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No such thing as failure on a camino... "goal deferred" maybe, but you'll finish at some point in your own way. It happened to me on my second camino and again on my third. Sort of mulish (stubborn), I just start walking again after I recover a couple or three days... adjusting on the fly and...
In order of preference, mine only: Tomar (Templar Castle), Fatima (a detour, but worth it for some folks), Coimbra (major university with an outstanding library of ancient manuscripts as well as stunning architecture). If you can't see them all, look at some of the guidebooks referenced above...
I've stayed at the Wine Hostel,twice, as they have a 24 hour reception and not many people there go to bed before midnight. It is just a couple of blocks from Clerigos Tower, up the hill from the tram station on the central square near City Hall. See link: https://www.winehostel.pt/en/
Good...
When I was at the Se in Lisboa to collect my sello (had a credential in advance) in 2018, the office was not open at 10:30 a.m. so I just started hiking and collected my first stamp at a little cafe on the north end of old town. The Se office had hours posted on the door but those appear to be...
Thank you for leading/coordinating the efforts on this issue. Our thoughts and prayers for all the victims and a pledge to sign petitions or help in any way we can to ensure the safety of those who come after us.
So sorry this happened to you. I walked alone through this area in 2018 and felt somewhat unsafe as a 62 year old male. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers as you process this horrific trauma, but glad you were strong and survived. Grace and peace in the weeks and months ahead as you...
Got lost in the Granja area in 2018 at about this time of year. Had to bushwhack my way back to the route with the help of kids at the local McDonalds (that’s how far I was off the Camino path 😎). Highs were in the 40C area that week and finding enough water was an issue. Started buying 2...
There is a Fado Museo in Lisbon (I loved it, but a couple of my non-musician compadres were unimpressed), right down near the cruise ship terminals. I spent an afternoon there a couple of years ago. They would most likely have some recommendations for you. There is also a thriving Fado music...
Porto has a history, mostly centered around port and madeira wines, as well as being ruled by Catholic Bishops for much of its history. Tour guide in Porto suggested that Porto is the oldest officially designated wine region in the world ( my French friends vehemently dispute this), and...
You will never regret celebrating your birthday on a Camino. If you are in the mood to celebrate, there will be plenty of pilgrims around to join you and celebrate your youth and your future. If you wish it to be a quiet marker, well, that will be up to you. Having walked both the CF and CP...
Started in Lisboa last year Aug 29th. Very few Pilgrims (maybe 5-10 each evening) until Coimbra, where I encountered a group of 12 folks walking together. By The time we reached Porto, we were seeing 25-30 Pilgrims per day. From Porto to Tui, the numbers had increased, but it still wasn’t...
Agree with the walking through the City instead of riding. Note: arrows in the city are occasionally covered by posters for festivals, announcements, etc... I took a couple of unintended detours into neighborhoods when the path turned and the flèche was not visible. Still, a lovely walk that...
Paula is amazing. She welcomed three of us who were eager to escape the 40+ (centigrade) heat wave last August (2018). She is an architect by training and is restoring the old farm into a rustic, but relaxing refuge for pilgrims. Her cooking skills are commendable as well. She made a simple...
You are correct; and some of them have been suspected of encouraging the vandalism of the signs along the route Complementario.
In Sept, 2018, I took the alternate route and had to scout for signs at a couple of pathway intersections, as the original signs were either removed or painted over...
Walked Lisboa to Santiago in Sept 2018. First night there were three of us in the hostel at VFdeXira. Two Scandinavian ladies and me. Next night in Port do Muge, 2 Kiwi ladies and me. Next night in Azzancha, 1 French lady, a German couple and me. Next stop, Tomar. Albergue full, mostly of...
Way markings are very clear from Coimbra to Porto. Occasionally have to stop and look around at crossroads, just to be sure which way the arrows are pointing, but no real issues along that stretch. Walked this in Sept, 2018, and had no problems finding places to stay each evening. We were...
Santarem to Coimbra, as suggested above, has some long stretches without accommodations. There is a wonderful hostel in Tomar, a city with a World Heritage Site, but otherwise, many of the smaller villages that dot the way don't have much to offer in the way of beds. I walked CP in Sept 2018...
Don't know about the Rosslyn connection, but when in Tomar, a Templar city on the CP (and a World Heritage Site), I read several accounts of how Dinis I, King of Portugal in 1317, created the Order of Christ for all the surviving Templars (of which there were many who had fled to various places...
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