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Camino

September - October 2024
My crazy friend invited me to go on a 164 mile hike with her. Since I’m now retired I said, “of course I’ll go.” Read more
  • 43footprints
  • 44days
  • 393photos
  • 116likes
  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • United States
Categories
Backpacking, Friendship, Hiking
  • 14.3kmiles traveled
  • Flight12.6kkilometers
  • Bus623kilometers
  • Walking452kilometers
  • Train377kilometers
  • Car106kilometers
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  • 43footprints
  • 44days
  • 393photos
  • 116likes
  • 14.3kmiles
  • 12.6kmiles
  • 623miles
  • 452miles
  • 377miles
  • 106miles
Date descending
  • Camino
    121
    Day 13

    Day 1 Porto to Motosinhos

    September 15, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    Today we started our Camino. We were a little nervous but anxious to get to this part. We started at the cathedral and got our stamp for our credential, a kind of passport that gets stamped along the way. We did a devotional about the disciples on the road to Emmaus - how they did not recognize Jesus as they were walking along but he revealed himself to them at the breaking of bread. There are devotionals for the whole trip. On our way down to the river we unknowingly started the same day as a half marathon, so there were loads of people to navigate, as well as closed or blocked roads. As we walked along the river, we had to walk on a small metal footbridge since the runners got the road. It wobbled when you walked on it. It was good to get back on solid ground after that bit.

    We thought our first day was to be 6.5 miles, but it was more like 8.0 miles. We arrived in Motosinhos, a beach town, around 1:30. We dropped our packs in the reception area of the guest house since we could not check in until 3:00, went to eat lunch by the beach, got our credential stamped, and checked in. We relaxed for awhile, then went to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful evening. Tomorrow we have a longer day and it is supposed to be hot, so we need an early start to walk while it’s cooler.    Read more

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    Day 14

    Day 2 Matosinhos to Labruge

    September 16, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    Our walk today left the city and walked the coast through small beach towns and fishing villages. We passed a beautiful lighthouse first. Portugal spent quite a bit of money to make the pilgrims’ journey easier by putting in boardwalks the whole way up the coast. Much easier than sand or roadways. Greg and I tried out the backpack transfer service today. I think they forgot us at first but after several frantic emails, our bags arrived at our destination. It seems we’ve worked out all the bugs, so I will definitely use this service. We walked nine miles today, which was much easier without the backpack. We stayed in our first hostel tonight. Since there were three of us, we got to share a bungalow , which she told us gave us privacy. Ha! People kept sticking their heads in the window to see what it was like. There was hardly room to stand for one, much less three. The jury is out whether or not we’ll do this again.Read more

  • Camino
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    Day 15

    Day 3 Labruge to Povoa de Varzim

    September 17, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    Today we walked eleven miles through beaches, cities, and forests. There are fires near here so it was very smokey today.

    Update: 3 a.m. - fire alarm just went off in the city. After wandering in the street to see why, we learned they were calling firefighters to the blaze slightly northeast of the city (towards where we're walking). Since we left Porto a couple of days ago Portugal has been ablaze. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6eep7zx8poRead more

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    Day 16

    Day 4 - Varzim to Apúlia

    September 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    Some of the devotions we are reading every morning before we walk have shared stories from the Gospels and challenged us with how we are sharing our faith and encouraging others on the Camino. (At least that's Wendy's interpretation currently.)

    Today we began to experience repeated encounters as we walked our last day on the Coastal route. Last night during the city wide fire alarm when Wendy was out on the streets seeing if we needed to evacuate, she ran into a tall lady who was also trying to figure things out.

    Today at mile 5 we stopped for café con leche and natas. Low and behold, here come Debbie and Dora (from Texas) from yesterday, who saved us with an alternate to walking on sand, so we invited them over. As we shared the fire alarm story, the lady at the next table says, "That was me!" and there was the tall lady from the night before.

    Tonight after walking past beautiful sand dunes and people searching for clams and mollusks and old windmills, we were eating dinner and low-and-behold there is our tall friend, who we now know as Ingrid from Utrecht, Netherlands. So we had a cup of tea with her and heard about her journey and how she teaches English to refugees and counsels with astrology.

    God, may You use us to encourage others and share Your love along this Way.    Read more

  • Camino
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    Day 17

    Day 5 - Apúlia to Barcelos

    September 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    We said good bye to the Coastal Route and Ubered over to the Central Route. This will give us a chance to see the other part of the Camino Portuguese and some of Portugal 's oldest cities.

    We took the day off from walking and hung out in Barcelos (mostly at their GIANT outdoor market, one of the largest in Europe) and at a hotel (hurray! No shared bathroom!).

    The rooster is all over Portugal but the story originated in Barcelos. They looove their rooster! https://www.visitportugal.com/en/node/139480#:~….    Read more

  • Camino
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    Day 18

    Day 6 Barcelos to Corgo

    September 20, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    13.24 miles today 😵‍💫 as we left Barcelos for the beautiful countryside. Had a little drizzle (good for the fires around here) but we didn't melt. Loooong stretches between places to have breaks (and natas!), and while we saw tons of pelegrinos (pilgrims) there, we had the road to ourselves most of the time.

    Finally made it to our long-awaited destination - Casa da Fernanda - an alburgue/hostel that is one of the most famous of all Camino routes. As soon as we got there her hospitality and welcome enveloped us as we dropped our packs and were offered comfy seats on her patio and chilled white wine. 16 pelegrinos from US, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany (plus our Portuguese hosts - Fernanda and Jacinto) joined for Rick Steve's favorite word - conviviality.

    We had appetizers on the patio until dinner (and a bunch more alcohol) was served. (Fernanda stepped away for an hour to put her 101 year old neighbor to bed; such a heart!) Then hours more of conversation, laughter, and singing at her extra-large kitchen table, until we all tumbled wearily and happily to bed.

    She sets a high bar for all the other alburgues and is definitely gifted with hospitality and love. One of the trip highlights for sure!    Read more

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    Day 19

    Day 7 Corgo to Ponte de Lima

    September 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    After being woken up to a chorus of competing roosters in the neighborhood, we sat down to a delicious breakfast cooked by Jacinto. Then we headed out. We have 9+ miles today. We walked through farmland again today. Some of the fields had recently been fertilized. Phew! We walked with our German friend Martin today. He’s a retired police officer. We had a lot of good conversation with him. His English was very good. I (Laura) got a blister yesterday on our long day, so I was trying to take it easier today. Rock and cobblestone roads are hard on the feet.

    Ponte de Lima is the oldest city in Portugal. It was built by the Romans. The bridge was built in the first century. The road into the city felt like an old Roman road. It was a beautiful walk into the city through tall old trees overarching the road. This is a charming medieval town, complete with castle, church, narrow cobblestone streets, and shops.    Read more

  • Camino
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    Day 20

    Ponte da Lima to Rubiães (kind of) Wendy

    September 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    We left Ponte de Lima over its beautiful part-Roman/part-medieval bridge. The town is the oldest in Portugal, having received its charter from the mother of the first king of Portugal in 1125. Highly recommend it if you are in Northern Portugal for a couple of days.

    It was a quiet day and unfortunately for us most eateries along the way were closed. Yikes! Something we forget about. But right about the time we hit some serious elevation, we ran into Cheryl, from our night at Casa da Fernanda.

    That turned out to be a God thing in more than one way. We had not found any hotels inside Rubeãis so we were staying way out of town. It turns out that Cheryl was staying at an alburgue run by Marlene. Marlene is the sister of Luisa who was renting our hotel! So while we waited for them to come pick us up, he applied us with fresh baked apples and lemon, verbena tea and homemade pancakes. Has people say, " The Camino provides," but I'm pretty sure God had a hand in it today also.    Read more

  • Camino
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    Day 20

    Day 8 Ponte de Lima to Rubeias Laura

    September 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    This is Laura’s version of this day. Wendy made this day sound so easy, but today we earned our title of badass. Ponte de Lima is beautiful, but the only way out of the valley is over a mountain. It was Sunday, so everything was closed. No stopping for coffee or food. We walked through some farmland and into forest. There was a mixture of eucalyptus and pine trees. The trail became a real dirt and rock trail and we headed up. It was really quite steep. Wendy charged ahead and I dragged behind. Anyone who has ever hiked with me knows how I hate hills and I slow to a snail’s pace. We ran into Cheryl, a friend from Toronto we met at Fernanda’s. She walked slowly with me for the rest of the day. We walked alongside a river for a bit and continued up. The pictures really don’t do justice to how steep and rocky it was. Cheryl and I would take fifty steps up and take a break to breathe. I was really glad to have hiking poles at this point. Every time we thought we had reached an area that would level out, the trail continued up even more steeply. At one point we passed a tour group going down to an area with a cross. We popped up over the edge and they all started clapping for us. It was encouraging. Wendy was waiting for us at the top next to a sign that said Taxi. We all laughed at that. Heading down, the trail was rocky or had cobblestones. After about another mile, my feet had had it. Cheryl’s knee was bothering her so we decided to call an Uber to come get us. Uber couldn’t find a driver, so Cheryl called Marlene, who ran the place she was staying. She came and found us. She asked where I was staying, and when I told her she laughed and said that was her sister’s place and it was too far away, so we should stay with her. She called her sister to come and get us. Then she fed us warm baked apples and pancakes and lemon verbena tea from leaves in her garden. We hadn’t eaten since the morning, so it was much appreciated. Finally our ride came and we headed to our hotel. I was exhausted and decided to take the next day off.Read more

  • Camino
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    12
    Day 21

    Rubiães to Tui

    September 23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    14 miler today through more beautiful farmland until we hit the medieval (with traces of Roman) city of Valença, the last place before we crossed Gustave Eiffel 's bridge into Tui, España.

    Highlight for Wendy was reconnecting with a bunch of the Fernanda gang and walking with the new friends from Australia (Mike and his daughter, Nicki).    Read more

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