Hard to believe this is day 11 on our hike. Seems like we just started a few days ago! I had to look at the map to realize we have walked over 120 miles so far.
Today the company that arranged our trek & luggage transfers gave us a short 4.5 miles to walk. On our last Camino two years ago, we would have begged for a 4.5 mile day. On that trek we averaged 14.5 miles a day… for 38 straight days.
Even though we could have easily walked further, with afternoon rain in the forecast (which did occur), it was nice to be done before noon & be dry.
Redondela is a quaint Spanish town with many old buildings still standing.
Small cobblestone streetsAt one time, animals were kept below & living quarters were aboveHome with old granary out front
Now that many more people have joined the Camino, there is a steady flow of walkers on the route. As the day progresses, people become more & more spread out.
Pilgrims leaving Redondela on the way up the first big hill. We saw a few people on our last Camino walking with their dog, but this is our first time to see 2 dogs walking the trail together
At breakfast, we heard these two lovely ladies stating they had started this Camino 33 days ago in Lisbon & were carrying all their belongings.
We later met them on the trail & had a short chat. They are from Canada & are 79 years old!!! Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to still be walking Caminos at that age. 🤞
We had not seen people jettisoning their shoes until today. Maybe they were uncomfortable or too heavy; but, no Camino is complete without seeing abandoned footwear.
However, others like to leave memories of loved ones or just stuff to show they were here.
Evidently, Halloween has become an event celebrated worldwide.
This home gets the award for most clever decorations.
A few things caught our attention on our short walk.
Old fountainExample showing the many languages spoken by people who walk the CaminoCute cafe in ArcadeA Mail box along with a Bread box at a house. Soooo wish that bread delivery was possible where I live. A country that understands the importance of fresh baked bread has the right priorities. 🤣Here’s a view into a bread delivery van. There is a wide assortment available, not just French bread!
View from the hill we crested today to reach Arcade.
We finally reached a marker indicating less than 100km to Santiago
Our hike today was 10 miles in constant on & off rain.
About the time we thought the rain was finished, we would remove our rain ponchos & within 10-15 minutes, another rain shower would start causing us to gear up again. Such is life for a pilgrim on the Camino.
Here are a few images from when we walked out of Vigo.
Rainy start to the dayHalloween cookiesCitroen 2CV- my favorite old European car- notice the canvas, roll-back sunroofThese fruit stores are very popular in Spain
In the previous two days, we only saw 9 pilgrims in total. Today, we saw close to that many in the first hour.
To receive the Compostela Certificate in Santiago, you have to walk at least 100 km & collect stamps along the way in your Pilgrim Passport proving you walked it.
Vigo is exactly 100 km from Santiago which explains why we are now seeing more people on the path.
After climbing up a paved road on a very steep hill,to leave Vigo, we reached a nice flat plateau that wound through another eucalyptus & oak forest for several miles.
Some fun art work along the way.
Rande Bridge
Before reaching Redondela, we enjoyed a short rest at the Church of Santo Andre.
Church of Saint AndrePilgrim statue on the church facade
Our 12 mile walk today was an another enjoyable ramble. Rain was forecasted, so we wore our rain gear as we left Nigrán.
I added my poncho when I thought we were going to get a heavy rain.
However, there was hardly any precipitation & the clouds kept the temps in the low 60s which was lovely.
This water reservoir resting area would have been a great stop to use yesterday in the pouring rain.
Not long after leaving Nigrán we had a steady up hill climb to a forested area. This time the forest contained oak & chestnut trees. The ground was covered with furry looking chestnut husks.
It was lovely to have a nice fall walk through the forest.
Only 115 km to go. Ocean View
We passed by a very cute pilgrim spot to get a stamp in our Camino passports & had fun looking at all the decorations.
Along the walk we met 2 men on their way to Santiago. Simon who is around our age is from Chester, England, near Liverpool; Boris is a 45 year old man from Berlin.
Around noon we all stopped at a small pub. I had my usual cafe con leche. We had fun having a nice chat.
I think meeting new people on the Camino is the biggest bonus along the way
Boris ended up walking with us the rest of the way to Vigo. Since he lives in Berlin, we loved talking with him about our time in Berlin. He had also lived in London for 5 years, so his English was impeccable making it very easy to converse.
When we reached the outskirts, it took another hour to reach the Vigo city center. It’s a rather large city. As in many cities, graffiti is common on large walls.
We enjoyed a Nagano day tour & then went up to the mountains to see the snow monkeys in Jigokudani Monkey Park.
The first stop was at Nishomon Yodhinoya for sake tasting. There we sampled different kinds of rice wine & learned how different qualities were created based on how much of the rice husk was milled off to create the sake. We also enjoyed drinking Amazake which means “Sweet Sake”. It can also be made as an alcoholic drink. The Japanese have been making it since the 3rd Century & it is mentioned in “The Chronicles of Japan” which is Japan’s second oldest book.
Amazake is a sweet, creamy, non-alcoholic drink made from rice which is typically a summer drink; but, Japanese families drink it at dawn on New Year’s Day to ring in the New Year.
We learned the word “sake” actually means all alcoholic drinks in Japan including beer. Rice wine is actually called Nihon-shu.
When we left the sake shop it started snowing. We enjoyed the winter ambiance while visiting the Zenkoji Temple which is a very important Buddhist temple in Japan.
Ritual Offering Made Before Entering the TempleLight small incense sticks on a hot burnerWave the smoke over head for good luckPlace your incense inside large copper vessel under the dragon
Pictures are not allowed inside the temple; but, it was a large area to visit & inside you can buy small charms for wishing things such as “good luck, good health, & good fortune.” There are even charms for “good luck on exams.”
Here are a few sights near the temple.
You can write your wish on these small wooden boards which are hung outside most temples.
Nagano is known for 2 things- people living the longest here in Japan & its apples. We were told they grow over 40 apple varieties in Nagano.
While waiting for the tour to continue, I enjoyed an apple custard hot pie. It was delish!
We then had an hour drive to the Jigokudani Monkey Park. But, first we had a wonderful Japanese lunch with a traditional hot pot to cook your food at the table along with some veggie sushi & veggie tempura.
After lunch, we had a 1.25 mile walk through the forest to reach the Snow Monkey Park. Thankfully, I had clip-on crampon spikes for my shoes because the path was covered in snow & ice.
The monkey troop has the only monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs. This troop has over 150 monkeys. The troop size is large because other than raptors who may occasionally take babies, they have no natural predators on the ground & they are protected in the park.
Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) have the northernmost range of the world’s primates.
Snow Monkey Park was created in 1964 so the Japanese macaques could have a refuge within what was already their natural habitat. The naturally curious monkeys observed humans using the outside onsen hot spring at a nearby guesthouse during winter. The monkeys thought this was a great idea & jumped in the pool. However, the guesthouse owner was not too keen on monkeys fouling his clean onsen.
To keep the monkeys out of the onsen, a special hot bath was created for them inside the park.
In 1970, Life magazine featured the Snow Monkeys on its cover creating a world wild fascination about them & catapulted their onsen into a tourist destination overnight.
Finally arrived after a 30 minute walk.
On the day we went it was very cold so many monkeys were in their special onsen. Our guide said we were lucky to see so many young ones.
Since getting into hot baths is not a natural behavior for monkeys & they only started doing it in the 1960s by copying humans, this is the textbook definition for “Monkey See… Monkey Do.”
After talking about it for many years, we finally decided it was time to go skiiing in Japan. There are many ski resorts in Japan; but, we chose the place where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held.
The Alpine skiing events took place about a 1 hour drive from Nagano in the Hakuba Valley.
When planning a ski trip, you always hope for good snow on the slopes; but, you also dream of being in a winter wonderland.
This year both came true as the locals told us this is the most snow they have had in years & it is three times the norm.
Not wanting to lug skis through Japan’s busy train & bus terminals, we chose to rent our skies & poles which we got at a tiny shop near our hotel.
The Hakuba Valley has many resorts in varied sizes which are separated only by short distances from each other. With your ski pass, you have the option to ski at 6 different resorts. Each resort is connected by a free shuttle bus.
There was so much snow that sometimes our skies almost touched the snow while we were riding on the chair lifts. Many chair lifts had to be dug out from the snow to operate.
In the 5 days we skied, we were lucky to have 3 days with sunny blue skies.
Many skiers come to Japan to experience the light fluffy snow called Japow (Japan Powder).
On our last ski day we got to experience this magical condition when it snowed almost a foot in a few hours.
After a 30 minute break we could barely find our skis.
Japanese food always provided a warm & tasty lunch break
If you need something to drink, you could opt to use one of the many vending machines which found both inside & outside.
One ski lodge temped skiers with yummy desserts of ice cream or crepes.
Look closely, the food is plastic.
Some resorts had gondolas to reach the top.
Covers for skis & snowboards are given to prevent scratching the glass windowsZoom in on this message in the gondola. There were none.
My greatest apres-ski pleasure was going to an Onsen (public bath) which was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. For only $5, I could relax in hot mineral water for as long as I wanted. Maybe this is why the average person lives to be 85 in this area.😌
I was the only foreigner to use the Onsen during each of my visitsYou pay by vending machineThe Onsen I enjoyed did not allow tattoos & had signs in many locations stating this policy. Maybe because they knew besides keeping away criminals & young people, the policy would also would keep away many foreigners.
How lucky we have been with the weather!!! We enjoyed another nice sunny day. A little warm in the afternoon; but, nothing to complain about. We have been told by many locals how fortunate we have been because the weather earlier in May was very cold & wet.
Today is our next to last day on the Cotswold Way. We came across this sign early today reminding us that we were close to reaching Bath.
Unfortunately, the distance on the sign is incorrect as we have more than 17 miles to go from this point
Here are some highlights from today.
We passed many old stone churches and more farmers’ fields. I especially enjoyed walking by the wheat fields because my father grew wheat.
Some funny signs & sightings.
I wonder what they have for breakfast? Hmmm, if I was a walker, would I have a car? In case you have a heart attack while picking out a book. Unlike other speed limit signs that have no reason other than to annoy you. I’ll have some fried Butt Nuggets for breakfast please. Our favorite trail sign Zoom in to read why we had to make a detour Boy, some hikers must have really made the on locals angry
A little more than halfway through our walk we enjoyed stopping at Dyrham Park. It’s managed by the National Trust & was the location for the 1993 movie “The Remains of the Day” starring Anthony Hopkins & Emma Thompson.
Dyrham Park is a baroque English manor started in 1691 by William Blathwayt who started the British War Office under King William III & also administered the British colonies in North America & the Caribbean. Using these positions & connections enabled him to build this magnificent mansion & furnish it with fabrics, furniture, & art from all over the world.
Me being silly with some wigs.
And of course, the animals & animal figurines on the route.
For some unexplainable reason, cows have always liked me. On several occasions in my life including today, they have walked right up to me.
The nice English town Mansfield is our home for the night.
Today we started much later than normal. The earliest taxi we could catch back to the hiking trail was at 9:30AM which helped make it a long day.
However, cool temperatures along with no precipitation made it a pleasant walk.
We saw a variety of cows.
Longhorn BullsDairyScotland Coo
This monument commemorates General Lord Robert Somerset who fought Napoleon’s French army in Spain & also at Waterloo. He later represented this area in Parliament. This monument is located near his family’s home in Hawkesbury, Gloucestershire.
Perfect resting spot
A few fun sightings.
Some beautiful fields.
Classic English homes & pubs.
We heard a very loud buzzing sound, looked up, & saw a swarm of bees!!! A local woman told me she had called a bee keeper to come collect them.
I asked, “How do they do that?”
Her reply, “By catching the queen.”
Once again I asked, “How do they do that?”
Her reply, “Exactly” 😂
Bees!
Last rest stop. Today was a long day, so 2 breaks were needed. 😂
The weather forecast for cloudy skies was spot on.
Today’s main obstacle was mud. After yesterday’s afternoon & evening rain, many sections along the path were very muddy.
The trail was slippery from time to time; but, my trusty trekking poles prevented me from falling into the mud on more than one occasion.
We also, once again, enjoyed seeing various animals along the way.
We climbed two big hills today. On Coaley Peak we had spectacular views overlooking the beautiful green countryside.
Near Coaley Peak we passed the Nymphsfield Long Barrow which is another ancient burial site that dates from 2500 BCE.
With only about an hour left on the trail, it seemed like our luck avoiding any precipitation had ended as it started to rain, so out came the rain poncho & rain jacket.
Right after this picture was taken, the rain stopped & the rain gear went right back into our backpacks. 😂
After the brief shower, we had one last big hill to climb for the day.
We reached Dursley in the early afternoon arriving a little earlier than our B&B hosts had expected us.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, the town’s name might sound familiar.
JK Rowling who wrote the Harry Potter books is from this area & supposedly she does not like this town, so she got back at it in her own literary way.
However, we find Dursley quite charming.
Market Place & Town Hall with plaque showing Published Toll Rates for various Animals & Food Products in the 18th Century
Today was our first day to walk with cloudy, overcast skies along with high winds in some locations. However, the weather brought cooler temperatures which was nice.
We were on our way at 8:45 AM. Unlike the other days, our travel company booked us at a nice studio apartment where we enjoyed a nice private breakfast before beginning our journey.
Soon after leaving Painswick we passed the half-way marker to Bath.
After crossing an open field, we were soon in a beautiful forest.
We only had to climb one big hill today, whereas over the past 5 days, the path involved a great deal of walking up & down hills.
Climbing hills affords a great view. You can also see the cloudy weather we experienced all day. These exposed ridges had very strong winds which made it quite chilly.
We walked through very pleasant forests with wide pathways for several miles.
Interesting stiles today.
Both these styles have a special section for the herding dogs to pass through since the small, offset rock steps are hard for them to maneuver. This is a Squeeze Style which is self explanatory
Crossing a farmer’s field always feels a little strange to be walking on their property; but, it is common practice on various walks in England.
I often think my dad would have enjoyed having hikers cross our family farmland.
Trail directions said turn at the hollow tree, so we did. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any Keebler Elves making cookies in it.
The last mile took us along a canal. Some people travel in a houseboat along canals in England.
We made it to our lovely hotel just as it started to rain.
History of the Stonehouse Court Hotel, very old place.
A drive along the False Bay coastline on M4 is not to be missed on a visit to Cape Town. The view is spectacular; but also, there are a few other rewards along the way.
Boulders Beach & Foxy Beach in Simon’s Town are a permanent home to many African Penguins.
African Penguins are often referred to as “Jackass Penguins” due to their loud braying.
Simon’s Town is the only place penguins are found on the African continent.
For a small national park entry fee, you can use wooden boardwalks along the beach to observe the penguins. We found many only inches away not only nesting in the bushes; but also, a few penguins even occasionally meandered down the boardwalk along with us humans.
Two nice platforms allow you to watch the penguins waddle out to the sea, shake themselves dry after they return to the beach, or simply observe the colony nesting on the beach.
We got up extra early to be at the park when it opened at 8:00 AM. It was nice to enjoy the penguins all by ourselves for a while.
It’s a fun time for any nature and/or animal lover.
Up close snapshots? … Not a problem.
There are also many Rock Hyraxes near the penguins hoping to steal their eggs or any unattended human food.
Also, Simon’s Town is a cute little town to enjoy just on its own.
Penguin Crosswalk
Up the coast at St. James Beach, surfers flock to enjoy the waves & photographers can’t resist the colorful beach huts.
Sadly the fog lingered all day long at St James Beach
Among the most popular group shot is the one at the very tip of the Cape of Good Hope. We waited in a long line to get this photo.
The Wanderers 