For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Brilliant solution. I will be walking porto to sdc later this year. Have a wonderful time.First of all, a massive thank you to everyone who so kindly and patiently answered all my questions and fear, both rational and irrational ones! The disappointment of all the cockups from Follow the Camino has led me to adopt Winston Churchill's attitude of 'a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty'.
So because I didn't want to start my first day tomorrow with having to take either a taxi from Vilharino to Vila do Conde or a train from Porto to Matosinhos, I decided that today is my first day and walked 16km around Porto, from the Sheraton to the cathedral to get my first stamp, and then followed a bit of both the coastal and the inland to teach myself where the waymarks are.
It was a great training day.
Day 2 will start with taking the metro to Mercado and then join the coastal route to Vila do Conde.
I'll be following your updates with interest. I will be walking my camino in April - my first night is booked in Matosinhos so on my first day I am planning to have a wonder (edit: I meant wander, but perhaps wonder is apt too!) in Porto, get my credencial and stamp, and then walk to Matosinhos to spend the night.
Buen Camino!
You will enjoy this route immensely. I walked it last April. It is not as heavily traveled as the inland routes. But once you reach the village Rates (IIRC) the routes start to converge, and by Ponte de Lima you will be in the main flow, such as it is.
Yellow arrow markings are not frequent for the first few days, but it is not difficult to follow. The high-walled rural roads ensure you stay pointed in the correct direction.
One surprising and welcome thing is that, in general, more Portuguese speak at least some English than do Spaniards. The Portuguese people I spoke with attributed this to the fact that nearly all their English language TV programming is provided with PT subtitles. In Spain, France and Italy, this is not generally the case. Ipso facto, English has a higher penetration rate in Portugal.
In any event I NEVER had a problem finding an English speaker. I use my favorite Portuguese phrase... "Perdon, falla Ingles?" ( I rather think that is phonetic, but you get the idea.)
Enjoy the weather! One tip, drink water frequently and regularly, even if you do not feel thirsty. In this regard, you want your urine output to be clear rather than dark yellow and cloudy. Although I have done three Caminos, I fond myself dehydrated without realizing it on the first three days or so out of Porto. I am NOT supposed to be making this sort of "tenderfoot" error.
The weather was so beautiful, with clear blue skies, no clouds, 25 degree (c) temperatures and no discernible breeze (away form the ocean), that I failed to recognize the signs of dehydration. So, I had to suffer three very scary episodes of syncope (fainting - or 'dirt naps') before I figured it out. It cost me an expensive pair of eyeglasses too. Overall, only my pride was wounded...
So, NOW I get it. Drink so you have to urinate, whether or NOT you feel thirsty. You are never too far from a cafe on this route. I will do the Madrid - Sahagun - Santiago route starting on 7 April. Let us hope I follow my own advice this time.
I hope this helps.
I DO carry rehydration salts. I just stupidly failed to use the timely.
The past three Caminos, I have used Camelbak branded tablets that are scored in the middle. I break them in half to fit through a bottle neck. The tablets effervesce and create a lemon-lime solution that definitely tastes salty. They worked.
This year, I am switching to Nuun Energy Brand tablets, by Proline Sports. They come in assorted fruity flavors, and are highly recommended. They are also low calorie and gluten free. We shall see...
My problem on the Port - Sanitago route last April was that I failed to "force-hydrate." I did not FEEL thirsty, and ended up taking three dirt naps over a five-day period.
What I've learned, and after consultations with my doctors, is to drink at least one .5 liter per hour, whether I am thirsty or not.
Here's hoping...
Although my wife & I started in Lisbon, we wanted a bit of a rest day in Porto. We stayed there two nights with our "rest" day just walking the 11km to Matosinhos and then taking the train back to town. The next morning, it was easy to take the train back to Matosinhos and start across the bridge and up toward Vila do Conde. The walk from the cathedral to Matosinhos is simple - you can either follow the river to the sea then up the coast or follow any tourist map (which we did) and walk more of a beeline through the neighborhoods. Either way is an enjoyable walk and you don't need to worry about finding yellow arrows. Bom Caminho!I'll be following your updates with interest. I will be walking my camino in April - my first night is booked in Matosinhos so on my first day I am planning to have a wonder (edit: I meant wander, but perhaps wonder is apt too!) in Porto, get my credencial and stamp, and then walk to Matosinhos to spend the night.
Buen Camino!
thank you.Really like your blog. Thank you!
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?