Porto to Esposende

Right now I feel like a king leaning back into my recliner at the pool. But the day wasn't like that.

I'm glad for the great lodging suggestion from Melanie who I met on the bus to Porto. 5 stars indeed.

The Porto hostel was not a pilgrim hostel. Two to a bunk room we did our share of snoring deep and loud. Real man stuff. But this morning I woke to find my one bunk mate to be a woman and the song by Lou Reed - A Walk on the Wild Side - started playing in my head.

I don't feel a thing about last night's late sortie on the city. The cup of coffee supplied by the hostel does wonders. I ride out without consulting any kind of map, as usual I let things unfold organically and I end up on the wrong side of town. I see a real day to day Sunday morning in Porto. Eventually I find myself on the Pedestrian bridge with the incredible views of the city. It's impressive and there is just a regular handrail which makes it truly airy.

Pilgrims abound even as they blend into the tourists. I have a few short conversations but nothing serious. They walk, I ride so we can't stay connected. The summer weather and the vibe is comfortable.

At the market on the way out, a piece of cheese got my goat and I had to return to get a second piece.

The light house on the corner at the estuary gets hammered by the swell of an open ocean. It's a spectacle that receives the attention of thousands of hours of video daily. I bet it's all over YouTube.

The vibe is not pilgrimage as I ride solo, it's really more of a gentle ride along a touristy beach and I feel like laying on the sand and get a tan. But I ride on and I get tired, the lack of sleep requires another shot of caffeine and I make my reservation to the albergue about 30km away. I think I can make it, but to be safe I take the busy rodeway. I managed to hammer it out but I had some doubts whether I would make it.

It's a strange start for a Camino considering the absolute magic I experienced on the Frances. But I do hear great stories from the walking pilgrims, so I'll chalk it up to the bike mode. This one is much better to walk then bike.Read more