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Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019
  • Rod Murray
  • Colleen Murray
  • Rod Murray
  • Colleen Murray

Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

Porto to Santiago de Compostela Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 15, 2019
    Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Departures

    September 15, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Welcome to our newest travel adventure journal on Find Penguins! We decided to give this App a try while we explore the northern coast of Portugal walking the Camino de Santiago, via the Portuguese Coastal Route. We depart today for Porto, leaving Toronto’s Pearson International Airport this evening. We will explore the city of Porto, taste some Port wine, and a famous bookstore, apparently, for a few days before starting our walk north along the Atlantic Ocean. Follow along!Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Beer thirty

    September 15, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    It been 3 years since we travelled overseas and the check-in process at Air Canada’s Terminal One at YYZ has been significantly streamlined. Type your booking code into a machine, scan your passport, print your boarding passes and baggage tag, drop your bag into a slot, zip through security, find a place for liquid refreshments! And there’s still 2 hours before we fly!
    Very smooth! As was the Mill Street Organic on tap!    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Please add your name to comments

    September 17, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We are having fun using Find Penguins to Journal our daily experiences, post photos and links to our Instagram photos while we are in Portugal. What we’ve noticed is that a lot of people have commented but unless people sign their name, there’s no way to know who the comment came from.
    Please add your name to your comments so we will know who you are. Thanks!    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Igreja do Carmo

    September 17, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    For anyone who has ever complained about tiling a kitchen backsplash...
    Igreja do Carmo. Built in the mid-1700’s. The tiles were made locally and depict the history of the Carmalite Order.

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Livraria Lello

    September 18, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Rumor has it that J.K. Rowling’s inspiration to write Harry Potter began in Porto at this bookstore, Livraria Lello. She lived in Porto for 10 years working as an English teacher and frequented this shop regularly. After looking at the pictures, tell me what you think?Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Porto Cathedral

    September 18, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We are now set to start our #Camino as we visited the #cathedral in #Porto to get our #credencial officially stamped. The cloisters, tile walls, and the statue of #stjames (with scallop shell on his head) and the incredible artwork in the chapels were highlights, as was the view from the tower.Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Prison turned Centre for Photography

    September 18, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today’s serendipity moment in Porto was discovered when we were heading back to our Airbnb and happened upon the Centro Português de Fotografia. http://cpf.pt/
    A free museum housed in the historic courts of justice and prison, a large three story building close to where we are staying. Housing a camera museum on the upper floors, and photos throughout, we were overwhelmed by the galleries of black and white photos by renowned photographer Rune Eraker.
    “Tell The World About Us” is photo exhibition about lost liberty and human dignity in various places around the world, including Colombia (2001), El Salvador (2015), Nicaragua (2005), Haiti (2000), Rwanda (1996), Syria (2018), Honduras (2009) and others. Norway’s solitary confinement, the United States’ practice of death row, and the double standard applied to Edward Snowden were also featured.
    The irony of this exhibit taking place within the confines of a former prison, set within 2 metre thick walls and iron gates, did not go unnoticed.
    When viewing the camera collection, I was reminded of the many cameras I’ve owned over the years, from my first, a Polaroid Swinger, to numerous Pentax 35mm cameras, a few Canon digital cameras to the latest smartphones. The Zeiss display was noteworthy.    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019
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    Moving on!

    September 19, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Goodbye beautiful Porto, Portugal. This morning our adventure continues as we head north to Póvoa de Varzim.

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019
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    St Jame's Anglican Church, Porto

    September 19, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It was not a great night’s sleep for either of us. Apparently the Frosh Week festivities at Porto University carry on well into the night and early morning. It’s a block away. We intended to rise early and begin walking the 30km north to Povoa de Varzim.
    During one of our awakenings, it occurred to us that we’d missed visiting the Anglican Church of St James here in Porto but that it also held a Thursday morning Eucharist.
    So we went to Plan B, which turned out to be quite inspiring. We rose much later, packed up our things and walked to the church, after finding a wonderful breakfast spot on the way.
    The church is the only one named after St James in northern Portugal. A beautiful cemetery outside as well as a lovely wood and plaster interior greeted us, along with a small group of faithful parishioners who were very welcoming. As the parish is named after St James, and is only a short distance from the Camino, they have a Pilgrim’s lounge and shop. Father Philip included us in special prayers for Pilgrims at the end of the service, and we stayed for coffee and fellowship. We even got our Credencials stamped and were given Pilgrim Spirits, little bottles of Port wine!
    The morning was now past, and with 30km of walking ahead of us, we had a second awakening. We realized that a Metro line went all the way to Povoa de Varzim, 45 minutes north to the town where tonight’s accommodation was booked. I suppose we will start our Camino tomorrow.    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Too Chilly!

    September 19, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    This afternoon we walked along the Atlantic Ocean at Povoa de Varzim.
    Rod was keen to go swimming and confident the water would be warmer than East Coast Canada. Nope!

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    And we're off!

    September 20, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    And we’re off again!
    22km up the coast to Esposende.
    What I’m carrying ...
    28L Pack / approx 7 kg when filled
    3 pairs of footwear
    Hikers / Runners / Sandals
    Camelback (1/2L water)
    Hat / Sunglasses
    Rain coat & rain pants
    Shorts / Long pants
    T-Shirts / Long Sleeves
    Light jacket
    Underwear / Socks
    Toiletries
    Phone / charger / cables
    Passport / Cards / Cash
    Port Wine (tiny bottle) 😁    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019
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    Tough Hiking

    September 21, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Turns out the weatherman was right. Too right. We awoke and saw that it had rained in the night. It took us a little longer to get organized so that we were prepared for more rain. We started out in a light drizzle and that quickly turned to a steady downpour. We soldiered on.
    Our walk today was well away from the coast. It was a pleasant mix of cobbled laneways and trails and significant portions of the day were on hilly forest tracks in between small villages with striking churches. The ever present aroma of eucalyptus or Australian gum trees and the mixed forest of pine and native oaks were a pleasant change from the frequent sections of cobbled road. The arbors of grapes ready for harvest were amazing in front of each house.
    By mid morning, the rain had soaked us through and we saw a sign for a Café/Museum which required a detour. It was well worth it for the coffee, but more importantly for the Porto FC memorabilia and especially the Che Guevara photos and kitch!
    We continued on over hill and dale until mid afternoon, the rain ever present and we were starting to feel the day would never end. We stopped for a quick lunch and discovered we still had another 7km to go. In the rain.
    Finally, now late in the afternoon, with the sky showing signs of clearing, we found Pension O Laranjeira in the narrow streets of Viana do Castelo.
    Warm showers, laundry, and a drink before dinner were elixirs for a very long day.    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    An extraordinarily perfect day!

    September 22, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We knew the distance today was going to be less than yesterday but we had no idea how beautiful today’s route would be. We were in no hurry this morning so we strolled the narrow streets of Viana do Castelo and then headed out to the walkway along the ocean. It was already busy with Pilgrims, but being Sunday, hundreds of locals were out walking, running and cycling. The new trail way heading north was on fine crushed stone or on boardwalks, and it went on kilometre after kilometre.
    The trail passes historic forts, archeological sites, small beaches and coves and there’s always the pounding surf and waves on the rocky shore.
    We stopped for a delightful lunch at an oceanfront café and continued north. There are a few parts of the new trail development that have yet to be completed but we eventually found our way to Vila Praia de Âncora. Near the end, the boardwalk abruptly ended and we were forced to cross a few hundred metres of beach sand and feel the cold Atlantic waters on our feet. We washed the sand off in a little stream that empties into the ocean in front of the town. Our hotel, another classic European hotel was a few streets up from the water and next to the town square. When we finally put our feet up we’d walked 19km but were thrilled with the sunshine, the ocean views, and the extraordinary beauty of the Portuguese Atlantic coast.    Read more

  • Portuguese Coastal Camino 2019

    Another Perfect Day- Crossing into Spain

    September 23, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Another beautiful day to walk the Camino along the Atlantic Ocean!
    We were served a very full breakfast to get us started and then were off along the streets of Vila Praia de Âncora until we picked up the Coastal Camino and more of the newly created trail being developed. More information on the “Ecovia do Litoral” a 73km ocean side trail from Esposende to the town of Caminho, Portugal, where the Rio Miñio divides Portugal from Spain, is at https://www.polislitoralnorte.pt/ecovia-do-litoral .
    The ferry does not run on Mondays but a local fisherman will taxi you across the river to Spain for €5. We sat in the bottom of his boat with another Canadian couple. On the other side, we missed the turn for the coastal route and ended up on the main Portuguese Camino which climbed up and over a pass between the mountains that rise out of the sea.
    An hour or so later we arrived in La Guardia, a small fishing village, the streets were very quiet due to a Celtic festival that was being celebrated on that mountain above the village. The Celtic roots of Galicia are very strong. We managed to find an open bar for an afternoon drink as we strolled the hilly streets.
    Later we met up with the other Pilgrims staying at the same hotel at a nearby restaurant. We had really wonderful conversations over dinner with our new Irish, American and South African friends.    Read more

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