September 28, 2025
Camino Portuguese
Total miles walked 11.66 miles
Ponte de Lima to Rubaies
The day has come for our first real ascent and the highest ascent on the Camino Portuguese.
The path started out innocent enough. Lots of flat land meandering through vineyards, corn fields, and forest. We had a good stop at 2.5 miles for a cold drink and at about 5.5 miles we stopped for lunch. Then things started to get ugly.
It’s so hard to capture the ascent in a picture. The last 250 meters was a steep incline with large boulders/stones (like the size of a large laundry basket) that took us almost an hour to climb. Luckily we did reach the summit before things got out of hand.
JThis is the Cruz do Franceses. It’s one of two prominent crosses where people bring a stone to symbolize relinquishing their burdens. It’s the Portuguese equivalent of the Cruz de Ferris (the iron cross on the Camino Frances). There’s a slightly larger cross over the summit part way down. I suppose if you need to pray to make it over the top you leave your stone here and if you are giving thanks for having made it you leave it at the other cross.
Bom Caminho
One day I decided to go for a walk... 