Camino de Santiago Portuguese Day 6 (September 2024)

 

Our sixth day was the longest journey with more than 31 km of walking. We were mentally prepared, but we were not sure if our bodies would handle the challenge. But, we started with a strong spirit. 

Moreover, I had a Zoom call scheduled at 5 PM so we not only had to walk a long distance but also quite fast. For the first four hours, we walked really fast. Almost without stopping, we walked 20 km in four hours. That was extremely fast. Mr. Yoon walked ahead of me and maintained the pace. I was able to barely catch up with him. I was grateful for his sensitivity to my need to arrive at the next stop in time for the Zoom call. 

For a few hours, the terrain was relatively flat and our speedy walk was not too bad. We made a stop at a mobile home park where a large windmill was erected as a landmark. We found seats right by the windmill and ate a sandwich, beef jerky, and snacks. We did not want to spend too much time on a meal. 

After the morning walk, we felt good and optimistic about arriving at the next hotel in time for the Zoom call. But, the Camino started climbing a hill continuously to the extent we felt skeptical about arriving at the hotel by 4 PM. But, we pushed ourselves hard and at the top the view was panoramic and breath-taking.

As we continued walking, we even passed by a foggy village that really looked like a mysterious fairy tale place.

Going down the hill and walking on the flat land were a lot easier. We were able to maintain our fast pace again as we passed through the shaded ways and the city streets.

We bumped into a couple Taiwanese ladies whom we met at the starting point. Later on, we kept bumping into them for a total of five times.

On the way, we were supposed to collect at least two stamps each day to be eligible to claim the Compostela Certificate in Santiago. The stamps were available usually at the merchants, but we found one by the road. There was a basket of small apples, asking for a donation.

Finally, we arrived in the Town of Baiona. It was a seaside town and the marina looked beautiful. Apparently, many pilgrims start their journey from here to meet the minimum requirement of 100 km to be able to claim the Certificate of Compostela. Tui and Sarria are other popular towns in Spain where many pilgrims start their 100 km journey.  

We checked in at the hotel around 4 PM. I took a shower, washed my daily clothes, and took part in the Zoom call for Dutch Nature just in time. The meeting was productive and I felt great about the day's achievements. The dinner was on our own and we had a delicious seafood pallella and grilled octopus. It was wonderful!

Since it was a long day, we passed by a lot of beautiful places and interesting landmarks. 

Here are more photos we took on the longest walk day. 

After all, I was extremely happy about finishing the longest walk day and immensely grateful for God's grace for us to do so. Praise the Lord! - Jeffrey