It is very hard to leave the fall behind at home. \240It’s one of the most beautiful times of the year. But adventurers await, so off we shall go to explore more of the beautiful country of Portugal. First by walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago, then down to the Algarve region to explore that area by bike.

Feeling blessed and thankful to spend time with family and friends today. Enjoyed some quality time with the grandkids. \240We had a few errands to run in London, but for the most part we are feeling ready to go.

It seemed like so long ago when we booked our flights, but the time has flown by and here we are. Bags are packed. Ed’s weighing in at 18.2 and Lisa’s at 15.4 pounds. \240Now to determine what we forgot to pack.

Thank you to family and friends who housed us, fed us, and drove us to the airport.

Travel so far is going very well.

It was a very noisy and bumpy flight so unfortunately not too much sleep. But we arrived ahead of schedule which was good.

We cleared custom without any issues. We did wonder if they would flag us as repeat Portugal visitors.

Without any difficulty we located the Metro (subway) from the airport to the Oriente train station. To our surprise the train station was located right next to a mall, and lots of coffee shops nearby.

Without a doubt, the coffee and Pastel de Nada was our first stop.

We popped over to the mall and found a “Sports Zone” where I was able to purchase a walking pole. Last time we had 1 free checked bag each so we had packed our poles in a box. This time the cost of a checked bag was going to be $220. I was able to find a pole for about $30.

Next a quick stop at the Continental grocery store to purchase water and bananas, the cost was less than €1.

Back to the train station for our 12:09 high speed train to Porto. Hopefully getting a few more zzzz on the way.

We have arrived! A little weary, but feeling energized. We were both able to grab a little more sleep on the train as we sped through the countryside at 200+ km per hour. Loved the train and financially at $20 each it was great value.

When we arrived our first task was to head off to the Cathedral to locate our Camino Credential. This is the record book where we will gather our stamps to record our journey for our Compestello which we will receive in Santiago.

Well our first adventure of the trip ended up being checking into our room. We located it through the help of Google maps offline, but the door was locked. We went next door to a bar thinking they might have something to do with it. Well then we looking closer at the confirmation which indicated that check in was at a different location several kilometres away. The bar owner was so helpful, he made a call for us (we can only call when we are connected to Wifi). We were given instructions how to get in. A local guy at this point who was having a beer also helped us to navigate the lock system with our hi-tech keys even though he spoke no English.

We open the door and found the most spectacular view from our windows of the Douro River and Ponte Luis I bridge (iconic metal bridge crossing the river which was designed by Gustave Eiffel the French engineer who also designed the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty. We both laughed and said you don’t get this at a Holiday Inn.

We went back to the bar next door, picked up a couple of beers so we could put our feet up and hydrate. 🤗

An amazing day exploring Porto!

We both had a great night sleep. Feeling very rested we set out to explore Porto. We only have 1 day here as tomorrow we start walking our Camino.

We had a great breakfast along the river, fresh squeezed orange juice, ham and cheese croissants, Nata, and of course coffee.

Our first experience for the day was a river boat cruise along the Douro. (We will add more facts in later about the 6 bridges we saw).

We headed across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia to walk along the Port wine cellars. We discovered the most incredible experience at the Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau. A beautiful shop filled with historical books. A delicious snack of a cheese filled cod cake, and a sampling of port wine. We timed it perfectly and we were also entertained with live music on a pipe organ. It is also here that we discovered our new mantra…. “O Valor do Tempo” which translated means, “The value of Time”. \240In our opinion, this is priceless!

Now off to explore more of Porto. Many of the streets are surprisingly still familiar from our few days we spent here in 2019, so we have found it quite easy to find our way around.

We set out to find the Camino path so we would know our way in the morning. Then off to see the Sao Bento train station. This is one of the historic landmarks and must see in Porto.

We passed by several old churches along the way, with beautiful tile work of art.

We had our best meal yet tonight for dinner. A small restaurant off the tourist way. It started to rain and the menu looked good so we stopped in. They couldn’t serve us yet, but offered to get us a drink and we could wait. Service was fantastic, food was delicious- a great way to spend our last evening in Porto.

PS: we really don’t sit around and eat and drink wine all day!

Day 1 Camino Summary

19.3 km, Camino distance today

19.3 km, total Camino distance to date

112 m, Camino elevation gain today

112 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

27,539 steps, Camino steps today

27,539 steps, total Camino steps to date

5:37 m, Camino time today

5:37 m, total Camino time to date

Day 1 - Porto to Praia do Paraiso

An amazing first day on the Camino.

The forecast is not looking good for the next couple of weeks, but we were blessed with a great day to walk today.

We were up and out by 8:30 am this morning making our way up the stairs to the Porto Cathedral for our start point. As we left the Cathedral we were a bit confused by some of the arrows as they seemed to be pointing in the opposite direction. We figured that as long as we kept the water on our left we had to be heading in the right direction.

We travelled over many different types of path surfaces today. From steel grates, open to the water below, cobblestone sidewalks, wood paths, asphalt, chips and dust.

We originally thought we had about 14 km to travel today, but with the meandering path along the coast, this seemed to add some distance as we ended our day around 20 km.

We have reminisced the past couple of days of our Camino in 2019. We are trying to be open to this experience and not try to compare the two.

It was a great first day. Feet are feeling ok. We did not have any rain, only a bit of mist off the ocean. We arrived at our destination safely.

Day 2 Camino Summary

18.63 km, Camino distance today

37.9 km, total Camino distance to date

120 m, Camino elevation gain today

232 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

24,622 steps, Camino steps today

52,162 steps, total Camino steps to date

4:54 m, Camino time today

10:31 m, total Camino time to date

Day 2 Motosinhos - Vila do Condo

Today was a mixed day, a day of mixed weather and mixed terrain. We awoke to the sound of rain pounding on the roof. A good day to pull the covers back up and stay put for awhile. Normally we would head out first thing, but the forecast appeared to be clearing later in the morning so we decided to take our time, reminding ourselves of “the value of time” and we didn’t need to rush leaving. We headed out around 9:30 to grab coffee and breakfast at a local cafe, and watch the rain continue to come down. Around 10:30 there seemed to be a break in the weather so we decided to head on our way.

The terrain was a mix of cobble stone paths, sand dunes, and lots of wooden boardwalks. We walked along the ocean and passed through several fishing villages.

We had a beautiful walk until around noon, when a gentle rain started. It was enough to keep us in our ponchos for awhile, but it wasn’t pouring. Our gear did the job it was designed to do and kept us mainly dry. We had to remind ourselves, there is no bad weather, only bad gear.

Day 3 Camino Summary

22.2 km, Camino distance today

60.1 km, total Camino distance to date

109 m, Camino elevation gain today

341 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

29,646 steps, Camino steps today

81,808 steps, total Camino steps to date

5:33 m, Camino time today

16:04 m, total Camino time to date

Day 3 Vila do Condo to Fao

So many blessings today!

They are calling for 50-75mm of rain to start at some point today so we headed out early to try to get ahead of it, or at least only get wet at the end of the day. We had our longest day so far at 22 km. We left shortly after 7 am and arrived at our destination at 12:30pm, ahead of the rain!

Our check in time is 3 pm, but we just caught the owner and the room was ready so she let us in early. There was a lovely cafe about 2 doors away from the Hostel where we are able to have our first pilgrim meal for 7€. This included an entre, beer and a shot of Port wine!

We are heading off to the laundromat this afternoon as it has been difficult to get clothes to dry the past few days. There is one about a 5 minute walk from the hostel.

So far our feet are doing well. No blisters and we have been able to keep them dry.

The walk today followed a labyrinth of wooden boardwalks. The wind was very gusty by the water and almost blowing us over with our packs on, so it was a welcome relief when the path moved inland a bit away from the coast.

We travelled more through agricultural regions today, with very few places to stop for a cafe. We did find one at about 11km which was a welcome oasis.

The last section of the route today was a path through the forest.

Day 4 Camino Summary

21.8 km, Camino distance today

81.9 km, total Camino distance to date

292 m, Camino elevation gain today

633 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

30,959 steps, Camino steps today

112,767 steps, total Camino steps to date

6:18 m, Camino time today

22:22 m, total Camino time to date

Day 4 - Fao to Chafe

A great day, but a challenging one.

We both got awaken about 4 am with a wild storm. Strong winds, pounding rain and thunder and lightning. Very glad that the Portuguese build solid cement structures! At 7 am when the alarm rang, it was still raining, so we decided to delay our start hoping it would clear up. We were able to head out around 9:30 with just our raincoat as it was only a light drizzle.

Sometimes when you order food things, there can be a bit of a translation issue. For breakfast along with our coffee we ordered a croissant with ham & cheese to share. What we received was 1 plain croissant, and 2 buns with ham & cheese. Oh well, we tucked the extras in our pack to have later.

In the middle of the shipping industrial area, there was an odd sign, that stamps were available. Ed reminded me that we can’t pass up an open door, so we headed inside. It was a very small shop, with all kinds of Camino signs that they make there. I was able to pick up a bracelet this time as my constant reminder that we need to enjoy the journey and not pass by any open doors.

The initial part of our journey today was along the coast. The sky still looked a bit ominous, but we felt optimistic. 🤞

At Marinhas, the path turned away from the coast for the rest of the day and our climbing began. We have been spoiled by how flat it has been so today caught us by surprise. We stopped around noon in the town of Belinho for a coffe and juice, excellent timing as this would be the last cafe we would pass on our journey. The extra sandwiches we had from breakfast also came in very handy and we chalked this up to the Camino providing us with what we needed.

As we carried on, the cobblestone road we travelled turned into a dirt road and then into a path through the woods. Lots of roots and rocks as the trail followed the river. We climbed to the top of Castelo de Neiva and then had to follow the meandering path down to our town for the night of Chafe.

Thank you all for continuing to send good weather vibes! Once again we were able to have a dry walk today. We said several times, that the path through the woods would have been quite treacherous in the rain.

The day turned out longer than anticipated, and was probably our most physically demanding so far but we arrived safely. We have an amazing place to stay tonight, and our feet are both doing well.

Day 5 Camino Summary

21.8 km, Camino distance today

103.7 km, total Camino distance to date

437 m, Camino elevation gain today

1070 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

30,143 steps, Camino steps today

142,910 steps, total Camino steps to date

6:49 m, Camino time today

29:11 m, total Camino time to date

Day 5 Chafe - Afife

This one was a tough one! When we woke this morning Ed was not feeling the best. Our dinner last night had been a pilgrim meal at a local Cafe that had not been the best. (As most of you know our story of the bad cup of coffee that helps us to appreciate the good one, we had rated this one a bad cup last night). We did ponder staying another day in Chafe. The accommodations were wonderful, but there really wasn’t much to see and do in this tiny town so we made the decision to carry on and we would taxi ahead if necessary.

We got a relatively early start around 8 am, our accommodation provided a light breakfast included so we fuel up (apple, yogurt and toast) and thought we would get coffee on the way.

At 8:42am, we saw the rainbow which was beautiful, but a sign of also what was ahead. By 9 am we had our first downpour. It was off and on all day. Thankfully many homes had large overhangs on their doors so when it got too intense we tucked in as best we could out of the rain.

At about 10 am we entered the large city of Viana do Castelo. There was a very very long bridge as you enter the city. Normally this would have been a great vantage point to take photos, however today we were in a downpour at the time we were crossing, the wind kept wiping our ponchos and us. I was holding onto the bridge with one hand and my poncho with the other so I could see where I was going. Our first coffee stop was just across the bridge and we lingered here quite a while until the rain seemed to subside a bit.

Those that know Ed, also know how determined he is. Several times today, I tried to get him to consider a taxi, but he was determined to keep walking.

From Viana do Castelo the path was along the side of the hill. It was a farm road with very little traffic which was good, but this also meant that there were no cafe’s or break points along the way, until we reached the town of Carreco. We had rain downpours off and on. We were able to take our ponchos off a few times as they are quite hot, but we always kept them close by and ready to put on again.

At the town of Carreco, I left Ed at the cafe and ran down to the Farmica to get something for his heartburn. They are always great here when you are in need. We didn’t bring as much with us this time because everything is so readily available and often much cheaper than at home. They were able to give me something for him so off we went on the final leg (2.5km) of our journey. The total distance today should have been around 18km, but we ended at around 22km.

We are sharing a beautiful home tonight with 2 other couples, one from Germany and one from Finland. It was a bit hard to locate, but today I think any bed will feel good.

Our host for the evening Carlos, drove us to the supermarket so we could buy supplies for supper as many of the local restaurants are now closed. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of grilled cheese. Comfort food after a wet day. We were with Hans and Anna from Germany and Carlos joined us as well. It was a lovely evening sharing the company of others, this truly is what a Camino is all about…the people you meet along the Way!

Day 6 Camino Summary

20 km, Camino distance today(Train, water Taxi plus walking)

123.7 km, total Camino distance to date

204 m, Camino elevation gain today

1274 m, total Camino elevation gain to date

7765 \240steps, Camino steps today

150,675 steps, total Camino steps to date

3:48 m, Camino time today

32:59m, total Camino time to date

Day 6- Afife - A Guarda- update in progress

Splash, splash splash….pretty much sums up our day.

We woke to rain again this morning. We had a lovely breakfast with Carlos our host, and Hans and Anna from Germany, Carlos said this weather is not typical for the area, so much rain and wind!

Ed is feeling much better today! We decided to alter our plans for the day due to the forecast. Our host Carlos drove us down the hill to the town of Afife. From here we hopped on the train to Caminha which is our last stop in Portugal.

We had previously booked a ferry for 2:30pm today expecting to be walking the 16 km here. Once we navigated to the ferry area we were hailed over by the Water Taxi driver. He did not speak much English, and with our limited Portuguese it was an interesting conversation. He took us along with David from Wisconsin who was already waiting to the other side of the river so we are now in Spain.

As we left the ferry port the rain started. At first we took shelter, but it didn’t seem to be letting up, so finally as we were already wet, we trudged ahead. We had our heads down in our ponchos and at one point almost missed the turn, but a kind Spanish women from her balcony guided us, “Camino this way”.

We traversed up an over on our way to A Guarda through the mud and newly formed river along the path.

As we entered the town it was 2:30pm. We stopped to get a bite to eat as restaurants shut down from 3-7:30pm when they open for dinner. \240David joined us and we had a lovely visit. \240All normal businesses shut in Spain from approx 1-3 for lunch.

When we reached our home for the night we werel quite drenched. Off to the laundromat to wash and dry our clothing today.

We are hoping to explore A Guardia today, but the rain has started again. We are pondering tonight if we continue on this path or look to take an alternate route, stay tuned.

Our walk around A Guarda

Day 7- A Guarda, Spain

Shifting plans

After a great deal of deliberation yesterday, we have decided to put our Camino on pause.

The weather forecast is not improving and they were predicting 2-3“ of rain each day and now it is 3-4” today, and significantly more each day for the next week. At our current pace we would have 8-9 days left to walk and the 2 week forecast shows significant rain every day.

Our plan is to get back to Caminha, Portugal tomorrow some how (hopefully not having to swim). Then we will take the train to Coimbra which is a Camino city between Porto and Lisbon. We will continue this blog for those following through there as this is all part of the Camino Way.

Today we thought we would head out to explore A Guarda (on foot of course). We had a brief period with no rain and we headed up to explore Castle of Santa Cruz, the remains of a fortress at the top of the city. You can imagine what it would have been like many years ago when this was a strong hold against invasion.

We walked along the windy promenade by the sea until the rain started and then took cover wherever we could find an overhang.

We decided to stay at the same place again tonight, but our room was booked which wasn’t a problem, we had packed up everything when we left and they moved our packs to the new room. As we came back to the hotel, the receptionist (who doesn’t speak much English) motioned that we were swimming….yep pretty much sums up the weather!

There was a young man cleaning the rooms when we left, and he had indicated to us to just leave our bags and he would put them in the new room. I asked him if he had some old newspapers could he keep them for us. My shoes are still wet and this helps to absorb the water and dry them. When we came back from our swim aka walk, our bags were in the new room, my shoes were set out to dry in the window, and he left slippers for us on the bed. How wonderful, we feel like luxurinos today.

For lunch today we visited Pizzaria Di Marco as it had been recommended by friends as a wonderful family restaurant and that it was. We met Adriane and her Papa, and helped her a little bit with her English. She was so wonderful and even helped us to navigate a ride to Caminha tomorrow.

We stopped by a local supermarket, and picked up salad and fruit supplies for a wonderful dinner.

Day 8 - Our journey continues, but in a different direction!

We still feel a bit mixed about our decision to alter our course, there is a very emotional pull when you walk the Camino that is hard to replicate anywhere else or explain. In our mind we are still on our Camino, we have just chosen a different route to take and Coimbra will be our Santiago. We have always said it is about the journey and not the destination and so this follows our change in route. The journey was not enjoyable in the torrential rain and we were unable to enjoy the towns when we arrived.

We were able to get a taxi to bring us to Caminha this morning. This was fortunate as early this morning there were very high winds and heavy rain. As we drove and walked around this morning, you can see the debris from the trees that has been knocked down in the rain overnight.

Coming back to Caminha, we had a chance to explore this beautiful little town (between showers).

We met a very unique artist, and had quite the philosophical conversation! There was an open window this time and he invited us into his studio. His work is done using many natural inks made of several berries such as cherries, or elderberries and then using a water colour effect. He was a lawyer in his past career, and now finds his passion and purpose in his art. Our timing was perfect as when we entered his studio and he gave us a tour it had started to downpour, and as we ended our conversation and left, the rain had subsided.

We are staying at our last Albergue tonight with other pilgrims which is located right near the train station. Tomorrow we will have our train journey from here and we have reserved a small apartment in Coimbra.

Our route today from Caminha to Coimbra via train.

Another night with several storms blowing through. We started our day with a lovely breakfast at the Hostel before heading out to do one more walk around the village.

We had a smooth train ride from Caminha to Porto with a quick switch and then on to Coimbra. We arrived at our loft apartment and decided to grab a quick bite to eat. This is a university town and the prices are very reasonable, a \240reflection of the student population. As we were eating lunch Ed looked up Free Walking Tours and there was one starting nearby in 5 minutes. We joined the small group of 4 others, they had already done introductions and we were on our way.

There is so much history here. This town was once the Capital of Portugal, until it switched to Lisbon because of it sea port. The narrow streets are from the Moorish time period. There is even Roman influence which has recently been discovered. Our tour which we thought would be an hour or so ended up being 3.5 hours.

This town is not as tourist driven as Porto and Lisbon. We sat a bit at a street cafe after our tour and we really like the vibe in this town. Several extremely talented musicians were entertaining on the streets and the music was wonderful to listen to.

Day 2 - Coimbra- I am a little behind on blogging all the details the past couple of days as we have been very busy. So please check back.

Fun facts of this beautiful city.

They have bats that live in the historical library that come out at night to eat the bugs which would otherwise destroy the books.

The uniform at the university is a black suit with a black cape. Many students can still be seen wearing this on a daily basis. Some only put it on during special occasions or events. First year students are not allowed to wear it until after completion of one year.

The university which is at the top of the hill was formerly the Kings palace.

Coimbra is known for its 3 F’s…Fatima, Fado Music and Futbol.

This morning we spent walking the streets in Santa Clara that is across the river. The guide from yesterday had pointed out several areas worth a look. The church’s unfortunately had no open doors. We were able to get into the gardens where 2 famous fountains can be found.

This afternoon we explored the very large shopping mall as there were a couple of items we needed for our next adventure. We were both laughing as we have an easier time navigating the narrow unmarked streets of the historic towns than we do finding a large department store in a 3 story mall.

When we got back to the room they were doing some repairs so they sent us to the hotel nearby where they offer a roof cocktails and a spectacular view of this beautiful city.

Heading out later to hear some Fado music before dinner. The oldest cafe in Coimbra Cafe Santa Cruz has free concerts every night at 1800 and 2200. Well free, but you must buy a beverage as you sit and enjoy.

Our final day in Coimbra

We spent our final day touring around the city. Our first stop was to choose a museum to explore as there were several of interest. We decided on the Science museum that included the University campass.

We had to book a time for the Joanine Library tour as they limit the number of people every 20 minutes. This tour started in the University jail where students (and some professors) who weren’t performing were sent. They were escorted back and forth to class by guards.

There were 3 floors to the library in total. Unfortunately on the 3rd and main floor where all of the historical books are housed we were not allowed to take photos. The beautiful wood tables, very ornate walls and ceiling are definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Coimbra.

Normally you are also able to climb the clock tower, but it was closed for the season. We were able to visit the Royal Palace as well as St. Michael’s Chapel.

We then headed off to the Chemistry building where they had several exhibits to view. The first room was about the Jesuit influence on science at the university. The 2nd room was about chemistry tools over the years, and the 3rd room where Ed really lit up was focused on the many properties of light which was part of his studies many years ago.

We left the University via the Botanical Gardens which is free access to all. This land was donated to the University and here plants from all over the world are nurtured and thrive. The gardens cover 13 hectares in the middle of the city and are also included in the UNESCO world heritage list.

This is our last day in a Camino town so this brings this blog to a close. When we are able to continue our Portugal Camino we will start it back up again and let you know.

From here our journey is taking us further south to the Algarve Region where it is hot and dry. Next week we will be starting our next adventure (and a new blog) of cycling across the Algarve.

Bon Camino!