Hello all!
Well I am just back two weeks now and I had a great time walking the camino portugese. From Oporto there were not many other pilgrims, but from Tui I met 10 other pilgrims. I slept in the albergues if there was one, but in Portugal there were not many, but in Rates and Rubiaes (a very new one, just opened in may). My experience was that mostly the albergues were closed and sometimes I was send from here to there to find the key.
Before I asked the question if it would be dangerous to walk this camino alone. I don't think it is dangerous, but the first day, early morning in Porto I was followed by someone that did not make me feel so at ease! And the last day there was a man masturbating in the woods. I was happy I had a stick with me, but I can imagine other women being really afraid by these kind of things. I did not have any of such experiences on the
camino frances.
In Portugal I found that they were not really used to pelgrims. The closer I came to Spain the more the pilgrimage became alive. I have enjoyed my camino very much. I loved walking alone, but I now know that the meeting with other pilgrims in the albergues was also what made the
camino frances so special for me. I did meet a lot of special people. People that without thinking offered a bed and food when I did not have a place to sleep.. an old lady that threw oranges out the window (for us nt to hit us!
because we needed our strength if we wanted to walk all the way to Santiago).. people that gave grapes and grapes and grapes (it was picking weekend!) how special is that?!
I was lucky and I had great weather. The day after I arrived in Santiago Gordon came by and brought rain and winds, but that was about all the rain I saw in two weeks.
I made a lot of pictures, but I don't know how to download them here. Ivar, could you give me some instructions please?
greetings Estrella