waymarks, but this one was pretty obvious. 

   Today started out well, until I crossed the bridge into Vila do Conde.  Then I lost the yellow arrows and was sent the wrong way by a well-meaning woman.  She thought I was trying to reconnect with the Caminho Central, which is the most common route.  Eventually I found the way again, not before finding a Franciscan monastery and getting completely turned around!

Just across the bridge, if you take a right  you can end up back on the Caminho Central....I did not want to do this.  The route continues straight ahead before turning left, if I remember correctly.

I spent a lot of time walking along routes that followed local paths along the beach.

This stretch involved a lot of town walking before eventually doing more coastal walking.  There was a good mixture of wooden boardwalks (which I love) and "senda" walking.  The most fun part of the day was when the trail left a campground and I ended up at a four way intersection with no idea where to go.  A car came along and pointed me in the right direction.  I kept walking through essentially local farmland.  At some point, I reconnected with the Caminho Orla Litoral and began a long 2km slog down a street full of seafood restaurants.  I wanted to stop and eat but I really wanted to get to the hostel in Fao.

Portuguese Campground.  In the US, I think we call this "glamping".

The last several kilometers were along this boardwalk and I really enjoyed figuring out what these buildings are.  My best guess: windmills.  If anyone knows, please let me know!

The hostel in Fao.  Nothing too fancy, but it was warm and dry with wi-fi. 

   The youth hostels in Portugal offer a 10% discount to pilgrims with a credential and don't require you to be a member.  For 9,90€ I had a bed and breakfast in the morning.  The hostel was pretty dead and I had a 4-bed bunk room to myself.  There were a few other people, no pilgrims, though.  I spent the evening relaxing and snacking on some food I was able to buy at a local store.