One day I decided to go for a walk...

MY FEELINGS ALONG THE CAMINO

October 6, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 15

Total miles walked today 6.23 miles

Cambados to Vilanova de Arosa

Once again there is no elevation profile for this section of the Spiritual Variant.

My feelings along the Camino

Today was a very easy day to walk. It was so short that we felt confident walking along the ocean instead of the actual camino route. It was quiet and I found myself reflecting on my feelings as I’ve walked this camino. Some good and some not so good, and all of those feelings are part of this camino.

Fear & Anxiety – This was a big one for me. Although I’ve walked the Camino Frances which is longer and has rougher terrains, the Portuguese was littered with blind curves, fast cars, steep ascents, and a few long days. Although I’ve made it through all of it so far I still worry about the last day coming up when we walk from Padron to Santiago, a 16 mile day with two ascents.

Anger – One day I let my anger out on Glen. I was hungry and we hadn’t eaten lunch. He was complaining he didn’t want to eat this or that, just a salad, and he was asking me to help look for a place. I told him I would eat anything at this point and if he had a specific need he’d better find it quickly because I WAS HUNGRY! I also let my anger out in a smaller way at the laundromat. I was next in line for a washer and I noticed one that had finished but the owner hadn’t taken the wash out. So I mentioned that someone had left their laundry and this young girl stood up and said, “Oh I was leaving it in the machine until a dryer is available”. I took a breath and calmly said, “If you take your laundry out I can get mine started.” But let’s face it, I was mad.

Frustration – People walk the camino for all kinds of reasons: health, adventure, religious, spiritual, and more. For me this has become a spiritual journey. I feel a call to walk the camino and I’ve had deep spiritual experiences. As you know those who walk a camino collect stamps along the way. I’ve always liked stopping in chapels and cathedrals along the way. For me it’s a time to pray, light a candle, maybe have a little cry, get out of the heat, and collect a stamp marking that time. I often think back to my first camino when a man with one arm, one leg, and a crutch stamped my credential and wrote the date on it. It took a lot of effort for him to do that and I felt humbled and grateful for his gift to me. This time it seemed like all the churches were closed and locked. I have a stamp from the Cathedral of Porto, the monastery in Vila do Conde, and another Cathedral in a town I forget the name of , but I know I had a good little cry while I prayed there. Why are all those churches closed and locked? The camino is originally meant to be a pilgrimage.

Happiness – The feelings I described above were truly infrequent and fleeting. Happiness filled all the in-between places. I woke each day ready to enjoy my cafe con leche (very important) and get on the camino to walk. No matter what I faced each day I always went to bed feeling gratitude for having made it to the next place. Happiness made all those other feelings seem small and insignificant. A good friend of mine shared these words with me…”…emotions are always overwhelming but it’s good for the mind and soul. Embrace them all, the happiness, the pain, the soreness and the up and downs because they are yours.”

Oh and sadness never bothered to show up on this camino.

First stamp of the day. You can barely make out 06-10-25

Buen Camino

WHERE AM I GOING WITH ALL THIS?

October 5, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 14

Total miles walked today 9.36 miles

Armenteria to Cambados

There is no elevation map for Armenteria to Cambados

Because we had rain and wind yesterday it was cold. So we didn’t make it to visit the Monastery at Armenteira. On the other hand the weather changed to sunny with a slight breeze. It was a little cool but today’s walk was mostly flat so I had a good pace and made it to Combados by 1:30 pm. Plenty of time to get cleaned up and do laundry at the laundromat.

Mostly today was a smooth walk with some short and rocky downhills, but mostly flat. It was a good time to reflect on this camino. After all there are only three days to walk.

What will I miss? I always miss the nature of the walk. I can walk ten miles all over town back home and it’s not the same as here. On the camino there is the quiet, the challenge, the interesting, the challenge. Even walking through cities there is the interesting windows with items for sale to look at as I walk by.

This camino I think I’ve been more cognizant of the hospitality offered along the way. The smiles and the calls of “Buen Camino”. I can’t make that happen in my own town, but I can’t offer that in my own home. Perhaps I’ll entertain more.

What am I looking forward to in returning home? Well after my shower rant I am looking forward to returning to an environment where I know how everything works. I miss cooking. I’ll certainly try to incorporate the good foods I’ve had in Portugal and Spain. And I know the calamari I buy at the fancy grocery store will still be frozen and chewy. But I know how to make a Santiago cake.

For now though I think I’ll just keep walking and absorb as much of the camino as I can. Home will come back to me soon enough.

Walking in the quiet alongside a babbling brook

Spanish Panera???

Buen Camino

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Come again after I go home

October 4, 2025

Camino Portuguese Day 13

Total miles walked 7.91 miles

Combarro to Armenteira

You know the song The Ants go Marching One by One Hurrah Hurrah? It’s sung to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home Hurrah Hurrah. My husband started singing that song and now it is stuck in my head. It’s stuck in my head EVERYDAY!

And worse, I know the words but I don’t have all the tune. I can’t make the words fit in what I know of the tune. This is my husband’s fault and it’s driving me crazy!

I know the ants go down, to the ground, because it starts to rain. I was thinking about that song all day because it rained.

It was a drizzly rain all day long. Fortunately the walk from Combarro to Armenteira was only about 7 miles. Initially the uphill was steep but then it worked itself into some gentle rises on a paved road, and at the end it seemed to fall apart with a steep rocky decline. Nonetheless I made it. Even with out the Ant Song 😉

Peter’s house? No it’s another place for the bread delivery

One of the rocky paths we just walked down

My stamps for today

Buen Camino

BLISS

October 3, 2025

Camino Portuguese Day 12

Total Miles walked 8.57 miles

Pontevedra to Combarro

There is no elevation profile for Pontevedra to Combarro as we are switching from the Central Route to the Spiritual Variant.

Last night I prepped my big backpack and took it downstairs for the transport company to take. Then we allowed ourselves to not set the alarm clock ⏰.

Yesterday was a good day walking. I felt strong, but by the time we went out to dinner I was bone weary and sleepy.

Our room was very nice with all the amenities anyone could want, even a bathtub with jets. Breakfast was superb: eggs, meats, fruits, yogurt, juices, and more. We ate at a common table with two other couples and had a great time chatting. One woman, Keiko had made earrings to give away along the Camino and I was a blessed recipient.

The weather is great today and we only have about a seven mile walk. We are on the spiritual variant which is less crowded and very peaceful. The variant itself isn’t part of Saint James’ journey to Spain but it leads to Villanova de Arousa which is where the stone boat carries his body.

Second Church Wide Open and the Priest was very nice.

The bag at the door is for the bread delivery.

I’m sure everyone takes a picture at this sign leading to the Spiritual Variant

My stamps for today

Buen Camino

TWO BIG UPHILLS!

October 2, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 11

Total miles walked today 14.81 miles

Redondela to Pontevedra

Wow! Today started off in an interesting way. We stopped in an ice cream establishment that also offered breakfast. As usual I did my little cleaning up because as a pilgrim I feel grateful for all the people who serve us.

After breakfast I asked to fill my water bottle and to add a little more ice. The lady vehemently said, “no ice” and proceeded to fill my bottle without letting the water get cold. NO ICE?! It’s an ice cream store. Of course there is ice. Oh well maybe she got up on the wrong side of the bed.

I also saw something today on the Camino that one doesn’t usually see. There’s a group of people stopping for a smoke break. Today is a lot of uphill climbing. I can’t imagine they have the lung capacity to climb and smoke.

Let’s talk about another side of the Camino. There’s Ugly Pilgrim, and I don’t mean looks wise.

We played leap frog with a group of pilgrims and it seemed to be early in their camino. Usually in the beginning people are happy and calling out a jolly Buen Camino! Those who’ve been on the camino a while have settled into a kind of peaceful walk. Now I’m not one to suppress frivolity but these pilgrims were LOUD! Could we please keep the rauccous, screeching laughter down to a medium guffaw please.

And speaking of the Ugly Pilgrim…this evening we stopped for a drink. There was a table of about a dozen pilgrims. They were a little loud, clearly having a good time. No complaints there. However as they got up one of the men took a partially filled glass and threw the contents on to a clean table. After they left one could see a lot of empty beer mugs and several empty wine bottles. Plus there was a significant amount of broken glass under the table. They were clearly drunk. The waiter explained to us that they were not pilgrims seeking a spiritual experience, just people who like to walk and get drunk.

So I’d like to say…DON’T BE AN UGLY PILGRIM!

In all it was a good day walking and we had what was probably the best meal along the camino. If you’re ever in Redondela go to Casa Fidel. We had the fried calamari, scallops, padron peppers, and an excellent bottle of Albariño white wine.

Horreos…for keeping grain. These are found all over Spain. They are now considered a protected part of history so you cannot remove them. That’s why you see them even in urban settings.

An oasis in the forest.

Buen Camino

MY BIGGEST WORRY TURNED OUT TO BE A FLOP

OCTOBER 1, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 10

Total miles walked 11.97

Porrino to Redondela

LOOK AT THAT ELEVATION MAP!

It’s the second highest summit so far and even worse…check out the nearly vertical descent on the other side. I worried about this day for weeks. Well guess what? It was nearly all pavement, the inclines were gentle and sloping, and that steep descent was on pavement so by walking in a zig zag pattern it wasn’t bad at all.

Arriving mid-afternoon was a plus too. Time to do a little laundry, walk around the neighborhood, and have a nice white Albariño wine to relax.

Even if you ask for a Coca Cola you might get a Pepsi

Aquarius, a good drink to replenish electrolytes. Non-carbonated AND made by Coca Cola.

At least I have two stamps for today.

Buen Camino

A FUN WALK TODAY

September 30, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 9

Total miles walked 12.41 miles

Tui to O Porrino

It’s good to be back in Spain. Portugal was amazing and the food was great. I struggled with the language. In Porto everyone spoke English but as we ventured northward it was all Portuguese. We had one hotelier who would just speak into his phone and show us the translation.

It was actually an easy day for walking.

We passed a group of school kids (about 12-14 years old). It was warming to my soul to see them. I’m sure they have no idea what they are in for and I’m sure like all teenagers they will become difficult. Yet I wonder what our school children, or even our own children would be like if they walked 200 miles together. I would love to take my oldest granddaughter (11) and my oldest grandson (8) to walk the last 100 km together. No phones, no tv, no distractions. Just the camino mantra of walk, wash, eat, sleep. That would be amazing to me.

One way leads to an alternate route and one leads to the actual camino. Which would you choose?

My first tarta de Santiago on the Portuguese Way.

I think they are for training up or supporting grape vines.

A bagpiper remeniscent of what awaits in Santiago.

I love to take pictures. Early in our marriage Glen gave me a beautiful Canon camera. I never really grasped the intricacies of the f-stop or exposure because no one taught me. My grandfather was an amateur photographer. Sadly he passed away when I was 5, but sometimes I imagine him giving me a little brownie camera and teaching me about light and composition.

I’m not sure where my second stamp is and I’m pretty sure I got one, but it’s not in my pilgrim passport.

Buen Camino

THE GREAT ASCENT

September 28, 2025

Camino Portuguese

Total miles walked 11.66 miles

Ponte de Lima to Rubaies

The day has come for our first real ascent and the highest ascent on the Camino Portuguese.

The path started out innocent enough. Lots of flat land meandering through vineyards, corn fields, and forest. We had a good stop at 2.5 miles for a cold drink and at about 5.5 miles we stopped for lunch. Then things started to get ugly.

It’s so hard to capture the ascent in a picture. The last 250 meters was a steep incline with large boulders/stones (like the size of a large laundry basket) that took us almost an hour to climb. Luckily we did reach the summit before things got out of hand.

JThis is the Cruz do Franceses. It’s one of two prominent crosses where people bring a stone to symbolize relinquishing their burdens. It’s the Portuguese equivalent of the Cruz de Ferris (the iron cross on the Camino Frances). There’s a slightly larger cross over the summit part way down. I suppose if you need to pray to make it over the top you leave your stone here and if you are giving thanks for having made it you leave it at the other cross.

Bom Caminho

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE SHOWERS?

September 27, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 6

13.8 miles walked total

Balugaes to Ponte de Lima

I have to talk about the showers today. Every shower I’ve encountered on previous Caminos work differently. It’s a learning experience every time. There’s a knob, there’s a dial, there’s something that looks like a stick shift on a car. Do you push it up? Down? Is hot to the left or right? It’s a mystery. And then there’s that one renegade spray duct that clogged and sprays ice cold water straight to your face while you’re trying to regulate the temperature.

And one more thing…

Every bathroom has this same trash can. You know how you step on the lever and instead of opening, the whole can tips toward you.

I’m just saying…

It was truly a great day. We stopped once for a snack at about 3.5 miles and then powered on to our hotel in Ponte de Lima.

An extra stamp. I hope it’s ok since the year is wrong.

A MUCH BETTER DAY

September 26, 2025

Camino Portuguese, Day 5

Barcelos to Balugaes

Today we passed eight churches/chapels and I stopped at each one trying to get a stamp. One was having morning mass, six were locked, and the other one was open but no one was there and no stamp for the passport.

WHERE’S THE MONK WHEN YOU NEED HIM???

After yesterday today has been a very good walk. It’s cooler, the sidewalks more prevalent, and the roads not quite so curved. Still I had to stay vigilant. We stopped earlier for a cold drink and I saw a small chapel across the street. I walked through a fairly big street center where I could easily see all directions. However in the middle I heard a car coming over the hill…fast! I froze like a deer in the headlights. She couldn’t see my eyes though my sunglasses but I could see hers. She had that same look. She slammed on the brakes and no harm was done. At least I didn’t die today so that makes it a very good day.

And because I have an odd sense of humor I was reminded of some lyrics from Charlie Daniels’ Uneasy Rider…

An’ I guess I shoulda gone ahead an’ run

But somehow I couldn’t resist the fun

Of chasin’ them jes’ once around the parkin’ lot

Well I had them all out there steppin’ an’ a fetchin’

Like their heads were on fire and their asses was catchin’

When I came to my senses (about 3 nano seconds) I guess I was steppin’ an’ fetchin’

At any rate today’s route was about 11 miles and I felt strong and was moving well.

First Vineyard we’ve seen; it’s small but still a real vineyard. Mostly we’ve seen corn fields.

I guess for some people, the impression on the heart that the walk makes isn’t enough and they feel like they must imprint something on the ground or on the wall to make it memorable

Bom Caminho