Camino de Santiago 2024

We woke up this morning and took off so excited for our first day of actual hiking! At days end we had covered 17+ sunny miles of hiking- mostly along a wooden boardwalk while enjoying a succession of beaches and beautiful maritime landscapes. There were points where the boardwalk was covered in deep sand so there was some trudging involved as well as the hiking 😂 The beginning of the hike was a bit somber as we passed the beachside sculpture in the village of Matosinhos commemorating a sea disaster where many sailors were lost. The “Tragédia no Mar” is a very emotional piece! We passed fishing villages with bright colored houses, fishing nets and boats, tidal pools, salt tanks in stone dating from Roman times, ancient chapels, memorial obelisks and many friendly Portuguese! We also made friends with pilgrims from Australia and Slovenia today. I guess we stick out as there are four of us sisters together and we all have our phones out ready to shoot the next beautiful wave. Bom Caminho was on everyone’s lips today! We had a picnic by the sea for lunch with fresh fruit and cheese and warm baguettes. This evening it was sardines in garlic sauce with rice and beans and a little house wine- delicious! As we got to town tonight (Vila do Conde) we were able to visit the amazing Igreja Matriz dedicated to St. John the Baptist (S Joâo Baptista) and pray a Rosary- what a wonderful bonding experience we are having! This is fun but tiring so I’ll head to sleep- tomorrow will be another long day! A final thought- Jenna and Blaise both turned 40 years old this week and so I’m praying for them as they reach their milestone birthdays. My friends and family are always in my prayers but somehow while outside surrounded by God’s beautiful nature I feel more compelled to thank Him for all the graces, family and friends I have been given. ❤️Read more

We spent last night in Casa Puertas which is a B&B in Oia. We needed the rest and the care- the family that runs this Inn is so kind and helpful. We had a huge breakfast with fresh eggs from their hens and it was just what we needed to get the day going. They also served fresh squeezed OJ and this was the first time we experienced what we would see at several stops during this day….If you order orange juice at the cafés they will break out their juicer and proceed to make some juice- so fresh! These are Spanish Valencia oranges we were proudly told. They are believed to be the sweetest and the best for juicing. We girls smiled thinking about growing up back in Florida at 10 Valencia Road and we had orange trees too! Once breakfast was over we headed out back on our journey- saying goodbye to Oia is difficult because it’s such a sweet little place with such history and beauty and such a lovely place for weary pilgrims to recover. A sign I saw on the road said it all: “Good Way, Good Life! Bo Camina, Buena Vida!” I really felt they were sending us off to continue our pilgrimage but also to have a good life. Kind people inspire others! In Mougas we passed a rock pile made up of stones and memorabilia that pilgrims left behind. It was a good place for us sisters to leave a symbolic momento to add to the collection and also to lessen the weight in our bags. After a few days of walking it seems natural to shed burdens you no longer require. We traveled today along the coast with sunshine galore and a breezy north wind - a little chilly. This was a day for turquoise waters, windmills and lighthouses! There were mirador (picturesque spots) around each bend. The rocks in the paths varied from pea gravel to big boulders that we needed to scramble over- we’re always looking ahead but not forgetting to watch directly at our feet- probably a good metaphor and plan for life! We had some roadway walking too which was interesting bc the cars here drive very fast. Easy to find the pilgrim’s path while on roadways because it’s painted bright yellow- our yellow brick road. (but of course we’re off to see not the Wizard but St. James!) ☺️ We were able to stop at cafés twice today- lucky to find them- and sample some pain au chocolat, more orange juice and a wonderful vegetarian lentil and turnip soup- such food! We did some significant climbing into Baiona and checked into our hostel- Estrella de Mar- where we had a 4 person pod and Angèle and I ended up in top bunks- pretty proud of myself that after 14 miles I was able to climb up there! After quick showers we grabbed a cab and doubled back to the outskirts of town to visit the Virxe de Rocha, an enormous granite monument on Mount Sansón with a 15m statue of a magnificent Our Lady holding a boat and raising a hand to bless the waters. We climbed up the steps around her and felt the wind blowing off the harbor- what a thrill! Our cab driver was kind enough to drive us into the Parador complex so we could see the old fort now converted into a luxury hotel. Back down in the harbor area with it’s narrow medieval streets we saw the replica of the Pinta, one of three ships that discovered America and we had a dinner of whole fish (sole) and vegetables that was delicious. Finally home at the hostel it was lights out early because a lot of these pilgrims get up very early to leave- hoping to be one of those tomorrow!Read more