Downshift Musings

Nerds on the march

We’re on our way! With a 6:30 a.m. start we easily reached our destination of the São Tiago pilgrim hostel in Labruge (a distance of 24 km). We took the obligatory starting photos outside the Lost Inn hostel in Porto, complete with the “new shoe” photo at the first way marker. Porto was at its most beautiful with all of the tourists still in bed as we followed the Douro river west to its mouth.

We’re walking an alternative route out of Porto for the first 2 days, out to the coast and along the “senda litoral” beach boardwalks. So far it’s been very pleasant. The beaches are predominantly deserted except for one surfing beach near the port in Matosinhos. Rich is enjoying the sound of the crashing surf and I am enjoying the breeze. It’s been mixed weather today. Mostly cloudy with occasional sprinkles.

As to the actual pilgrimage…Already this route is so much better than last year. There are many, many pilgrims from all over and there is much more community and infrastructure to support the pilgrims. Tonight we are in a public hostel with folks from all over, enjoying (?) the communal showers and praying that our hand washed laundry will dry. I brought little Texas trinkets to give away and already gave 3 to some children from Germany (13 years and under) walking with their parents. They walked 20km themselves today! This is the fun part of sharing the journey with others.

Of course I forgot a few things about these public hostels too. I went to shower and there was very little place to put everything in the shower stall and after I had gotten completely wet and clean I realized I hadn’t brought my travel towel to the shower room. I had to use a shirt as a towel and then I realized I had used my only clean shirt as my towel. Oh well, I ended up dressed but very damp.

Adding in a few photos from yesterday after we landed. We climbed the Clérigos tower which is NOT for the claustrophobic at all!