RTW ’23: Week 2

The second week of my journey was an amazing experience! With various types of terrain to challenge us, new travelers to connect with, beautiful scenery surrounding us and special moments of meditation, the week was one that rejuvenated my spirit and left me grounded. The week, of course, was not without challenge– however, the overall theme of the week was that of gratitude and connectedness. We kept on the central route of the Camino, but the atmosphere around us was ever-changing, lending us new and exciting opportunities to explore.

On Wednesday we tackled 13.65 miles, and towards the end of walking I was definitely feeling the wear of the distance in my body. SInce switching from the Coastal Route, our walks lack the ocean breeze and gentle mist that we had become accustomed to. Instead, we were met with a blazing sun with no shady reprieve in the grape and corn fields. Even with the blistering sun, the scenery and overall walking experience were spectacular! Once the uphill climbs were conquered, I would find myself going a little faster downhill. I felt like a kid skipping down the decline, which brought me so much joy since the inclines are a bit slower than I’d like. During our walk, we stopped at the medieval bridge to soak our feet in the cool running water. It was a very welcome refresher while walking through the late afternoon sun. I also met an amazing woman today, Louisa, who started an orphanage in Myanmar. She’s a youthful 82 years old and is blessed with tackling such a big feat with her daughters. Spending time in her presence filled my spirit– she is such a special woman, and I felt so honored to share a few moments with her. Later in the evening, I was able to speak with my daughter, Corrine, on the phone. Catching up with her felt even more special than usual as I sat under the open sky in Facha gazing at the stars.

After a long, hot walking day on Wednesday, Thursday proved to be full of little adventures, special treats and relaxation. Thankfully, the walk from Facha to Ponte de Lima was an easy walk and a short day. By 11 a.m. we had arrived! During our walk in we were able to watch some grape harvesting. I love that I am able to see the flow of life here, as exemplified by the families who worked together in the fields to harvest crops, or by watching the couple who runs a cafe in the city as people they know come in for their daily espresso or even their morning beer! Since we had been walking for a few days, it was time to launder some of our clothes– however, upon arrival, all of the machines were full. A mother and a son were doing a shopping cart full of laundry at all 3 machines in front of the grocery store. We waited a while to see if a machine would open up, but it didn’t, so we went back to our hotel for the night. We washed a few items in the bathroom sink and hung them outside on our hotel room balcony. Then Pam and I went through our clothes like true hikers: smelling each item to see if it was REALLY dirty, or if it was passable for one more hike or one more meal! Though the laundry situation was a whole debacle, we had a really wonderful afternoon and evening. At the hotel, we treated ourselves to a 30 minute pilgrim massage on our feet, back and legs. It was some much needed self care after all the miles we had put under our feet. After our massage, we spent time exploring Ponte de Lima. It has the feeling of ancient history with its medieval bridge, old stone wall remnants, and a clock tower. There are even Roman warrior statues to help create the scene! At dinner we saw 4 older men drinking some beer and playing a lively game of cards at a table in the restaurant. The waitress apologized on their behalf, but there was no need: we loved seeing the authenticity of Portugal. We commented that by walking everywhere we are seeing actual daily life and the rhythms of Portugal. If we were tourists zipping by in a car, we’d miss a lot of the little details that bring Portugal to life, like watching a shop-keeper bring in every item on display each day before closing, likely to go home and make dinner for her family. Ponte de Lima is one of the oldest towns in Portugal (founded on March 4th, 1125). It was historically significant as a Roman settlement on the road from Braga to Santiago de Compostela and Lugo, and the first place in Portugal that got a municipal charter. Today, it is a significant stop on the Central Portuguese branch of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Since 1862, in the second week of September, Ponte de Lima holds the Feiras Novas (the new fairs) festival for 3 days, granted by the Royal Provision of King Peter IV of Portugal. We just missed the festival, but all of the signs and lights were still up. There was, however, a carnival in the town where we were staying for the night. It reminded me of trips to Hershey that I used to take with Mike and Corrine when they were little. I treated myself to a nutella churro, and ended the night with a full heart and full stomach.

Out of all of the days we’ve hiked so far, Friday was easily my favorite. We had the perfect hiking conditions: temperature in the 70’s with cloud cover, easy terrain to navigate with dirt paths and even a waterfall on our route. I did really feel my hiking feet today, but my pace was good and I felt connected, truly, for the first time. We stopped to rest at a waterfall and did some yoga, and as we were getting ready to leave, 3 Italian guys came to “our” spot. It brought me joy to see them having so much fun laughing, joking around, and even jumping into the water. After our rest, we finished our trek to Labruja. We did our laundry by hand in a nice wash tub, and the sun even came out for a few hours to help them dry. We were very thankful for the ability to wash them after our mishap yesterday! I also booked my bike for the next stage of my journey after Pam leaves. I was having an issue with my credit card going through even after my credit card company called me. As it turns out, the company only took EU cards. Thankfully, I received a follow up email that they would let me pay upon pickup of the bike, so I am relieved to have that squared away. During dinner we had great conversation with some of the other guests. It was 3 gentlemen, one each from Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands. We talked about the Camino, why we were completing it, and the politics in each of our countries among other things. One of my favorite things about traveling, especially the Camino, is that people seem more open to talk about whatever is on their minds. We all share the journey of the Camino, and being able to open up to one another just further connects us along the way.

The trek from Labruja to Rubiaes on Saturday was a short one, but the sprinkling rain was off and on all morning which caused slippery terrain to navigate. I was very thankful for my hiking poles! The hike offered some beautiful scenery– moss coated paths and rock walls followed by misty mountain-top views. We even saw a friendly horse today, though we did not have a treat to provide him. He accepted our pets and love in lieu of them. By the time we got to our destination, I could feel some slight shin splints. Thanks to Pam, I applied some AleveX cream topically and took 2 advil, then took a much-needed nap and stretched my legs. After a short while, I started to feel a little bit better. We stayed at the Ninho hostel, a very nice family home of 3 generations. The host was even born in the house! We had a family style dinner which included roasted chicken and custard for dessert. It was a delectable treat! Dinner was accompanied with live music from a group of brothers and sisters, 2 women and 4 men, from the Netherlands. They played the bagpipes, accordion, and harmonica, and sang beautifully. We enjoyed really nice conversation and time together. I asked them why they played the bagpipes from Holland, as I couldn’t quite place the origin. They explained that during WW2 the Scots helped free Holland from the Nazis and so they associate bagpipes with their freedom. Because of that, they have a strong appreciation for Scottish culture and their bagpipes. They are even played at funerals for firemen! Overall, it was a tiring but productive day, and I was thankful to have such a warm and welcoming place to lay my head.

Sunday proved to be a treacherous day for me. The weather continued to be rainy and dreary, and it dampered the overall enjoyment of the day. Because of the rain, I wasn’t able to take many photos, as I didn’t want to damage my phone, especially so early on in the voyage. I still took time to admire the scenery as I passed through, I just wasn’t able to capture as much as I’d liked. Though my shins did feel a little better than the day before, I was still a little sore, which certainly didn’t help. Alburge was before town so we arrived earlier than I thought we would. In the morning, I was having bag cover envy, wishing I hadn’t left my bag cover at home when I saw everyone with theirs. I did have a waterproof bag in my backpack (toad fish), but I was still throwing myself a pity party, walking through the rain and not speaking too much. We were quiet most of the day, taking the time to reflect internally instead. After giving it some thought, I realized that maybe my “funk” was attributed to the weather and the fact that we didn’t come across any of the people we had seen before. Everyone was, instead, focused on getting to where they were going in order to get out of the miserable rain and wind. The weather turned everyone inward, and part of the joy I find in this journey is how open everyone is, so it put a damper on the experience, albeit only for the day. I’ve been feeling like I need a good cry to release all of the emotions that led up to starting the trip, and I haven’t experienced that release yet. Though the rain certainly cleansed my body, I need a good cry to cleanse the soul! In the evening, we took a taxi to a nearby mall and walked around while it was pouring rain outside. I bought a small umbrella and some garbage bags to use instead of a cover for my backpack. Hopefully I won’t need it moving forward, but after the last two days of rain I need to be prepared!

Monday was our most productive hiking day to date: 17 full miles! We walked from Valenca, PT straight into Porrino, ES! We finally made it to Spain! Though it was a long day hiking and my feet felt quite tired at the end, my shins continued to improve. I used my hiking sticks to help take the strain off of my shins, and that proved to be very beneficial. It was, in every way, a much better day than Sunday. I felt fatigued, but my spirits were uplifted and there were only a few passing rain showers. Valenca, our starting point, was a very nice, old, walled town. It was almost as if the town had its own border, and the parallel of leaving its border and walking over the border of Portugal and Spain was not lost on me. It was so exciting to cross over into Spain today! Walking into a new country was a first milestone for me, and it made me wonder how many more of those will be on my RTW trip. As much as I liked Portugal, it was exciting to be in a brand new country to explore! “Thank you” is now “Gracias”, and we moved time zones to one hour ahead. We stayed at apartmento fonte de cristo, a private two bedroom apartment. It was nice to get some much-needed, uninterrupted rest after such a long day.

My feet have become more accustomed to walking every day, and my shins finally followed suit. I am sure that my body will continue to remind me of the hard work that is being done every day, but on Tuesday my body felt strong and energized, and I welcomed the reprieve. The walk did not offer picturesque scenery– it was mostly suburban neighborhoods and small businesses, which was a stark contrast to the beauty offered in prior walks. There were a few picture worthy moments along the walk, the most notable being what we found in the town called Mos when we came across a statue of a woman weeping. The plaque was in Spanish, but Pam snapped a picture and translated it with Google (see images below). It was relevant to the issues I’m highlighting with my trip: women’s equality and empowerment. The Portuguese Camino has many optional route choices, or variants. Some variants are just for a few hours and can be decided on the spot, depending on how a pilgrim feels that day. Other variants are longer and take a few days to complete. One of the longer variants I had originally planned on taking is called the Spiritual Variant, which involves additional miles, but the payoff is a boat ride where, legend says, St. James’ body was brought. We’ve decided to skip the Spiritual Variant and stay on the Central Route, the path we’ve been following since day 2 when we left the coast. We received a few more recommendations for staying on the Central Route because it offers multiple hot thermal springs in Caldas de Reiss, which we should arrive at on Thursday. Debbie and Stephanie, a mother-daughter pilgrim duo from Facha Pension, want to check out the hot springs, too. It feels like we are making friends along the way, which feels likes part of the purpose of the journey. Seeing familiar faces during the day and walking around the town at night offers a nice sense of community. We also visited a grocery store to get fruit and snacks for the next day’s walk. I love seeing everyday life in a new city each and every day. The location is different, but so many things remain the same, like grocery shopping! There have been a lot more pilgrims along the way since we passed the 100 km to Santiago mark earlier in the day since that’s the minimum distance to get a completion certificate. Overall, it was a really great day! It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I can walk 10 miles every day without a problem. I am thankful for the breath in my lungs, and the dirt beneath my feet!

As the second week comes to a close, I am mostly feeling gratitude for all that I have accomplished so far. Though there have certainly been some trying moments, my body has stayed healthy and strong, my soul is content, and I am eager to see what awaits me down the road. Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.
-Mark Twain