Year: 2024

We got an early start today because we knew it would be a much longer hike and there would be no clouds to break the sunshine.
Words cannot adequately describe the beauty of this portion of the Portuguese coast! We hiked 16 miles today, entirely up the west coast of the Atlantic, and almost completely on a wooden boardwalk. There were an untold number of gorgeous beaches nestled between rugged rock formations the entire length of our hike.
The difficulty of such a long walk this early in our adventure was made easier with three separate “Sangria Stops” surrounding our Pilgrims’ lunch.
We got to our apartment, which overlooks a seaside marina, about 4:30pm.
Have showered, washed our clothes, and hung them outside to dry. Will have dinner at some ocean side restaurant and then turn in for the night. LIFE ON THE CAMINO!

We are all super excited about beginning the Camino. When you train for several months it feels great to actually start the journey. Reflecting on the mental side of the walk, it is also so positive to know that you are no longer “walking in circles” and that everyday is a step closer to reaching your ultimate goal, filled with new sights and experiences.

Today we descended from our apartment down to the Duoro River and headed west toward the ocean. Once seaside we headed north toward the small village of Luca. The total hike was only about 9 miles, but absolutely full of people spending their weekend near the water. We saw several other “pilgrims” with backpacks as we walked the 5 mile section next to the river.
Pretty easy day, great weather, and gorgeous scenery. Tomorrow promises more of the same scenery – but a good bit longer.
WHAT A GREAT WAY FOR DAVID AND BRENDA TO SPEND THEIR 39th ANNIVERSARY!
BUEN CAMINO!

Caught an early train this morning and arrived in Porto three hours later. Since we will begin our walk tomorrow from the Porto Cathedral we booked our accommodations a few hundred yards away, and went searching for lunch.

Decided to walk the Duero River toward the ocean this afternoon as that will be our route tomorrow – albeit with full backpacks and hiking poles.
Had a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant directly on the river, and returned to our apartment to prepare for our first day on the Camino Portuguese

You would think we would be a little smarter, given a 170 mile hike just ahead. But, we began our day under beautiful blue skies and a perfect temperature and immediately began what became a 4 mile “walk” climbing several hundred feet. High atop a ridge overlooking Lisbon we stopped at three significant sites: (1) Igreja de Cristina (2) Lisbon Cathedral, built in 1190 AD and (3) Castelo S Jorge, a twelve century fortress overlooking the Tagus River and the entire Lisbon skyline. The Lisbon Cathedral is also the starting point for the longest route of the Camino Portuguese , and would be over 300 miles …maybe another time!
Walked back to our favorite lunch place (Figu’s) and once again enjoyed the cuisine …, and sangria.
Spent the afternoon exploring different areas of the city and making final arrangements for our travel to Porto tomorrow.

After 22 hours of travel, including a 3 hour stop in Madrid, we have finally reached Lisbon, Portugal. We will spend two nights here before taking a train to Porto, where we start our 170 mile hike.
Just had our first taste of Portuguese cuisine for lunch. Everyone loved their dish ….. good start. More importantly, the two pitchers of sangria helped us get ready to explore the historic Baixa district of Lisbon.
Following a 300 step climb to the Sao Palo Church and Museum to end our city tour, we treated ourselves to a fabulous dinner at the Viranda Restaurant and rooftop bar as the sunset over Lisbon.

A 3:30 am wake up call for our 6::00 am flight. First leg to Miami, Florida – where we have a seven hour layover !! Have no fear, though, a short cab ride to beautiful Coral Gables and a leisure lunch will erase most of our otherwise unbearable airport wait. UPDATE: Anyone visiting Coral Gables MUST try La Pata Gorda, an Ecuadorian seafood restaurant that opened on the Miracle Mile two days ago. Phenomenal!
We are all four excited, as this trip was planned six months ago, and the day has FINALLY arrived.! We board our next flight, to Madrid, around 4:45pm and after a brief stop in Madrid, head to Lisbon, Portugal.
BUEN CAMINO