Spirits Having Flown

CAMINO PORTUGUÉS – Day 11: Friday 5 June 2026 – PONTEVEDRA to CALDAS de REIS (22 [+4] kilometres)

One interesting facet of the Camino Portugués north of Porto is that it does in fact have a number of variants. I am walking the inland route, the Camino Central, having left Porto and walked pretty much due northward, following a way some 20/30 kilometres east of the Atlantic coast – but other pilgrimage options are available! Out of Porto one can instead walk westwards and then turn north up the coast, on a path called the Camino da Costa that runs basically parallel to the inland route with options to join the latter at the towns of Rates, Valença or Redondela (the latter via Vigo). There are even sub-options from this coastal route to join the Senda Litoral, that in parts runs along the very ocean shore itself – sand in the sandals! All these routes have additional scenic or historic diversions available locally, taking in viewpoints, chapels and the like – some of which I have taken on my northward journey. And finally, today, just outside of Pontevedra yet another Camino path diverged from my path: the Variante Espiritual, or ‘Spiritual Route’, a trek along the hills and headlands towards the west coast that involves an extra day’s walk, or the alternative of a ‘pilgrim boat trip’ up the Ria de Arousa to Padrón. Several of my trekking buddies have decided upon this option – free spirits clearly – having flown off to avoid some of the crowds on the Central route.

Being reluctant to take an extra day, or for that matter the pilgrim boat that would void my continuous walk from Porto to Santiago, I have decided to forego the ‘Variante Espiritual’ path and to stick with my original plan of the Camino Central, the inland route. That is not to say that the latter is without character – indeed, what a marvellous day it has been; sunny but not too hot, undulating without being too taxing on the legs, and highly sociable to boot – a gentle ramble through vineyards, small-scale farms, and occasional sleepy hamlets. Here’s how I got on.

Shortly after leaving Pontevedra this morning I caught up with Connor, one of my earlier walking buddies (last seen in Tui), and we then joined forces with Chris and Carolyn (ditto) and, intermittently, with several other companions from our various meetings over the last week or so on the Camino Portugués trail. Our spirits may not have flown west with the intrepid few, but the kilometres certainly fly in such fun company.

‘Spirits Having Flown’, my Blog heading for today, is taken from the title track of the 1979 album by the British/Australian family group, the Bee Gees, comprising brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb – their first recorded work following their contribution to the Saturday Night Fever’ collaboration. The first three singles released from the album (‘Tragedy’, ‘Too Much Heaven’ and ‘Love You Inside Out’) all hit No 1 in the US, concluding a run of six chart toppers in a single calendar year, and thus equalling the record set by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Esteemed company indeed. As for ‘Spirts Having Flown’, the song (like all those on the album) was written by the Brothers Gibb, who were at the time flying at the peak of their powers.