Portland Oregon

On Tuesday, 13 September 2022, my sister Ellen and I will travel from Portland to Paris, the first leg of a trip I’ve been dreaming about and planning for years, to walk really far for no particular reason. Ellen bravely accepted my invitation and now here we are, about to embark on our (my) folly.

We’ll hang out in Paris for a few days, then head to Porto, Portugal where the REAL adventure begins.

Our plan is to walk/limp/shuffle 130+ cobblestone encrusted miles north from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, navigating one of the dozens of ancient pilgrimage routes collectively known as the Camino de Santiago. Specifically, we’re walking the Portuguese Central route of the CDS, carrying all our belongings and staying in inns, hostels, and private homes that provide beds and meals for pilgrims. We plan to cover 10-12 miles a day, searching for the little yellow arrows that mark the way. (Okay, we might use GPS sometimes.) And all while speaking very poor Portuguese. There may be some crying involved but there will DEFINITELY be lots of singing because that’s what Houston girls do. We have a song for every situation. I may even write a special song about blisters. Or bedbugs. Or blisters AND bedbugs! Or bedbugs with blisters!!

But I digress.

To summarize: Two women in our 60’s. Wandering in the wilderness. Carrying 15lbs of gear. Possibly in the rain. With limited access to bathrooms. Sounds like a good time to me! What could possibly go wrong?? (Watch this space.)

After that, we’re heading back to Paris for awhile because our husbands are cool with us being gone for a WHOLE MONTH. Love those guys!もっと詳しく