Camino Frances Torres del Rio to Viana

Under a fairly baking hot sun for end October I set out on the long and winding trail.

Some of the stages always seem shorter after you do them, Viana is always longer. There is so much rise and fall. They're steep short inclines and more gentle direction less descents. They slalom like a downhill skier.

i left Torres at 14:15 and arrived at ERMITA del Poyo 14:52.

I paid a stone for a friend paid tribute to my mum and dad then wandered along to the shrine.

its one I was going to walk down the steps to then thought, it's too hot.

I was delighted to be at what I knew wasn't the half way point in an hour.

I knew it's a decent guess your past a third of the way. It was 15:15 and I thought this stretch is one of my favourites.

Walking down there's a nice stopping point overlooking the fields of neatly trimmed vines.

You wander along and down carefully slaloming away. There are short cuts you ignore. It's not a race. It is so peaceful.

You arrive at the old food truck stop and now you feel it's half way. You check the watch and it's 15:40 only 1 hour 20 in, and say, yep, hotel by 17:20.

10 minutes later you get a bit giddy about how well you're doing. Suddenly you think I'm nearly there. I know this. Get to the top of the hill then short descent then up again and it just a walk in town.

Youd be right of course. It's only 1hour 10 and you'll be at the fountain. You've forgotten again. It takes 15 mins from the 3.6 to the 3km sign and then another 50 plus minutes for what should be 30mins down the road onto town.

It's literally over an hour. As you flag it becomes longer.

Now you know you're here. In my case today I gauged my water fountain superbly well.

it was easy to run out today as I only had 2 wee 500ml bottles. I tried to camel up in the cafe in Torres and then at the water tap took another litre on board. It proved ok as I had ice and a tin of beer for the 3km sign.

It was still another 15 mins to get to the hotel and 17,000 steps for a 11km journey proves it's not 11km. As the crow flies maybe but not at the slopes move.

Last year I did it with a thunderstorm looming. It was so funny. I got into town literally as it burst. I must see how my timings were that day.