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2026 Camino Portugues
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2026 Camino Portugues

Beach time in Basque Country, volunteering in France, and sauntering through Portugal. Read more
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    🇵🇹 Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
    gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler

    Porto Free Day 2

    Yesterday in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    After breakfast, I headed to Cultura Portuguesa, a cork accessory store. I love things made from cork fabric. I actually made the waist bag I'm carrying from cork. I visited this store three years ago and wanted to see if they had anything different. Oh boy, lots of things caught my eye but, of course, my space is limited. Well, as soon as Felip said, "free shipping", I just handed over my credit card.

    I then headed to the Douro River and sipped on freshly squeezed orange juice and enjoyed the beautiful day. Later on, I met up with Sue and Bob to hang out at Bom Sucesso, a renovated marketplace that has a variety of restaurant stalls. Sort of an upscale food court. Then it was off to bed early since tomorrow is supposed to be a 15 mile walk.    Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    1The most beautiful McDonald's in the world.
    The garden at Do Norte by Hungry Hiker.1Cafe com leiteYummy smoked salmon toast with eggs and avocado.1248km to Santiago. Our journey will be longer with the spiritual variant, Finisterre and Muxía.1At the pilgrim office1112Following other pilgrims.1There were many birds flying around at low tide.111111Breaktime at Praia da Luz.1A nod to fishermen's nets and jellyfish.1What was left of my fresh, grilled sardines.1Three full meals with salad, potatoes, and a full bottle of wine came to 44 euros.1The beach in Matosinhos.1

    Porto free day 1

    May 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    I had a decent night of sleep and headed out for breakfast. I found a cool spot called Do Norte by Hungry Biker. As soon as I saw the menu, I realized this is the place my friend Kerri recommended. I has a cafe com leite and a smoked salmon toast. Yummy!

    After breakfast, I met up with Sue, and her husband Bob, at the Cathedral. Well, first I walked downhill too far. Porto is full of hills and steps. Think, San Francisco on steroids. We headed to the new pilgrim office to pick up our pilgrim credential and first stamp. From there we headed down to the river to walk the first leg to Matosinhos. Since we're staying in Porto tonight, we didn't have to carry our backpacks today which was nice because it was drizzling for most of our walk.

    Along the river we saw the famed Port wine houses, a bird observation area, and many statues. Most of the statues honor the fishing community which is the heart of Porto and Matosinhos.

    We took a refreshment break at Praia da Luz, a lovely restaurant and cafe overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This would be a really fun place when the weather is nice.

    Just as we entered Matosinhos, the sun came out and Sue found a great place for lunch. We barely made it, as the kitchen was closing so the chef could take a break.

    We took the bus back to Porto in rush hour traffic but exited a couple stops early because it was faster to walk. We walked around a bit more and called it a night.    Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    1Since we worked so many hours, the local smoothie place delivered to us.
    1The line outside the office.1Informing and advising new pilgrims.1Our final dinner in Saint Jean Pied de Port at Hurrup Eta Klik. I had a delicious Basque trout dish.1Every once in a while, a pilgrim will leave us a tip. It was enough for us to each buy a coffee.1Sue and I on our way down the hill to catch the bus to Pamplona.1On the bus to Pamplona to take our flight. You can see a pilgrim on the left.There is nice seating in the tiny Pamplona airport.I think that's the Camino Frances leaving Pamplona going over the Alto de Perdón.Sue getting ready to board our first flight today.

    SJPP to Porto

    May 18 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Well, I haven't posted in a week because the hours were very long at the Pilgrim Office in Saint Jean Pied de Port. I'll catch up on those days soon but what I can say now is that I met interesting people from all over the world and I worked with a team of incredible women.

    Sue and I took a bus, a taxi, two planes, and an Uber and finally arrived in Porto. We have two full days in Porto before we begin the Camino Portugués coastal route. We will walk up the coast of Portugal and Spain on the way to Santiago de Compostela. It's over 200 kilometers. For now, it's time to settle in for the night.    Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    Sheep's milk yogurt
    She's beating the batter for gallettes (a savory version of crepes)1112These crocheted tops are popular21Taking the local bus to Saint Jean de Luz11Sea Dream Yacht Club is a small, luxury yacht with up to 112 guests and 95 crew.11Chipiron frits at small food stand in a parkSt. JamesHis daughter bought him this shirt when she visited SF.1Lively 9pm dinner at Eden Rock Cafe. Who are we?

    Saint Jean de Luz

    May 9 in France ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We took a day trip to Saint Jean de Luz on the local bus, which took about 45 minutes each way. I'd always wanted to go there since seeing it on an episode of Rick Steve's travel show. It's a beautiful and walkable beach town. We watched a bride and groom exit the church surrounded by loved ones, took a long walk along the beach, and explored the town. Oh, and I got in trouble at church for talking and laughing with a man in an SF Giants shirt. We ended the night with a sunset dinner at Eden Rock Cafe.Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    Starting the morning with a cafe au lait.
    Kerri's egg and frommage Brebis that she shared.I wish I could bring these all home.Everyone seems to be wearing crocheted granny square sweaters.Enjoying a coffee and the beach area.We crossed this bridge to get closer to the statue.The Virgin statue was installed in 1865 to protect sailors.Fresh flowers to commemorate VE Day.Jambon and frommage sammie.🎵 If you like piña colada...We just missed Chanel's fashion show on the promenade by a few days.Peach and piment de espelette ice cream. It was yummy.Looking at some overpriced Hermés bags.

    Happy VE (Victory in Europe) Day

    May 8 in France ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    It's special to be here on VE day which is the official end of WWll in Europe when Germany formally surrendered to the Allies. It is a national holiday celebrated with somber rememberance and then family time along the promenade. We, three, started the day with cafe au lait and croissant at the Halles (market) and learned that tomorrow the market will have twice as many vendors, yay! Kerri also ordered an egg and cheese galette to share. We then said au revoir to Kerri as she's off to visit a friend for a few days, but we'll meet with her again on Sunday when we prepare to volunteer at the pilgrim office together. Sue and I spent the day walking through the old town and down along the water's edge. We walked across a bridge to The Rocher de la Vierge and listened to a musician sing American and French tunes. We found a memorial to those who perished in WWl and WWll with fresh flowers arranged at its base. We also keep spotting artwork on buildings by an artist, known as Invader, that is inspired by the old video game Space Invaders.Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    You can see the camino shell on the signHasta luego San SebastianBonjour Biarritz!Eglise Sainte Eugenie de BiarritzVegetable salad we sharedGrilled sardines we shared.Generous portion of merlu, rice and pipperade that I was almost able to finish.Casa Juan Pedro

    Moving on to Biarritz

    May 7 in France ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    We woke up to a picture perfect day in San Sebastian. I'm sad to leave here today but I get to explore a new location...Biarritz. But first, Sue, Kerri and I did a final walk through of the town, including Mercado San Martin which houses all sorts of culinary delights ranging from fish, meats and deli to produce, bread, and flowers. We also saw a few pilgrims because the Camino del Norte runs right along the beachfront promenade. We then packed up and walked to the bus station and took a one-hour Flix Bus to the Biarritz airport. We'd plan to take a taxi from there, but Kerri found that a local bus was about to stop at the airport and would take us very close to our hotel for €1.20. Score! We checked in and started exploring. We visited a church and some shops. We found a patisserie selling about a dozen different flavors of macaron. I bought the cerise (cherry) and it was delicious. It wasn't long before it started to rain so we took shelter in a cafe and ordered a local Basque drink called Patxaran. For dinner, we found a great place on a small dock called Casa Juan Pedro. There was a line forming before they opened so we figured it would be good. It didn't disappoint. The food was fresh, well-prepared, and generous. Our server asked how to say bon appetit in English, we replied, "uhm, we say bon appetit". With that, we called it a night.Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    1La Concha Beach from Monte Urgull
    1The hidden bar was closed so we had to suffice with the photo op.11The pigeon was as cold as we were.Michellin-recommended Ganbara. It lived up to the hype.What looks like a humble tuna sandwich topped with shrimp was actually amazing.Tuna belly carpaccio with olive oil and lemon.3Spider crap tartlett.Wild mushrooms with egg yolk.Art depicting La Concha BayEnding the day at sunset.1

    San Sebastian Day 3

    May 6 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 55 °F

    Today we ventured out in light rain to climb up Mount Urgell. It used to be a fort that protected the area. There is a 40 foot statue of Jesus at the top. We were rewarded with beautiful views of La Concha Bay and beyond it to the Bay of Biscay. We then wandered through town and perused the shops, stopping for a snack, before heading back to the hotel for a nap. Luckily, the rain stopped when we were ready to go to dinner. We chose Gambara, a Michellin recommended restaurant. We arrived 20 minutes before they opened because we heard there is a line to get in. There were nine people ahead of us and the place fits about 20 people. The line grew quickly behind. We shared several amazing dishes accompanied by the local txacolí wine. When we stepped out of the restaurant, we were greeted with a beautiful blue sky. Since sunset wasn't until 9:30pm, we strolled along the promenade from one end of the beach to the other and back. We walked eight miles today.Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    Catedrál El Buen Pastor
    111A depiction of a woman rebuilding San Sebastian after fires destroyed most of the town in 1813.We're hiking to the top tomorrow.1Pilgrims taking a break on the beach.2It's good to be the queen.We watched a photo shoot.1Miramar Palace, the former summer home of Queen Maria Cristina.Peaking into Miramar Palace.1First stop on our pintxo crawl with txacolí wine. It's light, crisp, and a little fizzy.11

    San Sebastián Day 2

    May 5 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Today, after a good breakfast at the hotel, we walked around town during a break in the rain. We toured the Catedrál el Buen Pastor which was built to be the tallest structure in town. The organ has over 9000 pipes. We then walked the length of La Concha Beach to Miramar Palace, the former summer home of Queen Maria Cristina of Asturias. Then came a downpour of rain but luckily we were sitting under an awning having tea. Later, after a short nap, we met up with our friend Kerri who just flew in and we walked around and had nibbles at a couple of places. Meals here are very social and you end up chatting with everyone near you.Read more

  • gmoney2026 Camino PortuguesTraveler
    1Beautiful rainbow from the train.Cathedral in San SebastianSunset at La Concha BeachPintxo de foie grasFried anchoviesSimple salad of delicious lettuce and onionsAfter being rained on.

    San Sebastián

    May 4 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    After trains, planes, and automobiles we finally arrived in San Sebastian. We were dead tired but once we ventured out to find dinner, we were revived. We had some pintxos, enjoyed the view of the bay, and called it a night. We got caught in a rain shower on the way back to the hotel and were soaked.Read more

  • Trip start
    May 3, 2026
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