Porto to Vilarinho, 26 km

First day of the short Camino. I had (amazingly) a great sleep. Started walking around 8:00. The weather app on my phone had said it would start raining early this afternoon. It was off by a few hours. Already raining when I left my room. Light rain and drizzle all morning. The temperature was great - jacket weather. But lots of offing and oning of the rain coat. And the fancy cobbles in the centre of the city are treacherous when wet!!!!

It was a sort of long but not hard day. It was a long flat exit to the city. I’d read people’s complaints about cobblestones on this Camino before. How hard can they be??? I have new shoes that still have some cushion. Ha! It was about 3;30 when I finally stepped on some dirt.

I don’t mind the big long ex-urban walks. It is kind of cool to see the edges of cities. But I’m hoping for a bit of unpaved ground tomorrow, which will be a little bit longer.

It feels like early summer. Wisteria in full bloom. Trees covered in oranges and lemons, some of them as big as a softball (a squished softball). Huge. Twice as big as any lemon we could buy at home.

My new tiny and waterproof (!) and light pack feels pretty good so far!

I stopped twice for coffee and once for lunch. Things are inexpensive. And there are so many pastries and so much bread. I have a Portuguese repertoire of about ten words. I did no homework before I came - one of the less important effects of the strike on at work! I saw a few peregrinos in the morning and then some more this afternoon. There are definitely people around but it doesn’t feel crowded. For a tiny bit I walked near a young English couple who were singing tragic old English folk tunes.

I’m staying in a private albergue tonight. Room of six people. Windows wide open (for which I am grateful). Everyone now is on their phone. Including me. But 5 of us had dinner at a bakery. And then came back to tour the two separate parts of the albergue. Their side comes with an open bottle of port and a stack of wee glasses.

So great to be walking!!!!Read more