Today I decided not to try and walk any proper distance. The blister on my left foot was now essentially a whole in my skin, and quite a deep one at that. I found out that there was a bus from Barcelos to the next major town up the route, Ponte De Lima, leaving at 12:30pm, so I also had a chance to do some laundry and try and find some new insoles and some other bits and pieces. I got my bits of housekeeping done and was soon on my way across Barcelos to the bus station. For some reason, there was no other way of getting to the bus station on foot other than to walk in a massive U shape and walk along the side of a busy highway. Once I got to the bus station, I was presented with what felt like some weird pocket dimension…
The building was vast, with no signage or display boards whatsoever. There were a couple of other people hanging around, but it was an odd, almost creepy, place to be even for 15 mins or so. The bus did turn up on time and the drive to Ponte De Lima was about 30 mins. I was glad to see that the scenery looked much more akin to what I have been looking forward to; pine and eucalyptus trees, terraced vineyards, rural houses etc.
I had a private room booked at one of the hostels, which as it happened was right next to where I got off the bus. After I had checked in, I had a wander into the historic part of the town. Ponte De Lima isn’t a big place at all, but there’s some nice looking churches and parks. The main landmark is the (originally at least) Roman bridge.
I found a little restaurant nearby and ordered my first ‘Menu Peregrino’ consisting of soup, grilled chicken and a glass of Vinho Verde.
The food was very homely, and was my first proper meal since arriving in Portugal.
The rest of the afternoon and evening I just tended to my feet a little bit and got an early night. I was determined to get walking proper the next day, and rest was really my best option to feel as comfortable as possible on my feet.
One Step Bey0nd 