blathercamino
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- July 2024, Portuguese coastal
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Think about it . . . it was not so many decades ago that the average person did not even live to be fifty, much less being able to do a Camino at fifty. ChuckMy wife and I are walking the Camino for my 50th birthday- though today is their birthday, 45. I’m starting this late after walking yesterday from Porto to Labruge. We landed at the municipal, soggy and tired, the last 900 meters a slog, but otherwise not too bad. We had the beaches to ourselves, only seeing locals out on the boardwalk and the occasional other peregrino.
Today- Labruge to Vila do Conde - 12km with detours
We walked as if in a cloud until Vila do Conde- 07:30-10:30
Once we arrived there it slowly started to clear. Lovely afternoon on the beach and still mostly to ourselves. We got a private room at Naval Guest House as a birthday treat. Explored the town, definitely check out the aqueduct- amazing. Walking on to Rates tomorrow.
I turn 50 in a week- I wanted to do something spiritually meaningful as well as a challenge physically, because I want to keep moving my body in this next chapter of life. In my training I discovered some hip pain and found out that a birth defect I thought had no impact (I was born with feet turned in and wore casts, braces, and corrective shoes) actually caused me to walk improperly. In the days before the trip with the help of a Feldenkrais practitioner, I learned to walk properly. It is not easy to remember, but so far so good. How’s that for both spiritual and physical? Learn how to walk again…
Indeed!Think about it . . . it was not so many decades ago that the average person did not even live to be fifty, much less being able to do a Camino at fifty. Chuck
It’s definitely a lovely motto of sorts.Looking forward to following your journey. I love the theme of learning to walk anew.
Happy to see your posts!My wife and I are walking the Camino for my 50th birthday- though today is their birthday, 45. I’m starting this late after walking yesterday from Porto to Labruge. We landed at the municipal, soggy and tired, the last 900 meters a slog, but otherwise not too bad. We had the beaches to ourselves, only seeing locals out on the boardwalk and the occasional other peregrino.
Today- Labruge to Vila do Conde - 12km with detours
We walked as if in a cloud until Vila do Conde- 07:30-10:30
Once we arrived there it slowly started to clear. Lovely afternoon on the beach and still mostly to ourselves. We got a private room at Naval Guest House as a birthday treat. Explored the town, definitely check out the aqueduct- amazing. Walking on to Rates tomorrow.
I turn 50 in a week- I wanted to do something spiritually meaningful as well as a challenge physically, because I want to keep moving my body in this next chapter of life. In my training I discovered some hip pain and found out that a birth defect I thought had no impact (I was born with feet turned in and wore casts, braces, and corrective shoes) actually caused me to walk improperly. In the days before the trip with the help of a Feldenkrais practitioner, I learned to walk properly. It is not easy to remember, but so far so good. How’s that for both spiritual and physical? Learn how to walk again…
So wonderful you're finding such beauty in your pain. I’d planned & saved for years to turn 50 on my Camino. Life ended that dream. That was March 2019. It’s time to start planning again. You inspire me. Remember your new walk & carry on. Buen camino.Day 3- Vila do Conde to Pedra Furada ~20k
6:10-13:30
A muggy muggy high of 71
Today I noticed a sore spot on the inside of my heel on the side of my bad hip- so it’s the leg I walk “wrong” on. I’m still not sure what is happening there, but I noticed if I walk “right” it doesn’t hurt! Hmm… thanks to the Great Good for that.
We took the river route and didn’t find the traffic too bad. There were some dicey spots but it was ok. Lots of lovely scenery after the first 5km or so. Rolling hills, eucalyptus, churches, grapes and more. So much lovely stonework. There were some ups and downs, but very doable. We saw many biker peregrinos once we joined the Central at Arcos- the bridge and willow tree there are stunning. Several walkers as well.
We got to the Albergue- O Palhuço before it opened and sat and waited the 30 minutes until it opened. We were the first to arrive and got to shower and wash clothes in the empty albergue. Comfy beds! People beginning to trickle in now.
Highlights:
Getting off the road
Lovely country views including baby lambs
Friendly dogs walking with us a bit
Tasty lunch at the end of a long day from the pandeleria and supermarket
The universe helping me walk properly and no pain!
A peregrino park where we left an offering
Meeting a couple whose daughter goes to the same university as ours..
That Staples store!Day 4- Pedra Furada- Vila Boa (and exploring Barcelos) 14.3km (12.5 without the wandering.)
Today was almost a rest day, which was ok, because my pack was bothering my back a bit. We set out a little later than we had been, about 6:45. Walked out and into a Eucalyptus forest, through some little towns and farm areas and then hooked up with the suburbs, Staples store and all. Lots of lovely scenery, but the highlight of the day was the Medieval town of Barcelos. As we entered, we found a park and took off our shoes and put our feet up, a pilgrims’s rest as Sarah called it. We then saw the ruins of an old duke’s house, saw an exhibit of the 50 year anniversary of the Carnation Revolution (the fall of fascism in Portugal), had a great lunch, and climbed 100 stairs (with packs) to the top of an old tower where we could look back and see from whence we came. Then, leaving town we took pictures with the newly unveiled peregrina sculpture along the Camino as you leave Barcelos. This will surely become a must have photograph. We are now about to sit down for our pilgrim meal prepared by Flora at Alojamento Flora.
'Day 4 - Pedra Furada to Vila Boa' | Relive
View my hike: Day 4 - Pedra Furada to Vila Boawww.relive.cc
That sounds lovely! Ponte de Lima was one of my favorite towns on the Central.Day 6 - Casa da Fernanda- Ponte de Lima
Today we left our accommodation of the previous night later than we had any other day, setting out at 9:40 after a lovely breakfast and conversation with our host, Fernanda. On the way, I started to pick up a couple of pieces of trash, saying to sarah that I had meant to put a mesh bag outside my pack to collect it. About then we found a relatively clean plastic bag- the Camino provides! I filled it with trash and eventually found a place to drop it. Nice to leave a place better than you found it.
We walked 14 kilometers on to Ponte de Lima, a medieval town on a river. When we arrived we began to look for lodging, asking first at a boarding house just off a main praça in town, seeking a private room as it was our anniversary. The place we had chosen only had a room with twin beds so we said no thank you, and went back to the square to collect our thoughts and look around for another place. We sat and just in front of us was another hotel, which Google indicated was highly rated. We said to ourselves , well we must be intended to stay here as we have sat down randomly looking right at it. We rang the bell and the owner answered the door, saying he did have a room. He checked the ledger and I could understand that he said they only had the quarto matrimonial - I’m guessing the honeymoon suite is how that translates. It’s beautiful, a huge suite at the top of the building over looking the square and the church built in 1455.
So we asked for a private room and the Camino provided us with a beautiful honeymoon sweet. Happy Sixth Anniversary! Muito obrigada ao Caminho de Santiago!
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