The Yukon
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Portuguese, Jacobs Weg, Camino Frances, Tui to Fatima
This isn’t a submission that was going to press. Why? I only carry an iPhone on the path. It’s such a pleasure to transmit thoughts with 8 fingers in play, but the thumbs bully their way from their usual sharing of the space bar, to taking over the whole tiny keyboard. And yes, they suck as micromanagers of this formidable task. Enough of the preamble.
Some of you encouraged me, as a current pilgrim, to share the journey. The thumbs did poorly, but given all the great support on this site, here is a synopsis of a worthwhile walk.
Good pre-trip coaching came from two sisters and brother-in-law who administered thousands of vaccination needles safely this past year, as well as their whole life, and know what it means to be safe. They accompanied me for the last two weeks of November to the stunning Azores, Portuguese islands 1/3 of the way between Portugal and Newfoundland, Canada.
Despite the uncertainty of taking 5 flights from Dawson City, Yukon, December 5 found me leaving Se Catedral in Lisbon looking for that first beckoning yellow arrow. If I had a goal, it was to enjoy the journey each day, and more importantly, walk less than 20 Km the first day.
The meteorological gods smiled the first 150 or so Km to Fatima. This December climate resembled our August climate in our subArctic town, so I was elated every morning, wearing a T-shirt by the afternoon in the high teens.
In Fatima it poured, but that’s a town with a riveting story and lots worth seeing while dodging raindrops, not to mention the Aleluja Hotel which overlooks the cathedral square for a mere 25€\night. I am not a devout peregrino; I do not walk all day in the rain. But that’s amusing too since I carry an umbrella that snaps on to my backpack for flash showers. Which suggests that I carry too much - about 12 or 13 kg (26 to 29 lbs) on my 70kg (154 lbs) frame. It’s so impressive to see how light some of you travel.
Because the heavy rain meant a day off, I discovered the Camino Nascente e Poente between Tomar and Nazare on the coast. The next 4 days were spent walking this 70+ km perk. Minimum signage, but the Camino Ninja app proved a reliable guide. The enormous Batalha Monastery is worth the 7 Km deviation from the path. A cab did pick mr up the next morning and took me back towards Moss to see another ancient castle and get me close to the path again. Should you choose this enchanting walk to the coast, consider the 5€ obscure, unmanned alberge in an old school house in Coz. Clean, great kitchen, showers, extra blankets, and you’ll have it to yourself.
In 22 days I only met 2 other pilgrims on my 3rd and 4th day, neither of them vaccinated and both lamenting the difficulty this created for them in attempting to stay in Portuguese alberges. Thankfully, double vax proof is important in this country, or an official antigen test every 48 hours, optionally a PCR every 72 hours.
Also in 22 days the sun shone warmly on 18 of them during this magical December of 2021.
The paths, the forests, the flowers , the light, the temperatures created such a magnificent milieu to walk in at this time of year. Thank god I booked that ticket so long ago and got on that plane.
The current, mostly airborne pandemic made me more cautious than usual. I booked my own room with private bath when booking into hostels, I booked hotels, not hostels or alberges, in larger centres, and I phoned ahead for alberges in smaller communities. My question was always about pilgrim numbers. They were low. A typical answer would tell me that someone from Australia had been there 4 days earlier; hence I felt safe about booking in as the lone peregrino.
The last alberge I stayed at, the Waterfalls Alberge in Pinheiro da Bemposta, with helpful owner Mikalous, was no exception and I would highly recommend this peaceful location. For someone with screaming 24/7 tinnitus, waterfalls are nirvana for they obliterate, if only ephemerally, the noise in my head.
If there’s a church I’ve always wanted to visit in Portugal, it’s in Valega, and Mikalous showed me how to reach this beautiful structure, inside and outside, via some lovely rural trails in 2 or 3 hours using the scenic maps.me app. From there a pilgrim can walk on to Ovar, on to the coast and eventually to Espinho. Given that Mikalous has the last alberge before Porto, this is a great option to avoid a couple days of the urban sprawl and traffic.
Under the warm Christmas Day sunshine, I ended up leaving Espinho for Porto along 7 km of wooden sidewalks beside the Atlantic Ocean before stopping for a beer and heading inland to join the yellow arrows one more time. Crossing the bridge built by Eiffel. I knew that 21 of the finest days on a Camino had come to an end. Wisely, Portugal was going into a semi-lockdown mode early, and from now on, I would need a pharmacy’s self-Covid test every night to stay in a place of lodging.
The interior Braga route was calling, but after a couple days with a bit too much rain and a couple of nights having the places of lodging watch me do the self-test, an Old Crow Medicine Show song started ringing in my head: “Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.” The Portuguese news also suggested that by December 30 my Covid self-tests needed to be replaced by expensive officially recognized tests to enter a place of lodging or a restaurant. Suddenly the train was taking me south to the warm, sunny Algarve.
For me the Camino was never as much about reaching Point B as it was about experiencing the journey from community to community, however far that happened to be. I have to confess that I felt slightly relieved about not being able to complete the journey and mingling with other pilgrims I’d love to meet in Santiago.
For my debriefing, I have this comprehensive book about hiking trails in the Algarve. Every day the path beckons again for 10 or 20 kms as I learn which of the many future paths I might consider for taking a multi-day/week journey or Camino through another part of this inviting country. Some of jungleboy’s recent contributions have certainly peaked my new interest in walking more of this part of Portugal.
Those winter days back home (that are happening as I write this) of -40 when it’s too cold to ski or walk created the impetus for my choice during a pandemic. Thank you my friends on the Camino, not just pilgrims today, but yesterday and tomorrow,, both physically and metaphysically, for joining me on the path during this wonderful 600 km moment in time.
Some of you encouraged me, as a current pilgrim, to share the journey. The thumbs did poorly, but given all the great support on this site, here is a synopsis of a worthwhile walk.
Good pre-trip coaching came from two sisters and brother-in-law who administered thousands of vaccination needles safely this past year, as well as their whole life, and know what it means to be safe. They accompanied me for the last two weeks of November to the stunning Azores, Portuguese islands 1/3 of the way between Portugal and Newfoundland, Canada.
Despite the uncertainty of taking 5 flights from Dawson City, Yukon, December 5 found me leaving Se Catedral in Lisbon looking for that first beckoning yellow arrow. If I had a goal, it was to enjoy the journey each day, and more importantly, walk less than 20 Km the first day.
The meteorological gods smiled the first 150 or so Km to Fatima. This December climate resembled our August climate in our subArctic town, so I was elated every morning, wearing a T-shirt by the afternoon in the high teens.
In Fatima it poured, but that’s a town with a riveting story and lots worth seeing while dodging raindrops, not to mention the Aleluja Hotel which overlooks the cathedral square for a mere 25€\night. I am not a devout peregrino; I do not walk all day in the rain. But that’s amusing too since I carry an umbrella that snaps on to my backpack for flash showers. Which suggests that I carry too much - about 12 or 13 kg (26 to 29 lbs) on my 70kg (154 lbs) frame. It’s so impressive to see how light some of you travel.
Because the heavy rain meant a day off, I discovered the Camino Nascente e Poente between Tomar and Nazare on the coast. The next 4 days were spent walking this 70+ km perk. Minimum signage, but the Camino Ninja app proved a reliable guide. The enormous Batalha Monastery is worth the 7 Km deviation from the path. A cab did pick mr up the next morning and took me back towards Moss to see another ancient castle and get me close to the path again. Should you choose this enchanting walk to the coast, consider the 5€ obscure, unmanned alberge in an old school house in Coz. Clean, great kitchen, showers, extra blankets, and you’ll have it to yourself.
In 22 days I only met 2 other pilgrims on my 3rd and 4th day, neither of them vaccinated and both lamenting the difficulty this created for them in attempting to stay in Portuguese alberges. Thankfully, double vax proof is important in this country, or an official antigen test every 48 hours, optionally a PCR every 72 hours.
Also in 22 days the sun shone warmly on 18 of them during this magical December of 2021.
The paths, the forests, the flowers , the light, the temperatures created such a magnificent milieu to walk in at this time of year. Thank god I booked that ticket so long ago and got on that plane.
The current, mostly airborne pandemic made me more cautious than usual. I booked my own room with private bath when booking into hostels, I booked hotels, not hostels or alberges, in larger centres, and I phoned ahead for alberges in smaller communities. My question was always about pilgrim numbers. They were low. A typical answer would tell me that someone from Australia had been there 4 days earlier; hence I felt safe about booking in as the lone peregrino.
The last alberge I stayed at, the Waterfalls Alberge in Pinheiro da Bemposta, with helpful owner Mikalous, was no exception and I would highly recommend this peaceful location. For someone with screaming 24/7 tinnitus, waterfalls are nirvana for they obliterate, if only ephemerally, the noise in my head.
If there’s a church I’ve always wanted to visit in Portugal, it’s in Valega, and Mikalous showed me how to reach this beautiful structure, inside and outside, via some lovely rural trails in 2 or 3 hours using the scenic maps.me app. From there a pilgrim can walk on to Ovar, on to the coast and eventually to Espinho. Given that Mikalous has the last alberge before Porto, this is a great option to avoid a couple days of the urban sprawl and traffic.
Under the warm Christmas Day sunshine, I ended up leaving Espinho for Porto along 7 km of wooden sidewalks beside the Atlantic Ocean before stopping for a beer and heading inland to join the yellow arrows one more time. Crossing the bridge built by Eiffel. I knew that 21 of the finest days on a Camino had come to an end. Wisely, Portugal was going into a semi-lockdown mode early, and from now on, I would need a pharmacy’s self-Covid test every night to stay in a place of lodging.
The interior Braga route was calling, but after a couple days with a bit too much rain and a couple of nights having the places of lodging watch me do the self-test, an Old Crow Medicine Show song started ringing in my head: “Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me mama like a southbound train.” The Portuguese news also suggested that by December 30 my Covid self-tests needed to be replaced by expensive officially recognized tests to enter a place of lodging or a restaurant. Suddenly the train was taking me south to the warm, sunny Algarve.
For me the Camino was never as much about reaching Point B as it was about experiencing the journey from community to community, however far that happened to be. I have to confess that I felt slightly relieved about not being able to complete the journey and mingling with other pilgrims I’d love to meet in Santiago.
For my debriefing, I have this comprehensive book about hiking trails in the Algarve. Every day the path beckons again for 10 or 20 kms as I learn which of the many future paths I might consider for taking a multi-day/week journey or Camino through another part of this inviting country. Some of jungleboy’s recent contributions have certainly peaked my new interest in walking more of this part of Portugal.
Those winter days back home (that are happening as I write this) of -40 when it’s too cold to ski or walk created the impetus for my choice during a pandemic. Thank you my friends on the Camino, not just pilgrims today, but yesterday and tomorrow,, both physically and metaphysically, for joining me on the path during this wonderful 600 km moment in time.