Done. D-U-N. Done.

[Kasutera]

After starting from Porto on May 29th and ending in SdC on June 9th, I'm back in the San Francisco Bay Area, sitting in my office and wondering whether it really happened.

Some highlights:

• Walking with random neighborhood dogs in Vila Cha on my first day.
• Walking with a pair of sisters from Texas between Viana do Castelo and Vila Praia de Ancora and singing "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" through most of that stage.
  
• Polvo a la caldareira at O Laranjeira in Viana, then watching Sporting Club of Portugal win the Portuguese Cup Final.
• Meeting two Mormon missionaries in Viana and telling them all about the Camino.
• Trying to find a phone in Caminha to call the albergue--and discovering that the person I needed to speak to was at the reception of the day care above the albergue.
• The Great Pizza Hunt in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
• Doing silly walks between Vila Nova de Cerveira and Tui. The terrain was just that flat.
• Walking into Tui with a Canadian retiree and discussing Canadian politics over a beer.
• Discovering the new detour around the industrial area in O Porrino.
• Buying scallop shells from a woman in Arcade, just before the Ponte Sampaio. I bought five and hung two on my pack.
• Watching FC Barcelona win the Champions League Final in a pub in Pontevedra--and discovering that Haribo and Young's Oatmeal Stout go well together.
• Caldas de Reis: "It's pushing 30 degrees out there and you 're telling me to dip my feet in hot water?"
• Trying to translate the poetry inscribed on Rosalia de Castro's monument in Padron with a pilgrim from Lithuania.
• Meeting up with a Filipina pilgrim outside of O Milladoiro and having a two and a half-hour coffee break with her.
• Seeing SdC for the first time and recalling the Canticle of Simeon: "Lord, now lettest Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation..."
• Trying to hold back tears as the Botafumeiro swung into action at the Pilgrim Mass.
• "I never thought I'd ever say it, but I'm getting sick of octopus. Let's go find some Chinese food."
• Provoking an argument between four local police officers over which Chinese restaurant in SdC is the best.
• Having a local artisan at the Praza da Inmaculada attach a scallop shell medal to my friend's rosary.
  
• Receiving a scallop shell at the 6pm evening prayer service at the Cathedral.
• Oruxo and albarrino. Lots of it.

 

[fred1249]

After starting from Porto on May 29th and ending in SdC on June 9th, I'm back in the San Francisco Bay Area, sitting in my office and wondering whether it really happened.

Some highlights:

• Walking with random neighborhood dogs in Vila Cha on my first day.
• Walking with a pair of sisters from Texas between Viana do Castelo and Vila Praia de Ancora and singing "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" through most of that stage.
  
• Polvo a la caldareira at O Laranjeira in Viana, then watching Sporting Club of Portugal win the Portuguese Cup Final.
• Meeting two Mormon missionaries in Viana and telling them all about the Camino.
• Trying to find a phone in Caminha to call the albergue--and discovering that the person I needed to speak to was at the reception of the day care above the albergue.
• The Great Pizza Hunt in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
• Doing silly walks between Vila Nova de Cerveira and Tui. The terrain was just that flat.
• Walking into Tui with a Canadian retiree and discussing Canadian politics over a beer.
• Discovering the new detour around the industrial area in O Porrino.
• Buying scallop shells from a woman in Arcade, just before the Ponte Sampaio. I bought five and hung two on my pack.
• Watching FC Barcelona win the Champions League Final in a pub in Pontevedra--and discovering that Haribo and Young's Oatmeal Stout go well together.
• Caldas de Reis: "It's pushing 30 degrees out there and you 're telling me to dip my feet in hot water?"
• Trying to translate the poetry inscribed on Rosalia de Castro's monument in Padron with a pilgrim from Lithuania.
• Meeting up with a Filipina pilgrim outside of O Milladoiro and having a two and a half-hour coffee break with her.
• Seeing SdC for the first time and recalling the Canticle of Simeon: "Lord, now lettest Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation..."
• Trying to hold back tears as the Botafumeiro swung into action at the Pilgrim Mass.
• "I never thought I'd ever say it, but I'm getting sick of octopus. Let's go find some Chinese food."
• Provoking an argument between four local police officers over which Chinese restaurant in SdC is the best.
• Having a local artisan at the Praza da Inmaculada attach a scallop shell medal to my friend's rosary.
  
• Receiving a scallop shell at the 6pm evening prayer service at the Cathedral.
• Oruxo and albarrino. Lots of it.

Lovely ... made the edges of my mouth turn up! Must look up oruxo y albarrino!

 

[Anamya]

Congratulations! I've finished CF last month, and I'm already reading about the Portuguese Camino... NEED to do more of it! Your list is great.

 

[Urban Trekker]

After starting from Porto on May 29th and ending in SdC on June 9th, I'm back in the San Francisco Bay Area, sitting in my office and wondering whether it really happened.

Some highlights:

• Walking with random neighborhood dogs in Vila Cha on my first day.
• Walking with a pair of sisters from Texas between Viana do Castelo and Vila Praia de Ancora and singing "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" through most of that stage.
  
• Polvo a la caldareira at O Laranjeira in Viana, then watching Sporting Club of Portugal win the Portuguese Cup Final.
• Meeting two Mormon missionaries in Viana and telling them all about the Camino.
• Trying to find a phone in Caminha to call the albergue--and discovering that the person I needed to speak to was at the reception of the day care above the albergue.
• The Great Pizza Hunt in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
• Doing silly walks between Vila Nova de Cerveira and Tui. The terrain was just that flat.
• Walking into Tui with a Canadian retiree and discussing Canadian politics over a beer.
• Discovering the new detour around the industrial area in O Porrino.
• Buying scallop shells from a woman in Arcade, just before the Ponte Sampaio. I bought five and hung two on my pack.
• Watching FC Barcelona win the Champions League Final in a pub in Pontevedra--and discovering that Haribo and Young's Oatmeal Stout go well together.
• Caldas de Reis: "It's pushing 30 degrees out there and you 're telling me to dip my feet in hot water?"
• Trying to translate the poetry inscribed on Rosalia de Castro's monument in Padron with a pilgrim from Lithuania.
• Meeting up with a Filipina pilgrim outside of O Milladoiro and having a two and a half-hour coffee break with her.
• Seeing SdC for the first time and recalling the Canticle of Simeon: "Lord, now lettest Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation..."
• Trying to hold back tears as the Botafumeiro swung into action at the Pilgrim Mass.
• "I never thought I'd ever say it, but I'm getting sick of octopus. Let's go find some Chinese food."
• Provoking an argument between four local police officers over which Chinese restaurant in SdC is the best.
• Having a local artisan at the Praza da Inmaculada attach a scallop shell medal to my friend's rosary.
  
• Receiving a scallop shell at the 6pm evening prayer service at the Cathedral.
• Oruxo and albarrino. Lots of it.

1. I sang the same song on my Porto to Santiago Camino last September.
2. I missed the dogs because I walked the costal route the first 2 days.
3. We met Australians, New Zelanders, Americans, Portuguese, and 3 Germans. who marched in formation lock step all the way to Santiago.
4. There's a way around the industrial area in O Porrino?!
5. 30 degrees and wet feet. It rained almost every day on my Camino, cold wet feet were normal.
6. You missed Casa Frenanda? You got to go back and stay at momma Fernandas!
7. They were having a festival in Ponte de Lima when I was there. Pig on a spit sandwiches. Ummmm. Way cool.
8. You missed the old city in the fort on the Portuguese side of the border.
9. You sure didn't miss the fun and camaraderie of the Camino or the joy of seeing your destination in the distance.

Glad you had a Bom Caminho/Buen Camino. Happy Trails

 

[Urban Trekker]

Congratulations! I've finished CF last month, and I'm already reading about the Portuguese Camino... NEED to do more of it! Your list is great.

Stay at Casa Fernanda. Don't miss Casa Fernanda. Walk the costal route out of Porto. Duck board walkways and back roads. No hills no walking in sand. Did I mention Casa Fernanda. Buen Camino

Happy Trails

 

[Coleen Clark]

1. I sang the same song on my Porto to Santiago Camino last September.
2. I missed the dogs because I walked the costal route the first 2 days.
3. We met Australians, New Zelanders, Americans, Portuguese, and 3 Germans. who marched in formation lock step all the way to Santiago.
4. There's a way around the industrial area in O Porrino?!
5. 30 degrees and wet feet. It rained almost every day on my Camino, cold wet feet were normal.
6. You missed Casa Frenanda? You got to go back and stay at momma Fernandas!
7. They were having a festival in Pontaverde when I was there. Pig on a spit sandwiches. Ummmm. Way cool.
8. You missed the old city in the fort on the Portuguese side of the border.
9. You sure didn't miss the fun and camaraderie of the Camino or the joy of seeing your destination in the distance.

Glad you had a Bom Caminho/Buen Camino. Happy Trails

Momma Fernanda? She sounds like a character I don't want to miss! Tell me where!

 

[Kasutera]

1. I sang the same song on my Porto to Santiago Camino last September.
2. I missed the dogs because I walked the costal route the first 2 days.
3. We met Australians, New Zelanders, Americans, Portuguese, and 3 Germans. who marched in formation lock step all the way to Santiago.
4. There's a way around the industrial area in O Porrino?!
5. 30 degrees and wet feet. It rained almost every day on my Camino, cold wet feet were normal.
6. You missed Casa Frenanda? You got to go back and stay at momma Fernandas!
7. They were having a festival in Pontaverde when I was there. Pig on a spit sandwiches. Ummmm. Way cool.
8. You missed the old city in the fort on the Portuguese side of the border.
9. You sure didn't miss the fun and camaraderie of the Camino or the joy of seeing your destination in the distance.

Glad you had a Bom Caminho/Buen Camino. Happy Trails

Yup, there's a new detour around the industrial area! There are signs advertising the detour as you approach it, and there's even a handy map that was being distributed. Shame I didn't keep mine. The detour itself starts at Orbenlle and hooks west around the industrial area. It didn't really add much time to the walk itself.

I should've specified--it was almost 30 degrees Celsius when I got to Caldas de Reis. One of the other pilgrims recommended dipping my feet in the thermal baths and I looked at her like, "The heat finally got to you, my dear."

Ah yes, Valença. A lovely town with lots of home linen shops. I didn't think of it as a highlight at the time, but I thought while walking through the town, "At least I know now where to go should I need a towel."

 

[Urban Trekker]

Momma Fernanda? She sounds like a character I don't want to miss! Tell me where!

The story goes that a German pilgrim was in distressed and looking for someone to take her in. Everyone turned her away including momma Fernanda. Then Momma Fernanda had a change of heart, got the lady pilgrim and took the her in and the rest as they say is history.

Casa Fernanda is half way between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima in the middle of know where. Its listed in John Brierleys Portuguese Camino guide book. Its a family run albergues taking donations only. They have a cabin in the back yard with a covered patio. There is a small dorm and small bedroom, each with its on bathroom. She also puts pilgrims up in her home. For as little as nothing you get a bed, dinner right out of her garden, and breakfast. You will not leave her table hungry. I have a lot of great memories of my Portuguese Camino but Casa Fernanda is the best one.

 

[vgen5122]

Congrats. What an experience. I fully understand as I had my own wonderful experience. The Camino is kind of addictive. I hope to go back next late August 2016. Buen Camino.

 

[Camembert]

Momma Fernanda? She sounds like a character I don't want to miss! Tell me where!

Look at my video. Taken 5 weeks ago.

My wife and I stayed there 3 days ,giving Fernanda a hand as hospitaleiro.Next year we are not going to walk to Santiago but will be a fortnight at Fernanda's to be hospitaleiro again. Best place to stay on the entire caminho Portugues.

 

[Anamya]

Stay at Casa Fernanda. Don't miss Casa Fernanda. Walk the costal route out of Porto. Duck board walkways and back roads. No hills no walking in sand. Did I mention Casa Fernanda. Buen Camino

Thanks for the suggestion, your enthusiasm is contagious! Now I want to go there!

Don't know about you guys, but just looking at the maps already makes me excited to step on those little dots for real!