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Portuguese Caminho September 2014

Urban Trekker

Happy Trails
Time of past OR future Camino
English Camino (2013)
Portuguese Camino (2014)
French Camino (2016)
Way of Saint Francis April 2017
Last year friend Craig and I walked the English Camino. It was hard it was fun and it was worth all the aches and pains. This year we walked the Portuguses Caminho from Porto to Santiago, according to our GPS, we covered a distance of 200 miles. It was the longest distance I have ever walked. For the first several days of our walk, I ached all over, this required me to get a room with a tub so I could marinade in hot water. Every morning, I felt stronger and soon the aches and pains went away.
Like my last Caminho I have some observations: Portugal has cornered the cobblestone market and has paved everything with it. Cobblestone looks pretty and may last a long time but really sucks for walking the the Caminho. Rome built the Via Roma XIX but has not maintained it for about 2000 years. Their bridges, on the other hand, are as sound today as the day they were built. You will have to go up hill to get there and you will also have to go up hill to leave there. When you meet anyone on the Caminho you feel like you have made a friend for life. Casa de Fernanda is eveything you have heard about and a lot more. Love you Mama Fernanda.
The Camino Frances in 2016 is next but this time with some of my children and maybe a grandson. Something to look forward toin the future and something to plan with my children. I look forward to your insites and knowledge of the French Camino.

Happy Trails. UrbanTrekker
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Thanks for all the detail in your blog. The pictures of the people you met were great and the information was useful as we are planning to walk September 2014 and considering whether to do portugese or the frances route.
One big consideration is the terrain - it sounds like the portugese route is flatter than the frances route? Perhaps all the cobblestones and asphalt/concrete roads are worse than the mountains of the camino frances? Also, i am reading about a coastal as well as another (more inland) route?
thanks, Allan
 
Hi Allan - I'd consider the route 'flat' until before Ansaio - after that one can easily get into some huffing-puffing territory if one likes to keep a spiffy pace. the prime 'peak' would be the bit after ponte de lima. sea-level to above 400meters.
the cobble stones and asphalt can be a true challenge indeed. i always aimed for walking on the grassy bit whenever possible - and it often felt like 'ditch walking' - but i had two types of insoles with me: Montrail (spelling?) and some good silicones insoles as well. i changed them according to terrain and how my feet felt on any given day. consider it like tyre-changes for winter and summer roads
and i never exceeded 27km a day (and much of that was on the wooden boardwalk along the atlantic) and had a total of 3 rest days (ponte de muge; tomar and porto).
the challenge of cobblestone/asphalt is a different challenge than the ascent/descent of mountain ranges. both can bring you to your knees if pushed too hard or unwise in other departments.
but entirely doable ... and portugal is truly enjoyable - even with cobblestone legacies .
saluti, and Bom Caminho!
 
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