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

AND SO THE CAMINO PORTUGUESE BEGINS

September 22, 2025

Porto to Matoshinos – All elevation profiles are from Wise Pilgrim, The Camino Portugues.

Total miles walked 9.4 miles

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.

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!

And now it’s late and we are tired.

Bom Caminho

LAST DAY IN PORTO, PORTUGAL

September 21, 2025

Camino Portuguese

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.

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 tomorrow

View of the Douro River from Se Catedral

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.

Bom Caminho

PORTO, PORTUGAL, WHAT’S IT LIKE?

September 20, 2025

The Portuguese Camino

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 tiles

We 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.

Bom Caminho!

THE DAY HAS COME

Let it begin

September 18, 2025

The Camino Portugues

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.

For now I’m just going to relax 😎.

Later…Ah dinner in a lovely little tapas place.

Bin Caminho

POSTCARDS FROM ME

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.

Buen Camino

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

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!” 🤫🤭

Buen Camino

AT LAST OR NOW

At last or now

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.

Buen Camino

COMING HOME

13 October 2023

Home

Saturday I left Santiago by train to Madrid. My flight home was Sunday, October 8th. I travelled by myself because Glen had a business trip to Holland scheduled. I feel bad for him. He left the peace of the camino and jumped right back into his hectic world.

I have the gift of coming home to a quiet house, a shower in my own bathroom, and sleep in my own bed 🥰. Bliss

I remember 4 years ago coming home and driving the next day to Pittsburgh because my daughter was watching Pico for me and I was anxious to bring him home. Actually I was a little afraid that he would forget me after 6 weeks 😮.

The trees along the highway were a fall rainbow of colors: orange, brown, yellow, and in between variations. It was beautiful and after the quiet walking of the camino it was more than my senses could bear. It was like a buffet of all my favorite foods but I was cramming so much in my mouth that it made me feel sick. Too much all at once.

Two years ago and last Sunday it was different. I was prepared. I knew what to expect. I had the knowledge of the transition ahead of me.

And so I’ve decided to revel in that transition. I’m taking things slow. Luckily Pico was only a 5 minute drive away. I let myself sleep and eat when I need to and my body, while still adjusting, is almost back to this time zone.

It’s been a quiet time of processing all that happened on this camino and I’m still processing. While I miss my time in Spain I’m glad to be home. I’m re-entering my real life…? Regular life? Everyday life? I don’t know what to call it. I suppose it’s my life through a camino filter.

I’m the meantime I’ll be planning my next camino 😊

Buen Camino

TWO DAYS TO SANTIAGO

3 October 2023, Camino 3, Day 34

Melide to Arzua

It’s cool (60 degrees) and a bit humid this morning. It feels good walking but stopping for a drink it seems chilly.

It’s a short walk to Arzua which is good. My ankle has been acting up and I welcome a reduction in kilometers.

I walked for a bit with a young woman who reminds me a great deal of my own daughters. She’s newly graduated from college and beginning to send out resumes. And she’s a little torn about which direction her heart is calling her to.

With more than 40 years difference between us I find myself asking the same questions. Should I continue writing this blog? Should I try to change it into a book? A podcast? A children’s book? I thought I was dispensing elderly wisdom and I find all the same questions coming back at me. Sure I have my Medicare card and sure potential employers might be concerned about the longevity of my work life, but does any of that matter?

I may live another 40 years or I may get hit by a bus 🚌 tomorrow. The question is still what am I going to do next? And truthfully this is precisely the question I brought with me on the Camino. It’s the question I prayed into my rock that I laid at the base of Cruz de Fierro. What am I going to do next? Or better yet who am I going to be?

Buen Camino

FOUR DAYS TO SANTIAGO

1 October 2023, Camino 3, Day 32

Portomarin to Palais de Rei

Full disclosure: I am not walking to Palais de Rei today. Yesterday was a very tough day. The walk itself was not too bad but the heat was brutal. In addition walking into Portomarin is a very steep downhill followed by a very steep up hill.

Not only is one faced with these steps but the town is a constant incline throughout. I made it to within 30 feet of our hotel when I absolutely had to take off my pack and sit and…well…I fainted. I’m ok. Some cold water on my face and to drink revived me. And here is where I want to talk about the kindness of people on the camino. The owner of the hotel came out offering all kinds of assistance, including calling an ambulance. Later she called to ask how I was and her husband (a doctor) asked some questions to get the full picture of the situation and told us to call at anytime if things got bad. Later one of the other residents stopped by at the owner’s request to lay eyes on me and report back. I felt very cared for.

The pilgrims office requires two stamps per day for the last 100 km as additional proof of having walked them. Only after that proof will they issue a Pilgrim’s Compostela.

So I’m sure you’ve already noticed that I’m taking a taxi and therefore I am not walking today. I’m really not all that fussed about getting a third compostela. However I want to frame my pilgrim’s credential (passport) and I would like to have the final Pilgrims’ stamp from Santiago. So yes, I’m going to lie in front of God and everybody in the pilgrim’s office about today. I’m relying of the grace of God and not God’s judgment.

Buen Camino