I’ve been motivated to re blog this post by caminoforums member Lucimi. She made a lovely comment in response to the post, which in turn inspired me to seek out some bridge-related quotations. The most delightful aspect of this research was that I ended up on a Winney-the-Pooh website and spent an hour or so languishing in the charming words of A A Milne. I am a few quotes short and would welcome any suggestions in the comments section below.
The sun rising behind the Vasco de Gama bridge spanning the River Tagus in Lisbon. Completed in 1998 in time for the Expo 98 World Fair. Europe’s longest bridge at 17.2 km (day 2)
“Hi Magwood, great photos, especially the one of the Vasco da Gama bridge, what an impressive feat of engineering. I wonder what is it about bridges that makes them so fascinating. They join fields, forest paths, villages, cities, countries, even languages and cultures. We can bridge our differences, and when we’re finished we burn our bridges behind us.”
~ Lucymi, pilgrim
Raised timber walkway through wild riverside scrubland at Tagus Linear Park between Sacavem and Alverca do Ribatejo (day 2)
“With stones, you can build walls to separate people or build bridges to unite them! Do the second thing in the name of ethics and honour, for the glory of love and goodness!”
~ Mehmet Murat ildan
Quinta de Cardiga (day 7)
“Stop telling me not to burn bridges. Some bridges are meant to be burnt, some roads are never meant to be traveled again.”
~ Steve Maraboli
The bridge over the Rio Mondego at Coimbra (day 12)
“Politicians are the same the world over: they promise to build a bridge even when there is no river.”
~ Nikita Khrushchev
Ponte do Cabeço do Vouga – a Roman bridge, probably built in the second century, located in the village of Lamas do Vouga, in the municipality of Águeda (day 15)
“Happiness is……..looking over bridges”
~ Anon
collapsed bridge at Lamas do Vouga (day 15)
“The hardest thing in life is knowing which bridge to cross and which to burn.”
~ David Russell
Standing on the Dom Luis bridge looking towards the AutoEstrada-do-Norte bridge with the familiar Sandeman logo in the foreground (day 18)
“Faith is the pierless bridge supporting what we see unto the scene that we do not.”
~ Emily Dickinson
Ancient bridge between Vilarinho and Pedra Furada (day 20)
“We can’t jump off bridges anymore because our iPhones will get ruined. We can’t take skinny dips in the ocean, because there’s no service on the beach and adventures aren’t real unless they’re on Instagram. Technology has doomed the spontaneity of adventure and we’re helping destroy it every time we Google, check-in, and hashtag.”
~ Jeremy Glass
Medieval bridge between Pedra Furada and Lugo do Corgo (day 21)
“Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.”
~ Don Henley
Ponte de Lima (day 22)
“Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.”
~ A A Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
looking back towards the town from the Ponte de Lima bridge (day 22)
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
~ A A Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
On Spanish soil! Looking back towards Valença having walked out of Portugal across the Rio Miño (day 23)
“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”
~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Walking through the woods between Tui and Porriño (day 24)
“Pay attention to where you are going because without meaning to you might get nowhere.”
~ A.A. Milne
Bridge over the Rio de Vigo at the pretty town of Arcade (day 25)
The beautiful bridge crossing the Rio Lerez in Pontevedra (day 25)
Entering Padrón day 26)
I love bridges! You have captured some lovely (and very different) ones here, Maggie – well done! 🙂
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I started putting these photos together to take part in your CBBH challenge Marianne, but then forgot until it was too late. I also love bridges – I think my favourite has to be the Vasco de Gama at sunrise.
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Dear Maggie
I loved your photos of all the bridges you crossed during your walk, what a collection and you really have achieved a photographer´s eye. Still, I have to correct you on the first bridge being the longest in Europe. The longest bridge in Europe is in Denmark: “Storebæltsbroen” , 18 km long! It does not match your proud tradition of the Coronation Chicken,- but still……….we are a little proud as well!
LISA
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Hmmm – I hope this doesn’t cause an international incident! If you google ‘longest bridge in Europe’ all answers come up with Vasco de Gama at 17.2 km. if you google Storebæltsbroen answers state 18 km…….but they also state that this bridge is made up of three separate sections – two bridges and a tunnel. So I suppose the Vasco de Gamma must be the longest continuous bridge construction in Europe. Unless you can tell me different?
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I love bridges too. A great variety and exceptionally well photographed. Thanks for posting
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Thank you Jan, I enjoyed reviewing all my photos!
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What a superb series. Are your feet itchy again yet? Or have you had your fill for the year?
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Thanks Nancy. I’ve certainly had my share of camino for this year but am looking forward to the temperatures dropping so that I can do some local walks soon. We have a four day walking festival in Cómpeta at the beginning of October, so I will have to get my ‘legs in’ before then.
As a journalist, do you have any tips for me? – I have won a visit to a radio station where I will take part in a two hour magazine programme – I want to talk about the camino and promote my blog. I’m a bit anxious so any advice will be gratefully received.
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Once again, wonderful photos Maggie, thank you for taking the time to put them on your great blog. Cindy
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Thanks Cindy 🙂
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Really glad you did not call them all “ROMAN”
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Oh dear! Would that have hit a nerve? According to the guides there are an awful lot of Roman roads and bridges on the camino. I have to say, Roman roads are not my favourite walking surface!
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I don’t know when I fell in love with bridges but I’m not tired of them yet. These are all interesting and I especially the old ones, which had stood the test of time (and probably repairs). ❤
In the Dom Luis bridge picture, was that smog or mist? Of maybe it was early, early morning?
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We reached the Dom Luis bridge in Porto just as it started to rain, so I guess it is a bit misty in the photo. It continued to rain for the rest of the journey!
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Aah. Makes sense. ❤ Thank you.
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Thanks Maggie for re posting this-I missed it first time round, it is beautiful and I love the quotes! X
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Thanks Lindsay 🙂
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Hi Maggi, what a wonderful tribute to an unforgettable event in my life also. Being back in the South of Africa it almost feels unreal that I also had crossed quite a few of these lovely bridges.
You really are an excellent photographer. We will keep on following you.
Regards, Johanna
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I love the pictures of the bridges and reading your blog. My husband and I are planning to walk the camino next year and considering either the camino frances or the camino portugese. I have a bad knee and have heard that the camino portugese is a flatter route (and therefore easier on my knees. It seems to be a little shorter so that might be a bonus for me. I’d be interested in your opinion. Thanks very much,
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Hi Kathy. Many thanks for your comment and kind words. The Portuguese certainly has less elevation than the French route although it seemed at least as tough . Quite a few pilgrims suffered terrible blisters in Portugal. My theory is that because it is flatter (although by no means flat) people push themselves harder.
Personally I think it might be better to take the French route for your first experience, there are so many albergues that it is easy to walk the distance that suits you. You could start in Roncesvalles so that you don’t experience the Pyrenees and if you use two walking sticks you will find your knees cope better.
Read plenty of other blogs to get a good idea of other people’s opinions. There are links to some on my resources page and I will be adding a couple more soon.
Please don’t hesitate to ask any specific questions you may have.
Let me know what you decide.
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Thanks so much for your reply. I think that is really good advice. I also appreciated your list of items to take along with their weight so that will be helpful as we start to gather our things and purchase what we don’t have.
I’ve been reading other blogs and it seems like there is more concrete/asphalt and cobblestone roads so harder from that perspective as well.
We’re looking at next September so have lots of time to get into better shape as well!
Another thing – I have a terrible allergy to bedbugs (had them once in a hostel in London) and wonder if you encountered bedbugs and what was most helpful in preventing bites.
Hope you keep writing! Kathy
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Hi again Kathy
I didn’t encounter bed bugs at all on either camino. I did take a pre-treated under sheet and treated my sleeping bag, silk liner and backpack with permethrin. But I didn’t hear of anyone else getting bitten when I was walking so I guess they weren’t around at that time. I would suggest you take with you whatever your GP would recommend for your allergy. There are many farmacias along the camino with helpful pharmacists who can sell you over-the-counter stuff that you would need a prescription for in the UK, so you can always pick stuff up along the way. But if you have a particular allergy then I would go prepared. Check out my assessment of clothes and gear regarding bed bug precautions for sleeping equipment.
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