I know why they call it a Pilgrimage now

[kim r]

------because i often say ~DEAR GOD ~ OH MY GOD~GOD HELP ME and ~WHAT THE HELL ! spent the first night walking all night~~10miles ~~could not find a hotel threw myself down on the ground a few times but got back up and got many good signs from above ~was on my knees when i saw it which is another sign~when i got a room i booked it for two days thinking i dont think i will ever be able to walk again but after a few hours and a grotty room not worth suffering in i put my boots on and walked another 10 miles to Santarem « the dangerous roads' ´~one through a tiny narrow steep village where i had nowhere to walk ~i was escorted~~ me running down the hill into town~giant pack bouncing awkwardly behind me~~ seemed the whole village was out to see it~(not a nice visual on this) ~with the train of big trucks following me waiting for me to trip or get out of the way~ the Portugese people are a total delight though~bus to Porto to get this started over with some direction and i know that the rest will be easy after what i just did

 

[kim r]

------because i often say ~DEAR GOD ~ OH MY GOD~GOD HELP ME and ~WHAT THE HELL ! spent the first night walking all night~~10miles ~~could not find a hotel threw myself down on the ground a few times but got back up and got many good signs from above ~was on my knees when i saw it which is another sign~when i got a room i booked it for two days thinking i dont think i will ever be able to walk again but after a few hours and a grotty room not worth suffering in i put my boots on and walked another 10 miles to Santarem « the dangerous roads' ´~one through a tiny narrow steep village where i had nowhere to walk ~i was escorted~~ me running down the hill into town~giant pack bouncing awkwardly behind me~~ seemed the whole village was out to see it~(not a nice visual on this) ~with the train of big trucks following me waiting for me to trip or get out of the way~ the Portugese people are a total delight though~bus to Porto to get this started over with some direction and i know that the rest will be easy after what i just did

i still cant figure out how far that was---- any help? Azambuja to Santarem on N3

 

[Former member 22438]

------because i often say ~DEAR GOD ~ OH MY GOD~GOD HELP ME and ~WHAT THE HELL ! spent the first night walking all night~~10miles ~~could not find a hotel threw myself down on the ground a few times but got back up and got many good signs from above ~was on my knees when i saw it which is another sign~when i got a room i booked it for two days thinking i dont think i will ever be able to walk again but after a few hours and a grotty room not worth suffering in i put my boots on and walked another 10 miles to Santarem « the dangerous roads' ´~one through a tiny narrow steep village where i had nowhere to walk ~i was escorted~~ me running down the hill into town~giant pack bouncing awkwardly behind me~~ seemed the whole village was out to see it~(not a nice visual on this) ~with the train of big trucks following me waiting for me to trip or get out of the way~ the Portugese people are a total delight though~bus to Porto to get this started over with some direction and i know that the rest will be easy after what i just did

God gracious me ! What happened Kim ? Walking by night ? In Portugal to Santarèm ? The steep hill upwards just before Santarèm alongside the road ? Heavy trucks ?
Did you prepare your routing on beforehand ? Do you know where you want to go to sleep on beforehand ?
Let us know please if not..

 

[Former member 22438]

i still cant figure out how far that was---- any help? Azambuja to Santarem on N3

So you missed the waymarkers because the path leads alongside the river. Beautiful walk however not during the night I must admit.. The second picture will be your next !

Tell me if you have these maps. I can send you pictures of all stages if you like but let me know soon because I can not follow you every day . Next saturday my wife and I leave for a forthnight holiday to Norway and
this will be a non ipad-iphone-wifi-trip
on a cruiseship.
That rhymes

 

[kim r]

God gracious me ! What happened Kim ? Walking by night ? In Portugal to Santarèm ? The steep hill upwards just before Santarèm alongside the road ? Heavy trucks ?
Did you prepare your routing on beforehand ? Do you know where you want to go to sleep on beforehand ?
Let us know please if not..

Oh no that hill was easy! it was a called Ourique where i totally ran out of road ~it was daylight by then ~ the only other town i remember was Cartaxo where at about 3am i lay prostrate in the round about hoping for a cop « you know i am discovering that there is absolutely no one out at night in Portugal except for poeple in cars driving at mock speed on country roads

 

[kim r]

So you missed the waymarkers because the path leads alongside the river. Beautiful walk however not during the night I must admit.View attachment 11979View attachment 11980. The second picture will be your next !

Tell me if you have these maps. I can send you pictures of all stages if you like but let me know soon because I can not follow you every day . Next saturday my wife and I leave for a forthnight holiday to Norway and
this will be a non ipad-iphone-wifi-trip
on a cruiseship.
That rhymes

thank you ~~ i will get the book today~ i needed that trip i guess ! missed the walk for a myriad of reasons ~in Porto now where the signs are more clear i believe '

 

[Former member 22438]

Oh no that hill was easy! it was a called Ourique where i totally ran out of road ~it was daylight by then ~ the only other town i remember was Cartaxo where at about 3am i lay prostrate in the round about hoping for a cop « you know i am discovering that there is absolutely no one out at night in Portugal except for poeple in cars driving at mock speed on country roads

That hill ? I am still recovering from wheezing and panting and that after more than I year. My heartbeat is still over 200 Cartaxo. You definitely were wrong but there is a good hotel !
Murphy's law my dear. We drove 3 weeks through Portugal last may and june and hardly saw any cop. My friend Diogo will deny that Portugese drive at mock speed on these country roads ha ha !

 

[Former member 22438]

thank you ~~ i will get the book today~ i needed that trip i guess ! missed the walk for a myriad of reasons ~in Porto now where the signs are more clear i believe '

Do me a favour. Walk out of Porto on the green lined detour (to Matosinhos and Vila de Conde)
I do not think you will experience this crazy traffic again so avoid the trip to Vilarinho.

And stop between Barcelos and Ponte de Lima at casa da Fernanda I wrote it many times on this forum. You may not miss that. Stay there for the night ?Fernanda and Jacinto are such lovely people and you have a very good time there. If , you give them our love please

 

[kim r]

i will kick myself forever for missing that river walk bu it is apropo ~ was told a long time ago that god did not put us here without a map - or a úsers manual´~the Bible whch is too hard to read ! but i see your quote about a plan and i could at least try that~spent my whole life doing it my way ~and missed the river trip- i will do the green walk ! thank you

 

[Diogo92]

Oh no that hill was easy! it was a called Ourique where i totally ran out of road ~it was daylight by then ~ the only other town i remember was Cartaxo where at about 3am i lay prostrate in the round about hoping for a cop « you know i am discovering that there is absolutely no one out at night in Portugal except for poeple in cars driving at mock speed on country roads

Cartaxo? The Caminho don't pass in Cartaxo. Hell sister, what have you been doin'?

 

[Former member 22438]

i will kick myself forever for missing that river walk bu it is apropo ~ was told a long time ago that god did not put us here without a map - or a úsers manual´~the Bible whch is too hard to read ! but i see your quote about a plan and i could at least try that~spent my whole life doing it my way ~and missed the river trip- i will do the green walk ! thank you

We cannot go out with a plan and a map. Allways read the small letters too !
So now you have a plan .so you are a winner !
Hope to read the coming days you cope with your plan succesfully .

Bom caminho vai com Deus e pode ser encontramos-nós uma vez em algum lugar .
Um abraço

 

[Former member 22438]

Cartaxo? The Caminho don't pass in Cartaxo. Hell Brother, what have you been doin'?

My good friend. click on the avatar of the person you will answer first to watch to whom your talking to.
Um abraço disso lado

 

[Diogo92]

My good friend. click on the avatar of the person you will answer first to watch to whom your talking to.
Um abraço disso lado

Oh look, the avatar displays if it's a female or a male user

 

[Former member 22438]

Oh look, the avatar displays if it's a female or a male user

 

[kim r]

Oh look, the avatar displays if it's a female or a male user

im a girl

 

[Diogo92]

im a girl

Yes, I've already seen it, sorry about the wrong identification . Are you ok? Do you need anything?

 

[kim r]

Yes, I've already seen it, sorry about the wrong identification . Are you ok? Do you need anything?

i am fine ! getting ready to go get lost in Porto and then take a cab back to this wonderful Hostel PortoSpot - maybe the free city tour from here first- then i beleive the Se~Cathedral for the passport credential and then follow the arrows from behing the Cathedral~but i will have a map then ???? sound right? Mato to vila doConde

 

[Diogo92]

i am fine ! getting ready to go get lost in Porto and then take a cab back to this wonderful Hostel PortoSpot - maybe the free city tour from here first- then i beleive the Se~Cathedral for the passport credential and then follow the arrows from behing the Cathedral~but i will have a map then ???? sound right? Mato to vila doConde

Try to buy a guide for the Caminho Português de Santiago. If you go to a FNAC or a Bertrand (bookstores in Portugal), search for this guide: http://www.bertrand.pt/ficha/caminho-portugues-de-santiago?id=8288649

Usually it's cheaper if you buy it on FNAC. It's not updated since 2009, or 2010, but it's the best that you'll get! (I think that it is written in Portuguese, Spanish and English).

 

[Former member 22438]

i am fine ! getting ready to go get lost in Porto and then take a cab back to this wonderful Hostel PortoSpot - maybe the free city tour from here first- then i beleive the Se~Cathedral for the passport credential and then follow the arrows from behing the Cathedral~but i will have a map then ???? sound right? Mato to vila doConde

Kim when you lunch, ask for a Francesinha, a nice local dish...
Don't forget to buy your credential as they will ask for it to admit you into the albergues ,anyway in Spain.in São Pedro de Rates, oposite the albergue is a little groceryshop where you can buy almost everything except for the kitchensink and there we got the best stamp (carimba in Portugese and sello in Spanish ) in the credential of the entire caminho Portuges do not forget to apply for. the credentional you also need to apply for your Compostela certificate,once (I hope) you will arrive in Santiago. Keep bottoms up and follow the yellow arrows anyway the ones who lead to Matosinhos and on.


Muito sorte. Bom caminho and..
Winners have a plan , losers only an excuse ! Shake before using !

 

[naplesdon]

Casa Fernando, a must stop the night before Ponte do Lima.

 

[amorfati1]

Kim, so very sorry to hear about your ordeal along the N3. - sounds ghastly! hope you have time to rest before you move on. those adventures can be rather nerve-wrecking ... thus soothe yourself! hope you can enjoy Porto and the beautiful sights there ....
in case you are walking along side the atlantic: in Villa Cha, a small seaside village, there are a few simple rooms to rent as i recall. with ocean view. lovely simple spot with friendly people. perfect for calming and relaxing, doing nothing, being nothing (at least it was calm in May -)
best of luck and many blessing to your continued journey!

 

[William Garza]

------because i often say ~DEAR GOD ~ OH MY GOD~GOD HELP ME and ~WHAT THE HELL ! spent the first night walking all night~~10miles ~~could not find a hotel threw myself down on the ground a few times but got back up and got many good signs from above ~was on my knees when i saw it which is another sign~when i got a room i booked it for two days thinking i dont think i will ever be able to walk again but after a few hours and a grotty room not worth suffering in i put my boots on and walked another 10 miles to Santarem « the dangerous roads' ´~one through a tiny narrow steep village where i had nowhere to walk ~i was escorted~~ me running down the hill into town~giant pack bouncing awkwardly behind me~~ seemed the whole village was out to see it~(not a nice visual on this) ~with the train of big trucks following me waiting for me to trip or get out of the way~ the Portugese people are a total delight though~bus to Porto to get this started over with some direction and i know that the rest will be easy after what i just did

You will laugh out loud soon about this! you will be a veteran traveler soon and thing swill smooth out with the miles,,and smiles, its easy to be hard on yourself, its a big step your taking, but dont worry, the road will find you soon enough and you'll settle in, the more afraid you are in your head, the more the obstacles will grow, your beautiful heart is in the right place though!
Follow what your heart is telling you, eyes wide open to the world around you, and that deep and abiding call inside will get you to where your going.
dont fret the mistakes, your seeing more of the country than you first anticipated!
amd most of all, be kind to yourself, its ok to laugh at yourself every now and then, its on your terms and its delicious at the end of a long day!
you will be fine, youll never be alone!

 

[edumad]

Kim is indicating on the camino history that she is going for the Coastal Camino. I don't think there are markers, but my recomendation is to walk out of Porto along the river. Since you are spending time in the city you'll have time to know the sites. The walk along the river will add maybe 5km but it is very nice in good weather.
I'll leave for the camino from Rates on the 4th, so probably won't be around. But the Camino passes in Esposende, I recommend trying a local pastry "Clarinha".
There is a nice café/delicatessen on the camino in Esposende just before you reach the Church square - its called "de Lili". Highly recommended.

 

[Former member 22438]

Kim is indicating on the camino history that she is going for the Coastal Camino. I don't think there are markers, but my recomendation is to walk out of Porto along the river. Since you are spending time in the city you'll have time to know the sites. The walk along the river will add maybe 5km but it is very nice in good weather.
I'll leave for the camino from Rates on the 4th, so probably won't be around. But the Camino passes in Esposende, I recommend trying a local pastry "Clarinha".
There is a nice café/delicatessen on the camino in Esposende just before you reach the Church square - its called "de Lili". Highly recommended.

I explored the coastal last May from Viana do Castelo to Caminha and in a Guarda in Spain but there are the well known yellow markers so I expect they are direction Vigo too.
I walked from Porto last year to Matosinhos which is 10 kms, partly along the Douro river till it reaches the ocean and from there on a beautiful boardwalk along the ocean till you reach the port of Leixoes at Matosinhos.
Over the bridge of the port starts the coastal detour to Vila do Conde where you can go inland to Rates or coastal to Esposende and Viana do Castelo and on
Both routes come together in Redondela for the last part in Galicia to Santiago.
Bom caminho

 

[kim r]

All is well my friends - hitting the trail SaturdAy morning.

 

[kim r]

Thank you. Accommodations?

 

[Former member 22438]

Thank you. Accommodations?

What do you mean ?

 

[kim r]

What do you mean ?

bought a tent - is camping between towns on the coast a really bad idea - i did it in Hawaii and survived ---

 

[kim r]

bought a tent - is camping between towns on the coast a really bad idea - i did it in Hawaii and survived ---

seems to me the accomodations are rather spendy or grotty and crowded - so kmuch info on them i am overwhelmed and the reservation thing a little but awkward being on "the road"

 

[Former member 22438]

bought a tent - is camping between towns on the coast a really bad idea - i did it in Hawaii and survived ---

Camping in the wild is forbidden in Portugal. Along the coast are some campings. We stayed f.ex. In Vilapraia de Âncora between Viana do Castela and Caminha. The campings are not always along the caminho.
In Spain you can do wildcamping as I am be told.

 

[Former member 22438]

seems to me the accomodations are rather spendy or grotty and crowded - so kmuch info on them i am overwhelmed and the reservation thing a little but awkward being on "the road"

You always find a place on the Portugese caminho.
I understand you are going to walk the entire coastal or do you go into the interior route at Vila do Conde ?

 

[kim r]

You always find a place on the Portugese caminho.
I understand you are going to walk the entire coastal or do you go into the interior route at Vila do Conde ?

yes all the way coastal if i can but i think i might get tired of the wind.... nice that i might get a bed !