El Camino Portuguese Balugaes to Ponte de Lima

El Camino Portuguese 

Balugaes to Ponte de Lima

It was a wet start to the day. It rained during the night and was still raining at breakfast. I put on my waterproofs and started walking.

I put my camera into the rucksack rather than hanging it from the karabiner on the shoulder strap where it usually lives due to the rain so there are few pictures of the start of the day. Some of the cloud drifting in the valley ahead of me.

I passed the church in Sagres with its distinctive onion dome. The name of the village is also the name of one of the top two leading brands of beer in Portugal.

One of the may drinking fountains situated along the trail with the fountain to the right and a blue azulejos tiled depiction of a pilgrim to the left.

Another municipality and another style of sign.

One of the many chapels situated along the route.

And on a wall, I spotted this tile next to the sign with the name of the road on it. It was just the single tile and unique as I didn't see another version of this style.

I had seen plenty of sweet chestnuts lying on the ground but few of the chestnuts were still inside their prickly outer coating as some animal or bird and eaten them. But here was an orchard of sweet horse chestnuts and the harvest was underway, picking them by hand to have the nuts removed from their skins back at the farm. 

One of the trees weighed down with the bumper crop of nuts.

A statue of a pilgrim. 

And then there were a series of different signs yet again.

And another unique tile merely indicating that you were on the right route but no arrow.

From the map and from the sound of the river just beyond the trees, I was near to the Rio Lima but I couldn't see it until crossing over the Ponte de Barros medieval bridge over the Rio Travel where the  route swings down to follow the river bank of the Rio Lima into the centre of the town.

I passed the Torre da Cadela, a 14th century defensive structure and former prison which now houses the Tourism office. 

A view of the ancient bridge across the Rio Lima, rebuilt in 1368 on the original Roman foundations at over 300 metres long but only four metres wide. On the far side is the 

It was Fire Brigade Day in the city and there was a display of old fire engines overlooking the river with the Sao Paulo tower in the background.

And more old fire engines.

A view to the north across the bridge. And then I went for a walk around the old centre.

Some of the old buildings in the centre.

The 15th century Igreja Matriz church in the town centre...

...an azulejos tile picture on one side of the church...

...and a statue of a bull to one side of the church. There was yet another 16th century Igreja da Misericordia in the centre but I had seen plenty so didn't make the effort to go and see it. 

And then I walked the three kilometres out of town to find my hotel.