There is no elevation profile for this day as Arcos is between the Coastal and Central Routes.
This morning as we begin walking we were passed by a monk going up an incline. It was a bit of a surprise but I suppose monks walk the Camino too. Later we were standing on a corner with another couple trying to decide which way to go when we saw the monk ahead so…we followed the monk. Later on we stopped in a little church to pray for a moment and see if we could get a stamp. There were no stamps, but…there was the monk. He was setting up candles at the alter and lighting them. We stayed a bit and then went on. In the afternoon we stopped in a cafe for a sandwich and a drink and in walked the monk. I wish there was a joke here. It was a good spiritual feeling to know we were walking in good company.
Today’s walk was a tough one. It was only 11 miles so shorter than our walk to Vila do Conde. However the circumstances were different. Even the the temperature was only in the 70’s it was hot. The walk to Vila do Conde was along the Atlantic Ocean so even though the temperature was the same we had an ocean breeze to keep up cool. I really struggled but did manage to drag myself into town and up three flights of stairs to our room
The Rooster in Portugal is a sign of good luck.The Virgin Mary…and friend???My stamps for today
While there is no elevation profile for this day as Arcos is between the Coastal and Central Routes I did note that my fitness tracker said I climbed 4 flights. I say more than 4 because I walked up the hotel stairs 7-8 times, more stairs up to some churches, and a reasonably sized hill into Arcos.
Monastery next to the hotel
Stairway in the hotel
I’ve been a little off in getting my stamps on my pilgrim passport. Last night I asked at reception for a stamp and they told they didn’t have one. However, they did have a sticker. I’ll take it! So here is my sticker stamp.
This morning though I started by going to the monastery next door. I went in through a little door because I heard voices. There was a little old man and someone dressed like a medical person. The old man kept pointing at me and going on in Portuguese (which is NOT an easy language). I kept asking, “Selo por favor”. Selo means postage stamp; the correct word for an ink stamp is Carimbo. Of course I didn’t learn that until this afternoon, so I kept say “Selo” and he kept pointing and going on in Portuguese. Finally the other man said, “He’s telling you to be careful on the stairs because they’re slippery. Then the man left me with this older man who was talking a mile a minute.
Finally he took my passport, noticed I’m American and said, “Good Morning”. Then he proceeded to say good morning in Spanish, French, and German, but couldn’t recall it in Italian. Next he stamped my passport and told me he was going to sign his name in addition to adding the date. After that he wanted to take me on a tour of the chapel, but I couldn’t because Glen was waiting outside. I tried to convey this and said “Adios” so he starts saying “goodbye” in every language he knows.
It was a really charming encounter and despite the language barrier I felt really welcomed and cared for. BTW my little old man is 93 years old and pretty darned spry. 🙂
Later…
Our walk was very easy today, only about 6.5 miles from hotel to hotel. So far walking the Portuguese is easier than the Frances. It’s not just the surface…a lot of the Frances is walking on baseball sized rocks and so far the Portuguese has been cobblestones and pavement…but there is a certain element of danger with the traffic.
A lot of our walk today was on very narrow country roads between corn fields. They are barely wide enough for two cars.
That tractor takes the entire width of the road
Further the roads curve a lot so the rule of walking against the traffic can be dangerous to adhere to. Cars coming toward you won’t see you around the curve and you can easily be hit. The best you can do is walk in the middle and listen very carefully for a car/machinery noise you hear. It means you have to concentrate on something other than letting the walk take you mind and heart where it wants to go.
You can’t see around the bend.
My final thoughts for today are some more spiritual thoughts I have had.
This is a little chapel across from a cafe where we stopped for a snack. You can see how small it is, smaller than a lot of living rooms.A monument at the corner of a large square with park benches.
What would Americans think of this demonstration of Christianity in a public place?
My stamps for todayThe harvest is over but there are still seeds to be gathered and planted for a new harvest. I hope I have sowed some good seeds for a future harvest.The story of the above chapel.
All map and elevation profiles are from Wise Pilgrim, Camino Portuguese. Please let me know if they do not appear. I loaded them into these draft pages before leaving home and I am unable to see them now.
I left my backpack at the desk for pick up by the transport company at 7:30 am
At 10:00 am I have a message from the transport saying they do not have my bag and they called the hotel who also does not have my bag.
The transport company wants me to call the hotel to see if they have my bag. I do, and they don’t.
I check my AirTag app and discover my bag is not at the hotel but I don’t recognize the address listed.
Transport texts again they still cannot locate my bag. I send them a screenshot showing my bag at the address.
They are still looking.
I wait half an hour and see that my bag has moved. I contact transport with a new screenshot.
They reply the bag has been found. The driver did pick up three bags and one of them was mine. He is about to drop it at our hotel.
That means that my bag is one of the three so of the original three…one of them is missing.
Now it’s someone else’s story.
Another beautiful day walking alongside the oceanI snagged this photo of the yellow arrow along with some friends we met earlier.A snack at the 4 mile stopI was trying to photograph the birds on the rock and when I looked at the photo I saw that Senor Speedo had snuck in.Beautiful little church by the oceanHouse on the beach. Think we could get it for cheap? Think the Property Brothers would come and fix it up?
I haven’t gotten my stamp yet today as my pilgrim passport was lost along with my backpack, but I will rectify that later.
Porto to Matoshinos – All elevation profiles are from Wise Pilgrim, The Camino Portugues.
Total miles walked 9.4 miles
Elevation Profile
Map of today’s route
Today we begin the Camino Portuguese and I must say it was an exceptionally beautiful walk. We began at the Se Catedral across the street from our hotel Se Catedral Tapestry, a traditional starting point in Porto. From there we wound our way through some narrow streets and down a lot of narrow stairs until we reached the Douro River. From there we walked all the way to Matosinhos, from along the Douro to along the Atlantic.
We reached Da Foz around noon and had a little snack and then forged on to Matosinhos, another 3 miles.
Arriving in Matosinhos was a bit boring. We checked in to our hotel and then set off to do laundry.
While we did laundry is where things got a little (just a little) bit interesting. Glen found a restaurant that looked like it had amazing seafood. We’ve missed out on a few good restaurants because we didn’t have reservations. This time we decided to make a reservation.
When we arrived at the restaurant we found it to be a tiny place and only two people were there. We entered and I cautiously told the woman who looked in charge that we had a reservation for Michelle. She turned and shouted, “You’re the one!” Uh yes, I guess I was the one who made a reservation when one was obviously not needed.
My sardinesGlen’s Sea Bass
I’m telling you this was the best meal we’ve had so far in Portugal. The fish was fresh, they grilled it in back, and the service was so hospitable. In the US restaurants bring you what you order and no more. Here they brought us a dish of olives, some warm meats, and bread from the nearby bakery. Then they took our order. They treat us with such hospitality. And after dinner they offered us a small glass of local liquor made with cinnamon and honey. It was delicious. We were treated like guests in their own home. Wonderful!
Last night after I posted we proceeded to have a most exciting evening. We chose an Italian restaurant called La Salumeria. After winding our way through lots of twisty tiny streets we found the place. But alas they were full and of course we didn’t have a reservation. We were starting to turn away when a man whom I took for a waiter said, “Come with me. My restaurant is about 100 meters away. It’s the same restaurant as this with the same name, same menu. We just opened yesterday.” So we followed this guy. I think it was more like 200 meters and we ended up walking down this little street with not too much lighting. And there it was…La Salumeria…empty. But that’s ok, we went in anyway. The owner was very gracious. He got us settled, told us all the recipes on the menu were either his own, his mother’s, or his grandmother’s. Then he smiled and said, “I’m off to find more customers”. The wait staff was courteous, professional, and discreet (not overly chatty). By the time we ordered Gustavo was back with another couple and then away he went to find more customers.
The food came quickly and it was delicious. Glen had the chicken caccitore (grandma’s recipe) and I had the lasagna ragu (mom’s recipe). We ordered the Riserva red wine (the most expensive one on the menu at 32 euros); it had a bold flavor and really complimented my lasagna.
By the end of the evening the main floor was full and Gustavo was escorting customers to the upper and lower levels.
We were so happy with our meal and the experience.
Today we were not as fortunate. Anthony Bourdain has visited many restaurants in Porto and the surrounding area. So we decided to head to O Afonso for lunch where they are known for their Francesinhas. I think it’s a Portuguese twist on the French Croque Monsieur, covered in a tomato beer sauce. Sadly we arrived 40 minutes before they closed for lunch service and there were at least 30 people in line ahead of us. At any rate we found another little cafe and had a very good lunch, and the rest of our day was productive.
O AfonsoThis is about half of the lineThe Francesinha I didn’t have for lunch
We made our way to the Se Catedral for a visit and to pick up our credentials (Pilgrim passports). This is one of my favorite aspects of the camino. I love collecting the stamps and sharing them with all of you.
Se Catedral where we will start our camino tomorrowSe Catedral SanctuaryView of the Douro River from Se CatedralCredentialMy stamp for tomorrow
So now we are preparing to leave tomorrow to begin our camino journey. It will be a short day, only 7 miles as we divided up the first stage. The second day will be 13 miles to Vila do Conde.
It’s our first full day in Porto and I have to say it’s much like Paris. No there’s no monument to compare to the Eiffel Tower and no art museum to compare to the Louvre, but there are two things we discovered today that scream PARIS!!!
Of all the times I’ve been to Paris to visit my cousin she always points out to me that the government is doing restoration work again. And so it is here in Porto. I wasn’t able to take any pictures today as my phone died so I’ll have to post some tomorrow.
The second similarity to Paris was even more striking (no pun intended). We downloaded a walking tour app and the first location it guided us to…had a large protest/parade going on. I’m sure the app wanted us to see some famous corner or building, not the protest. The reason for this protest was uncertain to me; it seemed to be labor related and many different groups were protesting.
I’ve always said that if there were an Olympic triathlon medal for complaining, protesting, and going on strike the French would take the gold every time. And just so you know our waitress complained to us this morning saying, “You pay minimum wage, you get minimum service”
Now I just hope no one goes on strike.
But truly apart from the construction work Porto is a lovely little town with lots of interesting features. The app we used is called GPSmycity. We’re using the free trial for now, but for $15 a year there are over a thousand cities with walking tour maps. The walking tours cover monuments tours, cathedral tours, shopping tours, and food tours. For us this was great because we love walking. That last sentence was dumb. We must love walking or else why would we be walking the camino again ;-).
Many of the facades are covered in colorful tilesWe came across a huge market with flowers, produce, chocolates, and wines.The lady in green balances her box on her head. The lady in orange must be the apprentice 🙂 since she’s using her hand to balance.I’ve seen a lot of pictures of Jesus (sad Jesus, laughing Jesus, even buff Jesus), but I’ve never seen Kite Jesus.
All in all it’s been a pleasant day in Porto. Good food, good entertainment (who doesn’t love a good protest), beautiful sites.
It has been months since we decided to walk the Camino Portuguese and those months seemed to stretch forever. If I missed a walk, tomorrow would be there to take it. And now here we are waiting for an uber to take us to the airport.
I have my backpack packed although I don’t think I will carry it this time. My shoulder held up well enough for a seven mile walk but then it protested loudly for several days that I allowed that monstrosity to bear down on my delicate shoulder. I’m disappointed but no one will be waiting to award me a trophy for carrying a burden so I’ll give thanks that I can continue the walk.
I feel calm today. The plane ride is just something to be endured for a few hours. And then we will arrive in Porto, Portugal. We have our little routine. Check in at the hotel and leave our bags, walk around and find lunch, walk some more and maybe scour out a dinner place, return to the hotel and get into our room, nap for 90 minutes (and no more), get cleaned up, eat dinner, and go to bed early.
Today I’ve been working on my packing for our upcoming Camino…and I’ve been in a bit of a panic. The first Camino was a challenge because I’d never walked one before and I didn’t know what to bring for six weeks of walking. It took a lot research, talking to others who had walked one, watching videos, consulting with Glen, and more. All that research made it easier for Camino 2 and Camino 3. The template was created. But this time is different.
This Camino is Portugal, not the Frances. Some of my clothes have worn out. I’m different…shoulder surgery has made carrying my pack tenuous. My template isn’t working this time. However I know that by definition, I will be packed before we get on the plane and Portugal isn’t some isolated village; there are grocery stores and pharmacies in case I forget something.
So today I’m taking a little break and addressing envelopes so I can send postcards to my grandchildren. Yes I send all my postcards in envelopes because I have this fear that every postal worker will read them and it will take forever to arrive :-/. I particularly like to send cards with the map of the Camino so I can mark where we are when I mail the card.
When I walked the first Camino I even sent myself eight postcards. They were messages to me showing that not all my fears were coming true and those that did were not nearly as disastrous as I anticipated. There were unexpected joys and delights along the way. Some of what I wrote is too personal to share, but I will share one of them with you.
10-11-2019 Santiago de Compostela
Dear Michelle,
It has been a long journey to Santiago and you made it. You made new friends and learned new things about yourself. You are strong. You helped a man uphill with his bike. You don’t have everything figured out but you are changed. You must believe in yourself and not let doubts overcome you. YOU WALKED 500 MILES. That is an amazing feat. I love you and I love who you are becoming 🙂
Wow! I love that woman. And I love the woman who wrote those words to her. Perhaps I should write her some more postcards about this new Camino she is about to embark on.
Maybe you’ll write yourself a postcard with lots of loving affirmations. You are worth it.
5 Day Academy for Spiritual Formation St. George’s Island, GA May 2025
I’ve been preparing myself for walking the Camino Portuguese mostly by taking walks, reading memoirs, and working out at the gym. Last week I added something else. I returned to a Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation to prepare my spirit for this walk.
On my first Camino in 2019 I had no idea what to expect and I deliberately tried to not formulate any expectations. I had a wonderful time on that Camino. I encountered the Holy in so many places and at surprising times. The tinkle of a cow’s bell still takes me back to the Pyrenees where I first felt that I was walking on sacred ground. Or the time I walked past a 14th century convent that had been converted into a hostal and heard a sort of angelic music only to turn the corner to find a colorful cafe/bar serving pilgrims.
That was my first Camino and I maintained a “no expectations” frame of mind for subsequent walks because I remember at the first Five Day Academy I attended one of our speakers said that we make a mistake asking God to “do it again God, do it again”. because the spiritual experience was so wonderful. But while we’re asking God to “do it again” God is saying, “I have something even more wonderful for you.” That has always stuck with me. I don’t want to relegate God to one experience. I believe God is dynamic and creative and I don’t want to miss anything that God chooses to grace me with.
Full disclosure…sometimes I do want God to “do it again!” 🤫🤭
It’s been over a year since I last wrote. Almost every day I ask myself, “Do I have something to say or is it time to bring this blog to a quiet and dignified end?”
So much has happened and I yearned to write about this past year of my life Camino, but it seemed too personal like laying out all my shit. And trust me during a gastrointestinal illness there were months of that. See that was TMI, but it was a part of my awful year. So I’ll give you the expurgated version…
*My cousin in Paris died. She had no will and she was a hoarder. I spent a month dealing with this and more than a year later there is still no resolution to her estate.
*Colds, the flu, and the above mentioned issues plagued me one after the other.
*After returning from the last camino I had tremendous pain in my knees, hips, and right shoulder. I saw a doctor and mentioned my lower extremities. He told me I had over worked my body and just needed to rest. I never mentioned the shoulder and it never got better. After 8 months of pain I had surgery. My rotator cuff was completely severed and donor tissue was needed to make the connection.
*Then the depression…Will I ever be able to walk the Camino again?
The great bright spot was the arrival of a sixth grandchild.
So amidst all the crap the arrival of this little bundle of happiness (and he is so stinking happy) I made it through this year.
Then something happened. My friend Dianne, whom I met on my first camino, wrote to tell me she was going to walk the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago de Compostelle, about 170 miles. Surely I could do that. Even with a bad shoulder I could have my pack sent ahead if I couldn’t bear to carry it. I’m going to walk it.
So that’s the summation of my past year. See? There was no reason to complain about my ailments and sadness week after week. I’ve got it all out and now I can focus on training and preparing for the next camino.
I know I talk about the camino a lot and it has truly become part of who I am. After the first camino I realized that my whole life is a camino and even though I believe that to be true, I know that I’m not done with the walking. So now I’m looking forward to this fall engaging a new trail and experiencing the magic of the camino anew.
One day I decided to go for a walk... 