Porto to Pova de Varzim

23.2km
Ahh… the ocean! I left Porto this morning via the subway. I have learned leaving the large cities is a lot of highway walking or along rail road tracks. Today I took the subway and got off at the first above ground stop and found my way to the Camino Senda Litoral. This route follows the ocean. I was giddy when I first spotted the water!

There is this Lee Ann Womack song I love called “I hope you Dance” one of the lines is “I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean” Every time I am at the ocean I think of those lyrics. It’s something about the vastness of the water and that somewhere on the other side another person is looking out on the same water. I think it’s important to feel small sometimes. It’s a balance I guess, knowing your place and claiming your place in the world.

Today is St. John Day. I went to mass earlier today in a small town. The celebration was much more subdued than last night’s festivities. The entire mass was in Portuguese. I was able to follow the liturgy and stand and respond at the correct times. Saint John is known for his bravery in his life and how he was unashamed to share the love of Christ.

Tonight I had dinner with a man on pilgrimage to Fatima. The two routes run opposite one another and he wanted me to tell him the places I stayed that were good and any pitfalls I had to overcome. We talked at dinner about our reasons for walking. He is walking as a prayer for his daughter who has a medical condition that is in need of a miracle. I told him about my miracle. I don’t love to talk about it, mostly because I have a weird survivor’s guilt. But tonight it seemed right and seemed like it would give him hope. I wanted to employ the example of St. John and speak of the love of Christ. I was able to tell him that yes, prayer works and miracles happen. Will you join in prayer that Katie would be miraculously healed?Read more