• Douglas Saunders
  • Douglas Saunders

Portugese Santiago Pilgrimage

Une aventure de 23 jours par Douglas En savoir plus
  • Début du voyage
    8 août 2025
  • LISBON

    9 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    What a very unconformable flight boy kicking back seat. Leg room tight felt like a sardine. Made it to Lisboa. Customs is very tough here. Caught a bolt (uber) found our place. Jet lag slept for a few hours. Now we are tourist's. Very busy here, holiday season here. Patricia had her fish. Nice this evening breezy.En savoir plus

  • Traveling from Lisbon to Fatima

    10 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    I'm tired this morning. Worried about getting up in time to catch our bus. Made it okay with plenty of time to spare. Pretty drive. Sat by a lady from San Sebastian Spain. A Basque. "Agur. Bidaia ona izan. Zurekin hitz egitea gustatu zait." good bye. have a safe trip. good talking to you. She was happy with the translation. She leaves 10 minutes away from the birth place of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Who is also Basque. Arrived in Fatima. My heart is filled with the spirits of Fatima and the young children. I think of all the believers of Fatima of the Tohono O'odham Nation. I asked for blessing from her for our pilgrimage. And blessings for us all. Will be stopping back on our return. Dps.En savoir plus

  • Porto Cathedral

    11 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Well, we got to Cathedral waiting for 9 am. to get our credentials. Cold and foggy morning. No coffee or breakfast yet. Today should be a 7.5-hour walk. Peregrinos are about.

  • Pavue to Barcellos

    12 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We made it Mar Azul in Pavue, Portugal. The hosts were very accommodating. The room was part of her home. It was a comfortable stay. We washed out clothes in a nearby lavanderia the night we arrived. So we left early without saying by to the host. Day 2 of walking. We had a light breakfast, with café. It was a nice cool morning. Stock on water at a grocery store. An employee wised us a good journey "bom caminho". I was reminded of the journey. I was excited but was thinking of what was to come. It was a warm walk today. We walked along fields and fields planted with corn. I believe we didn't see any fellow peregrinos today. We made it to Barcellos today. We crossed over a bridge, and what caught my eye was two statutes one was Jesus and John. The scene was when Jesus was getting baptised. Barcellos, the story was that a pilgrim back hundreds of years ago was accused of stealing food and was to be executed. To prove his innocence, he said a rooster which had been cooked and on the judges plate would get and crow, which it did, and he was spared his life. Entering Barcellos, the Plaza was filled with decorated billboards with local church design. An thought came to me ideas for home. Maybe, one day, other churches at the big St. Francis Day feast could have a small exhibit of their communities' reverence for the event. I met Father Peter he was speaking to me in Portuguese. I respectfully stayed and listened to him. I would catch him saying Santiago. He was wishing me good travels. It was a good day. DOUG
    We made it to Barcellos and noticed the rooster 🐓 symbols everywhere. We looked up the meaning, and wow, I was surprised at the story and realized the significance of the rooster. I recall it was a symbol of truth and honesty. I recalled Wavalene putting a rooster statue at their Mom s grave during all Souls Day. We also looked up the meaning of the rooster for the crusillo movement and were surprised that it also originated in Spain. It is a symbol of life and renewal. The rooster is happy to "sing" and welcome each new day. It talked about the first crusillo meeting, and the bus broke down, so they walked. During the walk, they noticed all the beauty in the land and animals, especially the rooster. We are similar, walking this camino and enjoying the experience, landscape, water, animals, and people. A new understanding and respect for what the rooster represents. 🐓 ❤️
    An elder man stopped to talk to Doug and went on for minutes. I think he thought Doug was Portuguese. Somehow, we understood what he said, and he wished us well on our journey. Hardly any other walkers. I was grateful for any kind words or buen camino from the locals. These simple words meant a lot. PATRICIA
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  • Ponte de Lima to Rubiae

    14 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    It was okay in Ponte de Lima. We got in late by way of Patricia's cell phone light. I was out like a light bulb. What a trek we had on Wednesday. We walked 26.99 miles. It was tough. Patricia tried Bolt, but there were no responders. My memory of the walk and just walking and being tired, and my mind going everywhere and thinking of Familia back home. If it finally rained. Patricia and I have been asking Santiago for rain for the Tohono. It is kind of a blur just getting by day to day. It is hard to get my past thoughts in chronological order. DOUG
    What a day! We crossed the ponte de lima bridge, very old and is the oldest city. Many tourists there. Hike over the lebruja mountain was tough. There was no going back, only forward. Patricia
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  • Valenca to Tui Day 5

    15 août 2025, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    What a nice apartment was a tough day yesterday. I am writing usually a day later after we awake. My thoughts were that we only saw three peregrinos yesterday Thursday. Found out season for walkers is high in September. DOUG.
    Day 4 was the most challenging yet! By far, it is the hardest I've ever done. I am grateful we made it safely to our apartment, and we made it together - Patricia
    Today, we will do a little over 4 hours of walking map shows flat. At least, as my navigator said. At the end, yesterday spoke with a male peregrino who came after us, and he said it was a difficult hike. It was a warm and humid day yesterday. Our apartment is just sitting here and drinking our café. We made oats and washed our clothes, waiting for them to dry.
    This day we crossed into Spain. It was a national holiday for Spain celebrating our lady of assumption. Throughout the cities, the people gathered at churches, with music. We entered o' Porrino and stopped across a small church to watch, and a man walked across the street and invited us into the church . He also gave us prayer cards for peregrinos to Santiago. I was honored and emotional because it was physically challenging, and we made it one more day on our journey. -Patricia
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  • O Porrrino to Redondela Day 6

    16 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today, I was feeling good about myself. It was a good long walk yesterday. Our stay at Casa Lolita, our B & B it was warm in the room. We just had fans. It cooled as the night went. We walked out of O Porrino on our way to Redondela it was to be a ten mile trek. There was a Burger King I wad hoping to stop for breakfast it was closed. I shared alot with Patricia. She's quiet. She doesn't say much. I talked about politics, religion, philosophy, family, and aspirations. During quiet moments, my mind was going everywhere. I was thinking, not much peregrinos were walking especially older ones. Low and behold what looked like an older couple was coming our way opposite direction. They looked older, and it turns the guy was 71 . They were walking to Lisbon coming from Santiago de Compostela, 45 day walk. On top of that, there was a 91 year old lady somewhere in front of us. We never caught up to her. Cool, so I wasn't the old after all. Overall, it was a good day. DOUG
    Today was bit of a hike and steep coming down. Tomorrow onto Pontevedra to stay in a old monastery. We are getting closer to Santiago. Doug will check on fires in area. I'm happy another day is completed. We cooked lentils and I'm missing home. People in Spain acknowledge the peregrinos, big difference in my opinion than Portugal. Praying for everyone, and thanks for praying for us too! We're behind in posting updates and pictures, but we hope to get current. - Patricia
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  • Redondela to Pontevedra Day 7

    17 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was good we left our apartment at 9 am. We hoped to get an early start. It was foggy, so we left later. My breakfast was leftover lentil beans. No more 5 star dining. It was supposed to be a 15-mile trek. As usual, it was up and down and winding and rocky trail. Went through forest area. Love the shade. Ancient trails for sure. Met some two young girls from the 🇳🇱 Netherlands. A female from the state of Tabasco in Mexico and her boyfriend from Germany. For Father Bill, we are staying in a monastery north of Pontevedra, Spain. I am tired this evening. Laying here in this small monk's room on twin beds reminds me of boarding school. Go Intermountain "EAGLES". Bless you all. Doug.
    We thought it was a short day but going up and down hills with stones is hard on the legs, strained my muscle but we made it in. We ate dinner in the cafeteria of the monastery. Gonna rest up and hit it again tomorrow. We expect to arrive on Wednesday. Praying for everyone! Good night . Patricia
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  • Pontevedra to Caldas de reis

    18 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Restful but restless night at the monastery. We ate continental breakfast at the cafeteria and headed out. We ran into our new friend who is from China but lives in the Netherlands. We crossed paths with her multiple times. She thought I was Mongolian. Must be my Navajo side. Long walk again of 21 miles completed. Luckily, it was flat most of the way. I popped 3 ibuprofen for my leg. Hope my legs will take me to next place. Doug was trying to throw me on a train. Nice apartment, but too tired to cook our dinner, so hamburgers and papitas it is. Good night! Patricia.
    Well, it was a restless night. I tossed and turned on that twin sized bed. I tried to get comfortable. The bed was too short. These Spanish people are short, LOL. Patricia kept me up. I thought she was saying quit snoring. Restless night was hard as well. Overall, I enjoyed the stay. I thought of all the young monks who got their education here and went out to evalangelize the world with the Catholic faith. Who was roaming the halls and rooms. Breakfast was good. I would come back. There is another called the Variant I would this. Well, Patricia was a superwomen. I asked her if she was hurting her sprained thigh? She said no, I am better. I give her credit for roughing it out. Some guys would throw the towel in. We walked back to Pontevedra 3 out of the way miles. The church was an old church 12 century. The Peregrinos church. Reannon, the "Hallelujah" song was played by a young lady on the saxophone I almost sobbed. Patricia was feeding the birds with pizza dough. She said, "My mom use to feed the birds." Patricia has a new name, "the bird lady. So we are continuing. I hit my limit on the app for 20 pictures. To be continued. See video on next footprint. Adios Pontevedra. Oh, Patricia is getting big headed on being identified as looking like she is from Mongolia. Lol
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  • Caldas de reis to Padron Day 9

    19 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Fourteen miles completed today. It was a nice cool, cloudy day, so we took our time. Received bad news of an unexpected death at SX this morning. Felt sad all day thinking of his family. I'm so far away and helpless, but will continue my journey and continue to pray for everyone. Last day tomorrow. It's going to be a long one. Patricia.
    Well, I had a good night. I woke up at 8 am. Construction outdoors close by. Laundry dried partially. I had to hang against floor fans. It is to humid in the mornings. We left at about 11 a.m., which was to be a 3 1/2 hour trek. It was to be 10 miles nope 🙅‍♂️. We left without water, maybe a quarter and soda it was in Patricia bag she didn't share. She said your on your own. JK. We managed. We met a nice couple we were trying to take short to supermaercado. The lady was spanish and the guy was french. We chat for a bit. The gentleman had something to show me. It was a prized possession, a Harley Davidson motorcycle. He was hoping to tour the United States on a motorcycle. They gave us water and allowed a photograph. We ate at a truck stop and continued on our way. Scenery was beautiful on the road to Santiago. Oh, at the truck stop as we were leaving, a gentleman serenaded us with a "Santiago." it was so touching. We took a break at an old but still church. There were three elder men and a young girl. I assume a granddaughter. They were aughing and talking away. I got my spanish app out. I asked how old the church he kept doing a cross with his fingers. Finally, I got the app to work he was saying it was built in the tenth century. We left, and he began to sing a song. What I heard was "Amigos de Santiago." We ran into our friends, the German guy with his Tabascoan friend. We were the old peregrinos. Continuing on, we met an elder male he had been to talking to a traveler. He began to ramble on pulled out the app he was telling us of all the people that crossed this path from all over the even Hawaii. Be told how far we had to get to the town we were headed to. We left shortly after I saw another elder male. Didn't get my app out in time. I pointed to a remote lawnmower. I was trying to ask about? He went into his home and came back with a small bag with seeds. He said they calabaza seeds. He had gourds hanging from trees. These gourds are depicted in many artwork used by peregrinos in ancient times to carry their water or vinos. We continued on hours or kilometers to miles, and they don't mean much anymore to me. It I'd tiredness felt in my ankles. We ate our dinner at 10 pm. Finally had my Galician soup. This soup kept me going last year. Patricia had her fish. In closing, about 12 miles left on this pilgrimage. Thank you, Patricia, for your company. Lastly, I have been thinking about the elder man and his granddaughter. I want, and I pray that all of us Tohono O'odham men can live long lives and to be grandfather's to our grandchildren and to others. Good role models. Doug.
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  • Patron to Santiago de Compostela day 10

    20 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Had a good night rest. I'm sitting here at a cafe in Racies having Nestlé ice tea. Patricia is having naranja juice with hielo. This morning had sin Leche milk had corn flakes and bananas. Restaurant nearby for paetella. Father Ponchie and Father Bill, you familiar with dish. I had it last year so delicious. Along the way this morning, walk alongside a young spanish man and his daughter. He spoke kindly of the United States. He said he traveled Route 66, stopped in Santa Fe, and visited the Grand Canyon. He said he had gone to Death Valley and San Francisco. His said she wants to see a Los Angeles Lakers game. How many of us fathers and mothers have had one on time with our children, our grandchildren, or other children as role model? All we do is work. Passing numerous churches that are ancient. Again, beautiful scenery. We ate sandwiches and soda at bar, tapia, café. We walk and walked sharing our water and stories along the thinking about home, and if the desert quench, it's thirsty. It was cloudy. We had small sprinkles, and it was a cooler day. Taking my pictures trudging onward to Santiago de Compostela. Ultreaia...Ultreaia. Kilometers getting smaller. My feet and ankles are sore but I am getting excited soon I will be over the hill to see the city. I will do a new footprint. I reached my limit on photo's. DOUG
    We had a good rest at a nice cozy apartment with a washer. Although I left some of my clothes because they were still wet and add weight to my pack. The weather was perfect on our last day. It was cloudy, cool we were blessed with a few sprinkles to cool us off. My focus was to keep pushing on to make it to Santiago before 7 when the office closes so we can get our credentials. Let's move it Doug! 😂 Patricia
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  • ARRIVING IN SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA DE CO

    20 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Almost there coming in from the south. I spoke with several peregrinos who had planned to walk half way to Santiago from Padron. We were going to do the whole this day. Coming into Santiago, We stopped at a small chapel. How ironic it was named "Santa Maria de Magdalena.". We were to arrive soon, and this pilgrimage would be done. Ma:lina will be upon us soon. We Catholics are so devoted
    We strive to become Saints in our own lives. To serve our Creator. We met a young couple at this church, and they took our picture. They were close to completing their pilgrimage traveling from the Netherlands to family nearby. Their journey was 2,000 kilometers. So we left and pushed. I tiredness and pain were no longer on my mind the church was in sight. We were passing fellow peregrinos who were on their own struggles and pain we gave support, "Buen Camino " Doug.
    I was happy to see the small chapel named Magdalena. Somehow, it felt like a sign. I felt good and my adrenaline carried me. Everyone was tired walking, getting closer. I offered my walking stick to a young lady limping. She had the same strain as I did, and I felt her pain. She refused it. Even though it was close to Santiago, it was still far. The bike riders passed us all along the way, ringing their bells to warn us. We also met a guy resting with his greyhound. Alot brought along their dogs on the trail. Along the way we saw a dog kennel with some true words about our pets. It made me miss my dog, Cookie. It seemed like a long day and kinda sad our Camino was coming to an end. Along the way, I wondered if this would be the last Camino for me or not. Who knows what will be in the future, I thought I'll be happy with my Camino Portuguese. I cried as we arrived in front of the church, we hugged each other and I felt a great sense of accomplishment and relief. WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA, BY CAR, PLANE, BUS AND FOOT from Tohono O'odham. We told everyone who asked where we were from that we are indigenous. I am very grateful and blessed to share this experience with Doug. Patricia
    We made it to the Pilgrims office with a few minutes to spare 7 pm. I had to be escorted to the stations for my certificate. My mind was on the journey that I just made. We got our certificates. We met an indigenous Bolivian who had completed the pilgrimage. We took our photos in front of the church. It was surreal.. Doug.
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  • St. Ignatius of Loyola

    24 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We were unsure if we were going to make this leg. It was estimated to be almost 500 miles one way. The trains and buses were either full or time-consuming.
    Patricia came thru with a rental. She will you in. We traveled along the northern coast of Spain. A beautiful drive. We made it to Loyola Saturday night. Sunday had a simple breakfast. Drove to St. Ignatius Loyola Basillca. What a beautiful church. Mucho pictures. Prior to mass, we spoke with the Padre. He spoke okay, Ingles. He mentioned that he was in Mexico and was with the Taramaura Indians. How cool was that. We stayed for the Mass. The mass was in the Basque language. What a beautiful language. I thought of my community. I told and showed the feast day to him and how he was the saint for our community. I thought of all the believers and people who come together and have reverence for St. Ignatius. I especially thought of Luke and Nina, who are the heartbeat of St. Ignatius. I asked St. Ignatius to bless the community of Gu Komelik. Father Bill I asked for blessing for you as well. I told the Padre about San Xavier Mission church and how St. Francis Xavier was the patron saint for us as well. He smiled and said that St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier were always together. We did the tour of St. Ignatius home. The room where he made his conversion was very sacred to me. We drove to Javier Spain birthplace of St. Francis Xavier. Next footprint. Lastly, after breakfast, I spoke with a lady. She sounded Dutch Swedish. She said they were on the St. Ignatius of Loyola pilgrimage. We said bye to her, and I assume was her husband as they walked with their backpacks on. I will have to look that up. Thank you, Patricia.
    It seemed like we had all kinds of little setbacks, but we made it to Loyola and Javier. I was chauffer for Mr. Doug. We were terrified of the toll booths, it s funny now. We drive all the way to Loyola in the mountains in the dark. We woke up and the area was so beautiful. So green and lush with trees and water. The basilica was beautiful and the Basque mass. The father showed us the statue of St. Francis Xavier. I was happy for Doug, I know he really had his heart set on going to Loyola. Patricia
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  • St. Francis Xavier Javier,Spain

    24 août 2025, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The drive to Javier was 2 hours. We visited the church and part of St frances castle, and he was from a noble family. I also shared pictures of our December feast days, they were amazed at our church, the procession, and whole feast celebration. So while SX is celebrating, so is his community in Javier for the 3 days. I asked him to watch over our community, our families, our pa:l, nuns, parish, council, mamakai, and all our feast committee members. We took our staffs so we had part of the tohono to show him. Doug talked to him, asking for the same blessings. I am very proud that we continue to celebrate his feast days. The ladies I shared with also said our feast was beautiful, I agree. May he continue to watch over all of us in Wa:k and all our communities. Patricia.
    I am glad we came this far. It just amazes me how people got around back in the day. Either you walked or on horseback. Landscape reminds me of Montana or Utah. Wow, I didn't know that St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius was that close. I was thinking of how these two men evalangelized so many people to the Catholic faith. I want to be good in life and help people in need anyway I can. At least the Catholic faith we are to strive to be saints as well. It was a good drive here. Thank you, Patricia. Oh, and I saw Peregrinos.
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  • Fin du voyage
    30 août 2025