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Nana and Meg are Officially Hitting the Trail Together!

Coleen Clark

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Walked August 2015, planning on walking August 2017
So I can't wait to tell you (warn you) that it's official! Nana (aka Coleen) and Meg (aka awesome granddaughter) will be landing in Lisbon August 10th! I think I'll treat her to a few days in Lisbon sightseeing and resting up before we begin the Portuguese trail. We will be walking a combination of interior and coastal, with a side trip to Fatima, and perhaps the Variant Espiritual, although we will be very flexible. And then on to Finistere!
Yep.
Just two wild and crazy women on the Way.
Have you walked with a grandchild?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June

Great news! Enjoy!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
So yes, Sy, I will plan on seeing you in Santiago. Can't wait to meet you!
Meg is 19, that incredible age when she knows everything, so I should just throw the guide book out now.
She texted me about 2 weeks ago and said "Hey Nana, that walk thing you go on, can I go with you?" and I sent here here to the Forum to get more info other than "that walk thing".
Then today her mom sent me her airline info!
They all live in Wyoming, I am in North Carolina, so I don't get to see them as much as I much want to, but NOW.... 2 months with Nana!
That poor girl will never bee the same.
 

maybe Nana won't ever be the same either ?

such a lovely caminho - what's there not too like? very best wishes - and watch for those cobblestones and their various relatives ...
 
Wish the both off you a wonderful journey and a Buen Camino,Peter.
 
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My guess is that Nana is going to love every single minute of it, even if the rest of us would wish we had practice deep breathing meditation before taking along a teen unwilling participant.

I have been trying to teach my godson to address me as "yes my beloved godmother", and he will walk, like it or not! Maybe in 2 years. ;0). Or not ... My guess is that his parents are the clue to,this.
 
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I'm jealous. I have a 16 year old granddaughter who I asked to walk with me next year the Ingles way. (Most likely she will be in Spain spending a month in La Coruna with my friend & his family anyway)
She told me " grandpa I'm not walking a hundred miles in Spain & I don't want to see Bruce Springsteen in Spain"
I won't force her to walk but if Bruce is in Spain next summer, she's going lol
Have a great time
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Why doesn't she just get to stay home in Minesota or Utah or whatever, if she won't walk with you?
 
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Meg's mom sent me her itinerary, she could not get the same flights as I have since I booked 2 months ago, but we made sure her plane will land in Lisbon AFTER mine, and I will be there to greet her.
Shall I hold up a huge embarrassing sign and wear doodlebugs head bobbers to get her attention?

It *is* a huge airport.
I wouldn't want her to miss me....

Yes. Definitely. Now where did I put my doodlebugs?
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
We recently met our 14yo son at KL airport - we arrived a couple of hours before him. We had planned to meet him at an information booth, but in the end we waited near the immigration/customs desks and then queued with him before heading out into the heaving mass of mankind. We checked with security that it was OK to loiter at that spot and not move on to the arrivals hall. No one minded.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.

Any, rough, idea when you will arrive? I want to make sure that I am in town ;-) Just something approximate like 'beginning of ...' will do. Buen Camino, SY
 
Coleen:

Two points about Lisbon, and one about the way north...

(A) The exit from the Lisbon International Airport arrivals hall into the public area is very congested with people meeting people. There are limo drivers with those ubiquitous little signs with names on them all jostling for visible positions. Then there are hundreds of normal people...

Two suggestions: (1) PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES - pickpockets are known to frequent this area. (2) BE VISIBLE - Find some way to stick out. On my several arrivals at Lisbon, I did not see people with balloons. You might investigate that, or something bright that your granddaughter can aim for. Good luck!

(B) On the several days you will stay in Lisbon, consider that Lisbon resembles San Francisco, at least in terrain. Every corner you turn has yet another hill. Powered trams / streetcars are a popular way to navigate the old sections.

When I returned to Lisbon in May, after my Camino, I stayed in the old Alfama district in a wonderful converted convent. It was the Hotel Convento San Salvador, at Rua San Salvador 2. It is a modern, 3 star hotel built into the old convent, and bookable on booking.com. The buffet breakfasts are very good and the service was first rate.

The location is both good and bad. It is in perhaps the most historic area, but inconvenient as you need to walk up hills to get to and from. If you are training, pre-Camino, this is not a bad thing. If, like me, you just walked 634 km TO Santiago, coming back and finding all those hills was a bit of a bummer.

The Cathedral is a short walk away, as is the Church of St. Antonio. Most Catholics do not know that the very popular saint we call St. Anthony of Padua (Italy) was actually born in Lisbon.

(C) LEAVING Lisbon. The segment from Lisbon to Azambuja is a sprawl of industrial estates and major highways. There is some off-road walking, but not much. Many pilgrims take a CP train to Azambuja, and walk from there. Think of walking into Burgos on the CF, but it takes two full days to get to Azambuja...or a 30-minute train ride...

Once at Azambuja, and heading north, most of the road walking is on what we would call secondary roads. However, to avoid tolls on the "A" network of limited access roads (in Spain they are called autopistas), a lot of truck and construction type equipment use these one-lane in each direction roads. Also, the shoulders / verges alongside the network of national roads (N) are not as wide as usually found in Spain.

In my experience, the typical verge / shoulder on a national route (N-xx) in Portugal is about half a meter from the solid white line to the scrub grass and weeds, fence, guard rail, or building wall in some tight spots. Conversely, in most of my Spanish road walking, I found the verge / shoulder to be in excess of one meter from the solid white line to the scrub grass, etc..

In some places, where walking facing the oncoming traffic is known to be unsafe, the local authorities established Camino alternatives to route you off the path and through the local town or village. These detours continue usually until you pass around the hazardous bit of roadway. In my observation, these detours seem to have more to do with road safety than with Camino related interesting things and places to see or visit...just sayin...not a criticism...

Overall, I found the first segment, until Santarem, to be tedious. Then again, I prefer walking through farm fields, vineyards, and the woods, as opposed to factories and warehouses. After Santarem, the route is more pleasant, at least IMHO. After Coimbra, it gets better. BTW, Coimbra is a great place to spend an extra day. There is a lot to see.

Once you arrive in Porto, everything changes. The route is more balanced, road and off-road walking, the arrows are plentiful and bright. There are even a lot of yellow "x" markers to tell you you are going the wrong way. The folks who maintain this segment should be congratulated. They did a great job.

Depending on the route you decide to take leaving Porto, consider hopping their metro to the edge of the city. Most of the routes leave from the Cathedral. From there, it is a good 8-10 km in any direction, walking on narrow sidewalks or streets to reach the edge of the city. This is not a criticism, just a statement of fact.

After Porto. if you have not yet done so, try to book beds at Casa de Fernanda, in Lugar de Corgo. Check this forum link:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/casa-da-fernanda-lugar-de-corgo.9092/

Fernanda is wonderful. The 12 private albergue beds are single stack (no bunks) and have two separate washrooms. The sleep house is located in her garden. Fernanda feeds everyone, country-style in HER kitchen and her home cooking is fabulous. You need to know where she is, and look for the small yellow and red signs on your left, or you WILL walk right by. Her fruit trees and flowers sometimes obscure the sign.

I think Casa Fernanda is on Facebook, but does not have a website. That is intentional.

You must try to book ahead. Staying here is one of the most memorable things you will do on your Camino. You can tell her Tom said hello. I only had time to stop by for coffee this year. But, she made me promise I would stay with her the next time...

BTW, Casa Fernando is a donativo private albergue. Do be generous...very!

I hope this helps.
 
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3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Fabuous idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I might live near you if you ever want to chat Camino!!!!
I would love to meet up with you after your Camino so that I can pick your brain as we too plan to start in Lisbon next March
 

Keep asking. I asked my daughter each year for three years and this year she said yes. We start from sjdp on june 21. She is 22 and i am... well older
 
Keep asking. I asked my daughter each year for three years and this year she said yes. We start from sjdp on june 21. She is 22 and i am... well older
You are right. I will keep asking.
She's 5'7 130 pounds of solid muscle (she's a dancer) so it's not a question of being in shape. I hope once she's in Spain next year & visits Santiago she catches the bug.
Good luck on your Camino with daughter.
 
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June

t2@andreo - am confused/not clear on: the section you describe north of Azambuja -- did you walk on a traffic road via Cartaxo?
what a pity - so it seems - as this route is available and published:
http://mapacaminosantiago.es/caminosantiagoportugues/03-azambuja-santarem/
hope that the link will show.

I walked in May 2014 - and provided that memory serves me well - I left Azambuja via a bridge crossing railways - and then down a pleasant shady road - and eventually turned left and after that it was mainly dirt roads through farms and fields and even along a twinky li'l airport.

I hope Nana and company will be aware of this and don't schlepp themselves along some busy roads.
I really enjoyed that walk. overnighted (2x) in Ponte de Muge - and then onwards to Santarem.
 
I did not mean to infer that it was ALL grim. I did walk this portion and I concur that it was beautiful in places.

My statement was an overall assessment. To be sure, there are some nice spots even on the most industrial estate. Unfortunately, the flowers were not as profuse in late April.

Colleen and Meg will have a wonderful time, regardless of the exact path they follow.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
And you ain't just whistling Dixie there Andreo! I am so excited about this Camino! Since this is her first I considered going back to the Frances, but I want to do a new one, and looking at all the wonderful things on this path I am sure we will both get so much out of it.
Someone in church asked me today "How are you going to talk to a teenager? Do you need to know her music or lingo or food likes and dislikes?"
We talk to strangers all the time on Camino, and learn about them, and listen to their viewpoints. I am looking forward to hearing all about her life and her boyfriend (she is engaged!) and her future plans, and her world views.
She will hear stories about my Grandmother, who was engaged to two men and could not decide, so she married a third. And my grandfather, who was in the Great War, and got his tongue shot off because he always stuck his tongue out when he was concentrating, especially when he was shooting. And how he carried bootleg beer in an old doctor's satchel, and how embarrassed my Grandmother got when he'd shake the bag and make the bottles clink when he saw someone walking down the street. "Hush, Ned, or they will know you drink!"
Ah yes, we will have two months walking to fill with stories, both of us.
 
Another thing to bear in mind is that, in general, more Portuguese speak at least a little English than in Spain. As they explain it to me it is due to the prime time TV programs being shown in OV with Portuguese subtitles. This is true in the large cities, but less so in the smaller towns with only basic cable. It is also a result of learning English in school. Evidently, it is emphasized if not required there.

My favorite Portuguese phrase, after "good day / bom dia", "please / por favor", and "thank you / obrigado", was "falla Inglese?" (phonetic "fah-lah in-ghlaze?"). It means do you speak English?

The answer is typically yes, or a little (un poco). However, even a "no" will yield someone that person who DOES speak English. They will fetch the cook or someone in another room to help out. I never have a problem communicating in Portugal.

As long as your grand daughter speaks slowly, clearly, and tries not to use conjunctions (can't, won't, I've, etc.) She will be understood quite easily. By the time you get to Spain, she will have the hang of it and will learn what she needs to know to get along.

I hope this helps.
 
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Another thing to remember is not to use slang words or phrases.
Emailing a friend last year I forget my own advice and said
" we got thrown under the bus "
My friend who speaks great English had no idea what I meant.
A few months later we are standing in a bar trying to get a beer, the bardenter kept taking care of the ladies, even the ones coming in after us.
My friend turned to me and said " we are getting thrown under the bus "
He's a quick learner lol
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Coleen, in an earlier post you said you would be doing portions of the coastal and interior route. Can you tell me how you're going to do that? I may be thinking about the "pure" interior route from Viseu (I did that several years ago). I intend to do Porto to SdC within the year and hope to do (mainly) coastal. (Oh, and make a trip down the Douro to the "real" Port county if you can!)
 
Well Meghan just sent me a photo of herself. She's made some changes. I will not miss her at the Lisbon Airport, she will be easy to find. Her hair is a bright purple hue.
Sigh.
I guess some of the things I did at that age made my grandma sigh too.
Well, purple hair or bald, she's my Meghan and I love her and think she's beautiful. If you see an old lady and a young Barney on the Lisbon way, say hello to us.
This is going to be fabulous.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
If you die your hair purple as well you can go as the purple Tellytubby accompanying Barney!
 
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
What about dying just one little streak of your own hair, maybe on the underside behind one ear, so you just catch glimpses of it? You could use koolaid. Lemon yellow would be a nice complement to your grand daughter's purple. Plenty of "how to's" on youtube. Would last about 2-4 weeks.
 
Y'all are gonna get me hip and cool if it's the last thing you do, aren't you?
Perhaps I will play a game of "What color is Nana's Hair Today?"
No, I'll leave the coolness to my wonderful granddaughter.
Besides, when the older generation do things it takes the shock factor out of it.
Who wants to look like their grandmother when they are 19?
 
Sounds great! All good wishes for a fantastic trip!

Bom caminho!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.

Oh I miss my Grandma! I wish we could have done something like this.
 
I wouldn't underestimate a 19 year old. I flew to Spain at the age of 18 and hitchhiked all over the country. This was in 1973. On a ride to La Coruna (which seemed pretty remote in those days), the driver recommended I stop in Santiago de C. to see a cathedral that was a famous pilgrimage site, with visitors from all over the world. I figured I'd seen enough cathedrals by then, so declined. Forty three years later, I finally got there... on foot.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Tonight is the big Paella Dinner at Church, a Buen Camino (or is Bom Camino?) party for ME! I am making a giant pan of Paella, and everyone is bringing salads and bread and desserts, and of course feathers! I will carry feathers for everyone who can't go on a pilgrimage for one reason or another (young kids, old hips etc.) and they will follow my adventure on Facebook and argue about the pronunciation of the villages I am in.
I am going to miss these fine people. Even the grouchy ones. (especially the grouchy ones.)
 
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19

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