Day 16- Porto , Portugal

On May 19th, we finally allowed ourselves to sleep in a little as our body clocks were still adjusting to Portugal time (for Bob). After enjoying a wonderful breakfast at the beautiful Boeira Garden Hotel, we set out on foot toward Porto to meet our friend and fellow Sacramento pilgrim, Gina, at the magnificent Porto Cathedral.

Our walk took us across the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge, the stunning metal bridge spanning the Douro River with incredible panoramic views of both Porto and Gaia. Along the Gaia riverfront, we passed the famous port wine warehouses of Taylor, Sandeman, Fonseca, and many others, with their underground caves that have made Porto wines world famous.

At the Pilgrims Office, we received our Camino credentials — the special pilgrim passport that collects stamps along the journey. Getting our very first stamp made everything suddenly feel very real: our Portuguese Camino adventure had officially begun.

From there, we began walking the first stage of the Portuguese Camino toward Matosinhos, following the Douro River all the way to the Atlantic coast before continuing north along the shoreline. The walk covered more than eight miles and gave us a perfect “warm-up” day before the real trekking begins.

Along the way, we stopped at a seaside terrace restaurant for refreshments overlooking the ocean before eventually enjoying lunch in Matosinhos, a city that grew from a humble fishing and salt-producing village into Portugal’s most important fishing port, famous today for its seafood and maritime heritage. I ordered the sea bass, which was absolutely delicious.

One of the most moving moments of the day came as we left Matosinhos and encountered haunting statues commemorating the “Great Tragedy at Sea” of December 12, 1947, when several fishing boats sank during a violent storm, claiming the lives of 152 fishermen and devastating the community. The sculptures beautifully and painfully captured the grief of the families left behind.

By late afternoon, we boarded an incredibly crowded bus back toward Porto, but traffic became so slow that we eventually got off and decided walking would be faster. We wandered once more through the lively Ribeira district, explored a few shops, and made our way back across the bridge toward our hotel. By the end of the day, we had walked nearly 12½ miles, and my legs are definitely going to feel it tomorrow!

Tomorrow we plan to enjoy one final relaxing day before the Camino truly begins, including exploring some of Porto’s famous port wine cellars and, of course, tasting a little port along the way.

Until tomorrow — Buen Camino.Read more