“You’re not as lost as you think you are.” – my dad.
When I first moved in New York City I would get lost…a lot. I would come up out of the subway and have no idea where I was and I kept getting turned around on Google Maps. Tall buildings, ya know. One day I felt so lost I called my father in the middle of a meltdown and said, “Dad, I’m lost and I don’t know what to do.” He said, “Oh Em, you’re not as lost as you think you are.” Then he went on to ask me a couple questions. 1. What state are you in? 2. What city are you in? 3. What borough are you in? After answering all those questions it turns out I wasn’t as lost as I thought, but I still had trouble finding where I was actually supposed to be.
It’s all relative.
That situation was kind of like the start of my day. I wanted to walk the boardwalk today but it turns out there isn’t much of a boardwalk on this particular stretch of the Camino…it’s mostly sand trails. (I have enough sand in my shoes now to start my own beach.) I was using my guidebook and Google Maps because the paths were not clear or marked. I knew the basics, that if I kept the ocean to the left and the sun on the right (what little bit there was), and I kept waking north I was at least headed in the right direction.
At one point, I ended up on a beautiful rocky beach with two fishermen, who were very kind and wanted to talk…probably to share fishing stories but my Portuguese is still limited…as in I know about six words. It was absolutely gorgeous though. It was cool and foggy. A little mysterious. I actually sat down on the rocks for a while and watched the waves roll in and ponder the deeper meaning of life. Kidding.
While I was sitting there, I started to look around at all the little details and noticed a spiderweb with tiny little droplets of water. Just because I’m a little lost doesn’t mean I can’t find some beauty along the journey.
After my relaxing time at the beach, I decided I’d go more inland and hop on the official coastal Camino path because I really didn’t want to walk on the sand all day and the arrows allow you to walk mindlessly to the next destination. My brain needs a break.
The walk was beautiful but extremely painful for my feet. A lot of hills and a lot of cobblestones. I swear I never need to see or walk on another one of these streets again. Owwwie!
The nature was gorgeous, and with the fog, the colors really popped. Plus, the dirt was an excellent cushion for my tired footsies.
I encountered a few cyclists trying to make it over the rocky hills. Not an easy task, folks.
After what felt like a very long walk, I could finally see the city I’d be sleeping in tonight. Viana do Castelo.
I (barely) made it to my accommodation for the night. The blisters were BURNING! 🔥 I’m at an old, and I mean old, est. 1621, monastery. It’s huge and holds 55 pilgrims throughout the building. This was my room and it was filled with some familiar and new faces. The place has mixed reviews online but it was just what I needed…a hot shower and a bed. It only cost €12.
My right foot is not doing so well, but the left one seems to be fine. No pain, no blisters on lefty. I don’t know if I’m putting more pressure on the right or if the shoe is just a little bit off…but whatever it is, it’s not working out so hot. The blisters continue to come back no matter what I do (unless I’m walking on the boardwalk – since why I started my day at the beach). I had to stop three times to pop them with a needle and disinfectant spray along the way. You haven’t lived until you pop a blister so big that the juices squirt back at you and lands on your arm. 🤢 Gross. I’ll spare you the photo I took of my foot.
So I’m trying to make the best decision for tomorrow. I’ve called a hostel that is not too far away (about 19 km/11 miles) and made a reservation. I’m considering taking the train if the foot is too painful to walk and needs more rest. I don’t want to skip any stages but I also want to keep moving forward. Oh the dilemmas of a pilgrim.
Everyone has been so kind. The woman at the hostel for tomorrow offered to come pick me up at the train station if I take that route. She even texted me the train schedule and said she would let me check in early so I could rest. 🙏
Patricia from Poland is in the bed next to me. We stayed in the same place one other night. We swapped pleasantries but didn’t really get to know each other until tonight. She wanted to help me since I couldn’t go out to eat, so she made me some oatmeal that she had in her bag and filled my water bottle for me so I wouldn’t have to walk to the kitchen. God bless her. Then she shared the most beautiful story about self-care, self-love, making hard decisions, and facing your fears, that I’ve ever heard.
The Camino has been calling to Patricia for a few years now. But you know, life is happening and you can’t always do what you want, when you want. She has a husband and two young sons (6.5 & 1.5) at home. She is the manager of the family. She thoughts like. How could a mother leave her family for two weeks? Isn’t that selfish? Maybe irresponsible? Is it fair to leave her husband to take care of everything and everyone? What would people think? But the whispers to walk the Camino started to yell. She was seeing signs everywhere…daily.
She has never traveled alone. Even if she has flown somewhere, someone has always been waiting at the airport to pick her up. So to avoid that issue, she decided to sign up with a guided group. It was a safe bet. It was all set, then the company emailed her to tell her the trip was canceled because not enough people signed up. So she tried to sign up with another group only to be told days later, that a large group signed up together on the same day and took all the available spots so she’d need to find another way. This is when she realized she was going to have to face her fears of traveling to a new place all alone. She said she was terrified and almost turned back but the internal pull was too strong. She said when she landed in Porto she had zero clue how to get into the city from the airport…but step by step she has figured it out.
She is loving her Camino so far…she’s on day three. She misses her family but apparently, she is at a point in her life where she needs to start caring for herself as much as she does for everyone else. ❤️ She said she already has a new look on life and gained confidence in herself and her abilities.
Brava, Patricia! Bom Caminho!
Goodnight and much love from Portugal! 🇵🇹
Scenes from Day 25
