Oooh. What can I say. As we left behind Barcelos on the Portuguese Central route, it became clear that William, my furry peregrino was struggling with the heat by lunchtime. It’s okay not to be okay on the Camino, so we took a taxi to Casa de Fernandes in Vitorino de Piaes.
Walking with William means that I often miss out on staying in albergues. So, we were in for a treat!
Our bed for the night was an open terrace with the most comfortable bed I’ve sat on for the whole Camino. I slept like a log with the gentle breeze rustling through the trees.
The albergue is surrounded by fruit trees – I tasted my first mirabelle fruit! There are sunflowers blooming in abundance, chickens roaming free, vines ripe with grapes and the odd cabbage or two.
The owners are true hospitaleros with the warmest welcome I’ve received on this Camino, as they greet pilgrims with wine, cheese, fresh melon and ripe tomatoes. The melon was enough to cool down after a hot day on the Camino. I couldn’t thank them enough.
Most importantly, for me, William is being treated as a little King!
I’ve often dreamed of opening an albergue to welcome pilgrims on the long road to Santiago. A place like this albergue would suit me just fine!
Our one and only night under the night sky brought our Camino to an end. William decided enough was enough so we’ll be returning to complete the final stage between Vitorino de Piaes to Valenca early August. (We’ve walked the route between Valenca and Santiago before.)
Buen Camino, peregrinos. Another wonder Camino de Santiago came to an end as we returned to the Portuguese Coastal route to rest our tooties before another adventure begins again.
If you plan to walk the Camino de Santiago and need a little helping hand preparing for your journey, why not let me take care of the mundane, leaving you to enjoy the magic? I offer Camino Itinerary Planning on all Camino routes.
Check out my book, A Wild Woman’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago for practical advice on preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago including snippets from my journey and stories from Camino pilgrims.
Please note – Accommodation owners are not aware that I review albergues, guesthouses or hotels during my stay. I do not receive any financial benefit for supporting Camino accommodations on my website.
(c) Samantha Wilson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
