“Don’t push the river.” – my shrink (I’m sure someone else has said it publicly but he is the person who said it to me so he gets the quote)
I had the best night of sleep I’ve had on the entire Camino. I’m giving all the credit to Mother Nature and the waterfall outside my window. I think the white noise lulled me to sleep and kept me in a deep sleep all night long. For the first time in years, I woke up after 6 am…I made it all the way to 6:15 am! (Not counting jet lag or time zone changes) I am refreshed.
And now…
I’ve gone rogue. I’m no longer on the official Camino trail…even though most of my photos will look like I still am.
This Camino is taking me much longer than any guidebook or pilgrim would tell you it takes. I’ve spent my whole life “pushing the river” to be the best and fastest I can be. I know how to check the boxes and push myself hard. To go the distance and more. So why is it taking me so long to walk the Camino this time? No idea but I trust the delays and that I am exactly where I am meant to be…and right now, that is in a town called Ovar about 20 km West of the Camino.
Last night when I stayed at the Watermill, Nikolaus said there was an alternative route along the coast to Porto. No, it’s not part of the Camino but I’ve finished four Caminos now so I’ve earned my stripes and feel I can deviate from the path if I want. A pilgrimage is what you make of it anyway, right?
Apparently, the next couple of stages into Porto on the actual Camino trail are more road walking through industrial areas. Yuck. This route sounded much prettier.
Nik mentioned the women from South Africa (Shirley and Mariette who recommended the Watermill in the first place) took the alternate route. So I emailed them and asked them what their experience was like. They said they loved it, and it was beautiful along the coast. They even shared the hostel info where they stayed. Nik said I just needed to download an app called Maps.me and it would get me on the proper route. He assured me I wouldn’t and couldn’t get lost. The app is also accessible offline so I wouldn’t have to use my data or run down my cellphone battery. Perfecto!
He was right. The map was a breeze to follow. I did kind of miss looking for the yellow arrows though.
The walk was a short one…only 12.5 miles so I left the hostel this morning the latest I’ve ever left on a Camino. 8 am. I said goodbye to John from Norway who was still getting his stuff together and I headed out through a field to find the path.
I felt like a new person on a great big solo adventure!
The trail took me on tractor paths through fields and what felt like remote areas. I know, it’s 2023, nothing is really that remote but the trails were overgrown in some areas so it made me feel like a true adventurer! I was also glad I wore long pants today.
The trail wound its way through tiny little villages. I met farmers with goats and cattle, and shopkeepers, and mouthy guard dogs. Once I told them I was walking the Camino they were very excited to connect with me…not many pilgrims on this route. So, I got high-fives and handshakes. I felt like a celebrity.
At one of the cafes along the way, I forgot my hiking sticks when I left! One of the guys inside ran out and started yelling at me…in Portuguese. Luckily, I was only about 50m away and had only one earbud in my ear. I turned around and walked back to get them. The shopkeeper was holding them in her hands just inside the door. Everyone inside was smiling and seemed relieved that I came back. I said thank you in Portuguese and blew a kiss across the room to the gentleman who ran outside to get me. He pretended to faint and everyone laughed. I am very thankful for all of their support and kindness! The locals really do look out for us pilgrims! 🙏❤️
As I was approaching the next town, all I could smell was chocolate. I mean, I could smell it over the eucalyptus forest it was that strong. It made me start craving something sweet. Come to find out, the trail went through the middle of the Nestlé factory – in between the actual buildings. A couple of workers waved from the office windows.
On my first three Caminos I walked all the way from start to finish with wonderful people. Song (South Korea) and Carina (Germany) on the first one. Luca (Italy) on the second one. And Stephen (Australia) on the third one. Plus, adding more people to the mix along the way. Not one day was I alone. I may have walked a couple of hours by myself but overall, I was always with someone else.
I love people but surprisingly I’m an introverted extrovert. I can be the life of the party but I need several hours or even a couple of days to myself to recharge. I didn’t really get that option on the other Caminos. I LOVED those Caminos, don’t get me wrong, but this one, is just for me. I wanted to walk it alone and do it my way.
When you walk with other people, most of the decisions of where to stop for a coffee or sleep for the night are a group effort. I wanted this pilgrimage to be a little different. I don’t want to book ahead. I don’t want to make plans. I want to walk until I get tired and go into a place and ask if they have any room at the inn. Not necessarily at every town (the bigger cities, you do need to book in advance because of tourism in general) but I definitely wanted to try it a few times. I also wanted to know if I could do it alone. Rely completely on myself. And I found out I can!
I’m really enjoying this Camino even though I’m taking longer than most people and I’ve gotten off the official path. It’s become unique to me and I really like that.
I know after Porto, the Camino will change drastically. The amount of people who start in Porto compared to Lisbon is 10x the amount. I am looking forward to meeting new pilgrims and joining a group again but for now, I’m going with my own flow.
I’m in a very nice hostel tonight. I’m the only person in the female dorm. I did briefly meet a German pilgrim but he is in the men’s dorm upstairs. He was kind but seems to be a loner as well. I mean, we are off the official route so…
I was here by myself for most of the evening. I enjoyed the kitchen and the living room all to myself! I watched the first episode of the new season of Bridgerton ON A COUCH! It was a glorious evening.
Ovar is a really cute little town with everything you could need as a pilgrim. Supermarkets, pharmacies, cafes, restaurants, etc. I went to the laundromat down the street. ALL of my hiking gear, including my towel, sleeping bag and sleeping eye mask are washing machine clean! It really is the little things. Ah, such joy!
While the clothes were in the washer, I went to the supermarket to buy some shampoo and grab some stuff for dinner. I wasn’t even thinking when I picked up an apple for tomorrow without weighing it. I got to the register to pay and the cashier had to run back to weigh it and get the sticker. I completely forgot about doing that since we don’t do it in the States. There were three women behind me and when I realized what he was doing, I said out loud and unfiltered, “oh shit!” and put my head in my hand. I didn’t even realize I said it out loud until the women started laughing and waving their hands as if to say “no problem, it happens.” I was so thankful nobody got annoyed or rolled their eyes. It was an honest mistake but these ladies were cool about it.
Let’s all flow with the river, shall we.
Goodnight and much love from Portugal! 🇵🇹
Scenes from Day 19
€0.50 coffee, hello! No pilgrim price increase in this town.
