The Camino is a balancing act between “pushing your physical boundaries” and “listening to your body.” Today, I chose the latter.
Last night, I felt a tinge of soreness in the same calf that gave me problems a couple of years ago. It may be nothing, but next week has lots of long walks, so rather than walk 14 miles today, I took a cab part way, and only walked about 3 miles. Tomorrow was already going to be a short day, so that will give me two consecutive days to rest my leg.
Unfortunately, rest days, especially when you are trying to stay off your feet, are pretty boring. Lots of sitting around. Sorry, not many interesting photos.
The Cab Ride from Hell
While taking a taxi seemed like the “safe” bet, the ride was anything but safe. The driver sped down the narrow twisty roads and through small villages, slamming on his brakes when other cars approached or to make a particularly sharp turn. In his broken English the driver said “I like to drive fast” and “Some of my passengers are scared.” Uh duh.

The Walk
It was short and sweet. Started in one tiny town, and finished in another tiny town. This area is very rural.






The Hotel
I’m staying at a place which is essentially a B&B. It’s very small, but has a cool art theme and a nice pool. Pretty nice for a town that has one cafe (which closes at 3:00PM each day).




Tomorrow I’m off to a bigger town. Should be about a 4 mile walk. They have a laundromat there! Civilization!
Thank God, a laundry mat. You’re not being a wuss are you, Bill❓
I won’t use it unless it’s in a parking lot. I promise.
No trip to a different country isn’t complete without a “cab ride from hell”. Glad you made it safely to your destination!!
Should have waited one more day to binge blog catch up given your short day today. Always good to listen to your body. My body is telling me to hang out in the backyard with my dog. Resting up for the 10 cubic yards of bark we are spreading around the yard this weekend. I’ll be dreaming of being on the Camino with you. Hope the leg feels better.
A good move… being in tune with the warning signs and listened to your body is the absolute path to a successful hike. In the long run, you will be better off. As for the cab ride… oh boy! A dip in the pool… rest, relax and float away.
I think your driver in Greece (aka Bill Stych) and your cab driver in Portugal went to the same driving school.
I don’t think either ever learned to drive.