Porto

As you know, I left Santiago last Wednesday and took the bus to Porto, taking about 4 hrs and costing about €30. As I got on the bus, I started chatting with another pilgrim and when we left the bus we searched together for a hostel. We wound up in a wonderful place called the Rivoli Cinema Hostel for €13 per night and that included breakfast. It's clean, well-located, and cinema themed. The Aussie pilgrim, named Kerryn, and I had matching energy, enthusiasm, and interests. Our first day here we walked along the river to the ocean and back for a day of walking in the sun. The 24km wander felt great after camino withdrawal and having someone to "debrief" with was a huge asset. Kerryn had to leave on Saturday but spending a few days with her was a great transition. Porto is thought by many people to rival Prague as the most beautiful city in Europe. Why had I never heard of it? Porto, sometimes called Oporto, is in northern Portugal on the Douro River where it flows into the Atlantic. Its population is 270,000 and one of its districts is a World Heritage zone. It is famous for the port wines it invented, makes and exports. The Douro valley is terraced with vineyards. I've had a great time wandering, taking photos, and on rainy Saturday, I went shopping for inexpensive and light (backpack, remember?) fashion accessories and then went to the theatre which is right across the street. It couldn't have worked out better because the show was a musical review of shows produced by a famous Portugese producer. Heaps of sequins, Las Vegas ostrich fans, lusty singing and jazz dancing and familiar musicals in Portugese!!! Jesus Cristo Supair Staar and a string of portugese!! Man, I loved it! "How do you solve a problem like maria" in another language. Great stuff. So tomorrow I'll take a train to Lisbon. The temperature here has been 18 - 22 but some rainy days. I love the people of Porto; humans don't get any nicer. But I'm on the hunt for the sun.....

port barrels

bottle of port from 1900 selling for €1600

Majestic Cafe where Harry Potter was written???

university students busking and they were great! 

British influence at a beach

surfing

Goodbye pilgrim, hello tourist

It took me several days to process the termination of the camino. It left me feeling purposeless, empty, confused. Now decisions beyond how long to walk in a day had to be made. As my very dear new friends dispersed for home or Finesterre (3 more days of walking to the very edge of Spain), it became very clear that the new pilgrims who arrived each day were pilgrims and I was past my "best before" date. So it was time to move on. And I took the bus to Porto, Portugal.

the pilgrim departs

Happy halloween

After...

I am emotionally exhausted. There is quite an adjustment to be made after finishing the camino. I've been very busy reconnecting with people I saw weeks ago and saying goodbye to my Superfour family who have been dispersing since we walked into Santiago together a few days ago. Now I am ready to move on and will be departing for Porto, Portugal in the morning. I will continue to blog so you are invited to travel with me for the next month.

giant incense burner

shadow of pillar makes "secret pilgrim"

and I'm here!

the day before Santiago

Thoughts on a rainy day

It rained all day today. The condensation inside my rain jacket and pants made my body as wet as my squeltchy feet. Now I am warm and clean, sitting in a cafe drinking frothy coffee and waiting for our two slow-walking male friends to catch up and go to supper. All along the camino I've met wonderful people and some seem more special than others. Our paths cross at random intervals and each remeeting is

a big surprise. When many days pass without seeing someone you think they've moved ahead or you've left them behind and your paths won't cross anymore. My little friend group lately has consisted of Susanna (New Zealand), Alice (Holland), Pau (Spain), and Anjel (Australia). Toady, a friend from day 1 appeared! Upon long reflection through the meditation of left-right, left-right... I think the magic of the camino is in the relationships between the pilgrims. Nowhere else do people set out on a common cooperative goal like this one. Rabbi Kushner says "God is seen not in people but between people" and this place provides a great opportunity to witness and experience this holy feeling. Oh, if only I could bottle this! Tonight I am in

Castaneda, about 50 km away from Santiago!

the Beat of the Feet

The plodding of thousands of feet for one thousand years propels me forward. The black funk has left me. A circle of camino friends is firming up. We might reach Santiago together on Saturday evening and go to pilgrim mass on Sunday. Excitement of reaching the end and sadness that it will be over and confusion about what to do after completion all mix to make a special feeling. I am in Portomarin tonight and have less than 100 km to walk. Because a compostela can be earned by walking the last 100km only and because it is school holidays in several neighbouring countries, many new pilgrims started around here today. So we blend the old with the new. The weather is stormy but the serious rain has dwindled during the day. I still walk in tshirt at times. The leaves are turning yellow. We walk through farmyards and over emerald green hills. The evenings are crowded with socializing; we know time is limited. Thanks for comments and support. It really helps!♡