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Published: October 12th 2023
CHESTNUTS ROASTING...
This scene felt quite comfortable, so I purchased a small bag. It must be an acquired taste, but the bag was quite warm and the weather was cooling off.PORTO RENDEZVOUS
After leaving my hostel, I made several false starts to figure out how to exit Santarem. I even asked a policeman; he was unfamiliar with walking in the city. He gave me driving directions, which were of no help to me. I decided to have another breakfast and ponder the problem. An up-scale coffee shop called my name; I ordered and took my first bite. I realized in a panic that I had left my hiking sticks again! Leaving all my possessions behind, I raced back to the grocery store, where I had bought water and nuts for the day. There were the walking sticks leaning against the wall. What a relief! That’s the third time I forgot them in twenty-four hours! Returning to the café, I finished my sweet roll and tea and walked down the hill to the train station. I bought a ticket to Porto, and although the route was clearly lit on a reader board above the door, I checked with fellow travelers and asked for a high sign when I should disembark.
From the train station, I took a cab to the Stay! Hotel near the airport in Porto. The cab driver
FRIENDLY LITTLE CAFE
A little rest with tea and a charming small chocolate cake was very kind, and the ride was expensive, but he gave me half the fresh bread rolls he had bought for his all-night job. The desk clerk at the hotel was a fount of information about the metro, restaurants nearby, laundry, and things to see. Her favorite restaurant was a block and a half away and was closing soon. I took my things to my room but couldn’t figure out how to turn on the lights, so I used my phone flashlight to use the WC and change my shoes. I power walked to the café and had dinner. When I returned, the same clerk walked me to my room. She entered ahead of me, switching on the lights by inserting the key card into the slot on the wall. Really?
I was surprised by the bathroom. I had seen it only by flashlight earlier. The toilet and shower were separated by clear plate glass walls. The glass was etched with raindrops, but still, there was not much privacy for a mom and adult daughter. I expressed my surprise and the desk clerk said grimly, “Some guests like it, and some do not.” I was slightly amused.
MANY BIG BUILDINGS
There is a lot of history in European cities. I slept in, having read my novel till 2 a.m. I breakfasted on tea, bread, and nuts. Lauren won’t arrive until the wee hours, so I took the metro to the city center and found the church where we would get our “passports” for El Camino. Our lodging, restaurants, churches, and museums will stamp these passports, to prove we actually walked the 250 miles to Santiago, Spain. After reviewing the pages of these passports, we will receive certificates of completion to show our friends and relatives. At the metro stop near my hotel, two nice young travelers explained how to get to the City Central Station.
The square in front of the metro station was busy with people returning from work. It was a bit nippy, so I bought a bag of steaming chestnuts from a cart. These were my first chestnuts, and I didn’t like them, but the bag warmed my hands. I walked around taking photos, hoping I could remember my way back to the station. I finally found a restaurant still open and got some food, a pulled pork sandwich and soup. Then I took the metro back to the airport to pick
PORTO CATHEDRAL
Our destination for the start of the walk to Santiago tomorrow up Lauren.
I was early so I chatted with another couple, Betty and John, who were also waiting for a daughter on the same flight from Frankfurt. When passengers started filing in, I walked toward the gate, then realized I didn’t have my glasses. I turned back to retrieve them and almost collided with Betty, who handed them to me. Lauren arrived first. Then Betty’s family was hugging.
Lauren and I got metro tickets to go to our hotel and stopped at the nearby restaurant first. Lauren was tired and hungry from the flight and ordered an omelet, the best fries, and two beers. This was a taste test to determine which kind of beer she would order next time. We walked back to the hotel, played a hand of rummy, and tried to sleep.
Our first chore the next day was repacking our backpacks, eliminating as much unnecessary weight as we could. We left two bags in the hotel luggage room and then walked to the metro and the city center. We found the Porto Cathedral and got our first Camino stamp in our passports. From the Cathedral it was a challenge to find the start
PORTO CITY CENTER
So many beautiful sites. of the trail. There were so many stairs and several false starts. Finally, we were on the boardwalk next to the sea.
sWe eventually traveled inland. Along the major highways, there were wide yellow paths for pilgrims. As we entered big cities, we had to cross bridges which was a little scary. We meandered through forest and residential areas. One local community posted a sign asking us to please not litter, a sad reminder that some pilgrims are not as considerate as others on the trail.
Once again on the seashore, we realized we must at least touch the Atlantic, so we laid down our packs and walked to the sea. We glanced in the tide pools and perched on rocks, trying to reach into the incoming tide. It was a challenging balancing act to avoid unexpected large waves. Successful, our fingers dripping, we returned to our packs and ate our lunch in the sun and salty air.
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