Taste Adventures

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Opting not to stay in Vigo on this occasion (& with the freedom of no reservations), we hopped on a train for a short tr...
06/09/2026

Opting not to stay in Vigo on this occasion (& with the freedom of no reservations), we hopped on a train for a short trip to Pontevedra....

Here we enjoyed a leisurely evening in the old town; a delicious local dish of hake "a la gallega" (Galician style) at Hotel Ruas (where we have stayed several times previously) overlooking a busy, bustling square. Ripe for a bit of people watching..

Back to our super efficient Peregrino (Pilgrim) Hostal, which was not as basic as it sounds...

Then an early bit of laundry and a generous coffee or two at Bar Celona before our short onward walk to Combarro on what we were calling our "rest" day!

A beautiful walk from Baiona to Vigo - I remember this from last time....so many fabulous beaches, one after another. We...
05/09/2026

A beautiful walk from Baiona to Vigo - I remember this from last time....so many fabulous beaches, one after another.

We had a dip, of course, but at which one, I'm not quite sure!!!

The Cies islands were a constant companion over our shoulder, as we followed the littoral route (basically meaning we walked as close as possible to the sea). ....New, green arrows to follow this time - it's good to see this route is now being recognised....

What we also remembered from walking last time is that the last 4 (or so) kms into Vigo, are not the best - and when it's hot like it was this afternoon, I would advise hopping on a bus or grabbing an Uber when you get to Playa Samil - you won't regret it!

(Unless you are a purist, like we were first time around!)

Also, our plan was not to stay in Vigo, so we had another agenda ....

A lovely evening hanging around in handsome, medieval Baiona old town; after a hearty menu del dia, a little ham & chees...
05/09/2026

A lovely evening hanging around in handsome, medieval Baiona old town; after a hearty menu del dia, a little ham & cheese was all we needed for our evening "meal"....stood up, in the street amidst much hustle and bustle; this is what tapas is (in my opinion)...

A good night in our humble yet cheery hostal, literally 2 minutes walk from the beach - with well maintained gardens & 2 good bars next door, not sure what else we could want ... (A little more shower gel/soap would have been good - but heyho; humble pilgrims are we!!!)

Special mention for the fantastic bar/cafeteria just across the river in lovely Baiona where we had our first "tostada con tomate" breakfast of the trip....

"Sin Etiquetas" (or "without labels") is a brand new initiative for people with what the Spanish refer to as "Functional Diversity" (I guess what we in UK term SEND). Honestly it was fantastic to see in action and I would return in a heartbeat to spend more time and find out how they have managed to achieve a commercially popular and viable bar offering meaningful employment....❤️❤️❤️

Energy levels still a little low we "fast forwarded" by taking a taxi to the little Galician jewel that is Oia. (Buses f...
04/09/2026

Energy levels still a little low we "fast forwarded" by taking a taxi to the little Galician jewel that is Oia. (Buses from La Guarda were very few and far between, trains and Ubers non existent, so Carmen's immaculate opera filled taxi was a delight in itself!).

Our start point was the delightful Casas Puertas hotel where we stayed last time (photo 1). We headed out through the tiny village with it's monastery on the harbour and onto the beautiful coast.

Another perfect, peaceful day's walking on the Camino; grazing cows and the ancient horreos (grain stores), now in abundance.

Conflicting views about some of the 'stuff' some walkers/pilgrims decide to leave behind....

A questionable sandwich was the only thing available to eat at a campsite on the route, but the fabulous view from the loo made up for it!

A stripy lighthouse was a welcome beacon towards the end of a long, hot track into the beautiful coastal town of Baiona, at the end of c 20kms on the littoral route (walking directly on the coast)

Baiona's intact medieval fortress walls an impressive sight as we sat for a celebratory arrival beer.

As (bad) luck would have it, 50% of the team was struck down suddenly with illness....leading to a radical change of pla...
03/09/2026

As (bad) luck would have it, 50% of the team was struck down suddenly with illness....leading to a radical change of plan and transport across the "border" from Portugal to Spain ...

However, on the flip side it meant we got to spend extra time in atmospheric seafaring A Guarda.

We still managed some swims and circular walks and eventually some food (thanks to the mega antibiotics from the doctor we saw 💪💪).

We soon remembered the generous portions in Galicia when we ordered tapas at our lovely Hotel Celta and the waitress advised us to maybe slow down...

Not very photogenic, but I reckon the best croquetas I have ever tasted (3 types of seafood varieties), a freshly made to order tapa of tortilla and local Padron peppers. All excellent, as was the sponge which came with breakfast time coffee.

We loved somewhat "rough around the edges" A Guarda (as we knew we would) and our hotel could not have been friendlier or more welcoming. (We only wish we had been well enough to try the local speciality 🦞🦞)

Ah well, just means we'll have to come back....

Our first day "proper" on our pretty unorthodox Camino Portuguese was around 20kms from Viana do Castelo to lovely Praia...
02/09/2026

Our first day "proper" on our pretty unorthodox Camino Portuguese was around 20kms from Viana do Castelo to lovely Praia da Ancora.

The way was lovely and green with scents of pine and eucalyptus all around. Lots of stone underfoot, shady wooded parts and of course, those amazing coastal views.

We got to see our first (mini) horreo; an ancient stone storehouse which is emblematic of Galicia, a taste of things to come....

Some random horses eating windfall apples and a delicious meal (final Portuguese favourite Bacalhau a bras) overlooking the incredible beach at Praia da Ancora.

We are so glad to have returned to Ancora as we had not fully appreciated this place first time around - only downside; sea too wild for a swim!

Our last evening in Portugal (for now) was spent in charming Viana do Castelo.Beautiful both by day or night; (it's even...
01/09/2026

Our last evening in Portugal (for now) was spent in charming Viana do Castelo.

Beautiful both by day or night; (it's even better if you walk here on the camino as the final part involves a boat ride)...

Not for us this time as we arrived by Flixbus and were super happy to find a great family run Brazilian restaurant close to the station. Here we dined heartily on Feijoada (a rich black bean and pork stew with deep-fried plantain) and Bacalhado (a tasty salt cod and potato combo) which seemed fitting for our last day in Portugal.

We stayed in sound "pilgrim choice" Hotel Jardim on the waterfront with a quirky decor choice in parts (check retro tech), but it had all the homely kind of vibes we like.

A few last salt cod croquetas at the friendly (and aptly named La Co**ha bar), followed by a nice bit of live entertainment in the beautifully lit up Praza da Republica - just the job the night before we begin our own Camino....

A 10kms stroll along the coast from Matasinhos into Porto was a lovely thing and good prep for the Camino to come...A lo...
31/08/2026

A 10kms stroll along the coast from Matasinhos into Porto was a lovely thing and good prep for the Camino to come...

A local festival in Foz about to get underway, a lot of colour and activity for a Sunday morning....

There is always something magical about walking in (and out) of a city and Porto is great for this (certainly when you approach from the north).

Full sun had us a wee bit exhausted and running a little close for comfort to the time of our Flixbus, so after grabbing a vital coffee and pasteis de nata (in a very lovely confiteria opposite Bolhao market), we jumped into an Uber in the city centre out to the bus station (just as well as it was further away than we thought!)

Heading one hour north to the gorgeous riverside town of Viana do Costello (one of our top picks from our previous coastal Camino).

Easter saw us heading to the beautiful southern Italian region of Puglia (via intoxicating Naples), to walk another sect...
31/08/2026

Easter saw us heading to the beautiful southern Italian region of Puglia (via intoxicating Naples), to walk another section of the Via Francigena del sud (south).

There were highs and lows aplenty. Lessons learned (!) and vows about future endeavours made....

Things felt a little different, as for the first time we didn’t plan our route sections rigidly. We also decided not to book our accommodation in advance this time to allow for flexibility and “living in the moment” a bit more....

Surely we were seasoned walkers by now? We knew the direction (keep the sea on the left), some of the place names along the way and we had our trusty Cicerone guide, so what could go wrong..

Our latest blog is up, let us know what you think!

https://www.taste-adventures.com/post/walking-the-via-francigena-del-sud-or-rather-how-not-to

I remember reading a BBC article a few years ago calling Livorno Tuscany’s “unattractive, unmissable town”. Words are i...
19/08/2026

I remember reading a BBC article a few years ago calling Livorno Tuscany’s “unattractive, unmissable town”. Words are important and these stuck with me, making me curious to visit....

As luck would have it, the weather turned stormy in Puglia with a front that would have us lay low for a few days. We were not up for that, so consulted the weather map only to see that the sun was shining on Tuscany.

Our latest blog is up after a few days in Livorno ~ let us know what you think.

https://www.taste-adventures.com/post/taste-of-a-place-livorno

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