2025 - Day 15 - São João da Madeira to Grijó

Scores on the doors 13.46 miles   278 m ascent 377 m decent.

In the night I had developed a sore throat but overall slept quite well and was still asleep when the alarm went off.  We got ourselves sorted and then went down to the Pastelaria (cake shop) owned by the hotel for breakfast. It was all a bit unclear what we could have, but we got a round of toast each, and a cake with some coffee. We then went back to our room (negotiating decorators who were out in the corridor painting - the hotel was having major renovations and was a bit of building site) finished our packing, and we’re on our way just after 9, stopping at a Chemist for some Ibuprofen and something for a sore throat.  (This holiday we must have spent about £100.00 in chemists for foot treatments and ibuprofen!)   The whole route today was all on tarmac, winding through back streets in São João before going up a steep road up to the N1 highway which we followed for a few km’s but we didn’t know when to turn off, and at one stage when looking at our guidebook, we were hailed by one of the working girls (who sit on chairs just off the main work waiting for trade!) to point us in the correct direction.  

Our turnoff eventually came, and soon we were treading one of the ancient Roman roads, first amongst houses before it became a green lane; an oasis on a day of suburban streets.  The cobbled Roman road, ended, but shortly after, we joined another series of roads which ran in a straight, (more Roman road) continuing down hill into the village of Ferradal. Just after passing a slightly down at heal looking bar, in a side road to the left, we spotted a bar/cafe sign and found a lovely place, beautifully clean where we got an iced tea, before continuing down hill, along rough back streets with manic speeding drivers, and came eventually into the town of Vergada. At the end of the straight road, we stopped at a Pastelaria for a coffee. We crossed, or went under several main roads, with lovely views down to the Atlantic coast opening up. By now we were in a greener and quieter neighbourhood and able to admire amazing flowers in people’s gardens and inspect their veggie patches.We then had the final push to the days end, passing the chapel of Santa Rita, an Italian Augustinian Nun with a partial stigmata (a wound on her forehead) who is a patron saint of impossible causes, (along with sterility, abuse victims, loneliness, marriage difficulties, parenthood, widows, the sick, bodily ills, and wounds.) So, she is a very busy lady!  (She is in this wayside shrine alongside St James and Our Lady of Fatima) And as her feast day is on the 22nd May, the whole village was getting ready with lots of lights and pictures of her. The chapel was open and in it were all sorts of statues and other things to buy to do with her “cult”.  These included model legs and feet (just what we need after this long walk!) Leaving the church, we went under a motorway before arriving at the wall of the Grijó Monastery, where we made our third stop of the day, at a small bar and shop next to the Albergue, before continuing to the  monastery entrance for our lift to our accommodation.  

After a phone call and discussion in broken English, we waited for our lift.  Our hoist arrived in an electric car and wisked us off to Couto Rural, an oasis in a busy world, where we were shown to our apartment/cottage.  We then sat in the garden to finish the beers we were given on arrival.  (We had asked for food yesterday, but had not had an acknowledgment until halfway through the morning - so on arrival I had to explain about my fish intolerance - it’s fortunate that I did as fish and potato pie was the dish of the day - however, our host was able to offer me pasta as a backup!) We then showered and went back into the garden for a cup of tea being called into our cottage for our meal, which started with Soup, fish pie for Lesley, and Pasta with garlic mushrooms and pork for me, all washed down with a bottle of Douro White wine. which After food we again went into the garden to finish the bottle before adjourning to our cottage for cheesecakes and a glass of White Port. 

We then watched and episode of extreme dreams before bed.