The morning was ushered in with the sounds of bags zipping, flip flops flapping to the bathroom, and doors being closed a little too loudly. No matter, it’s my last hostel of the trail! I can stand anything at this point!

I walked out into a misty morning just beginning to lighten. Tomorrow is the first day of fall, but it could have easily been yesterday or today. The mornings suddenly have a new chill to them, but the birds weren’t ready to let go…I walked through the town’s plaza to a rucus of chirps in all the trees. At the far end was a big sign, “End of Summer Festival.” That explains the party yesterday!

There were pilgrims everywhere. I teared up at the sight, and flashes of my Dad popped up. He loved to walk, and we loved to walk together. I don’t know if he would have wanted to walk a Camino, but he came with me in my heart, and we are doing it. My body is doing it. I’m feeling so strong these days, in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. My legs know what to do.  Even before I came, I would get dizzy almost every time I stood up, but that’s gone now. Maybe it’s the larger amounts of food I’m eating or the daily miles. Whatever it is, I’m hoping my brain MRI that is scheduled the day after I get home reflects this strength. Are my tumors continuing to shrink?? 🤞🤞

I connected with a group of Canadians that I had been flip-flopping with for a few days and had a wonderful chat. One of them had lost her mother last year, and we talked a bit about grief.

We parted ways when another bag pipe player appeared. The Canadians stood in line to get their Camino passports stamped, but I had mistakenly left mine in my luggage this morning. I’ll have to grab it from the hotel when I get to town and get a few last stamps before I try to get my pilgrim credentials. The idea is that you get a few stamps each day of your walk to prove you came as far as you claim, plus each stamp is different, I even have a wax one from the hostel in Vigo.

I found a cafe just when I was getting hungry and thirsty and decided on a toast and ham and cheese sandwich with my cappuccino today.

Then more walking, and a bit of music. An hour later, I happened upon the boys and was overjoyed. I wanted to walk into Santiago with someone, and now I’d be walking in with Adrian and Ignacio, whom I had seen almost since the beginning. We looked up some stats, and it sounds like over 3,000 pilgrims arrive in Santiago EVERY DAY from all the different caminos. Wow! And those are just the reported trips from folks who get their official completion certificate. There are tons who bypass the extra step.

We were all in high spirits for the miles we had left to go, but all got quiet on the hills. And there were plenty of hills left.

The last few miles into the city were increasingly busy, and once in the old town we walked in circles…the throngs of people made determining the straightest way to the cathedral confusing.

And then we were there!!

It is such a stunning place.

After taking a bunch of photos, we looked for a place to sit down and toast to our success.

Next up was my quest to find my hotel, so I left the boys and agreed we would meet up for dinner later. My room was up three flights of stairs, but I had a view of the cathedral! It was amazing.

After a shower and a short rest i headed out again and we had such a fun night. More seafood, and Marina even joined us. It was a wonderful end to the trip.

Tomorrow I will take a bus back to Porto and catch my flight home the next day.

I did it! My body did it! One step at a time. Go forward and keep going.

I was tired when I closed my eyes but sleep didn’t come for many hours. At some point, it must have, for I had some pretty crazy nightmares. All traces were gone by morning, though, and when the first few folks started rustling around in the early dark hours, I decided I might as well be ahead of the rush instead of behind it. That meant I was all packed up and on the street in the dark. I didn’t have too far to walk today, so I wasn’t in a rush, but I ended up walking quickly to try and stay warm. It was a chilly morning!

I recognized a few hikers from a few days ago, Dr. C (trail name) and Judy were from the Boston area, and we had stayed at the same hostel a few days ago. We quickly fell into step with each other, and the morning passed quickly as we talked trail and gear. You can read about some of Dr. C’s adventures over at Trail Journals, including his thru-hike of the Colorado Trail last year.

I stopped just a short while later for a salad. I haven’t had many green things out here because I keep getting distracted by pastries and seafood, but it was good to eat a few legumes. I met a group from the Midwest when I was standing in line, and there was even a woman from Appleton, Wisconsin, not far from where I grew up!

There was a brief rain shower in the early afternoon, enough for us to get our rain gear out again, but it was almost over as soon as it began. The day was a conglomeratation of other days: vineyards, forest, gardens, and villages.

I got to the last hostel of my Camino (I’ll be in a hotel near the cathedral tomorrow night), found my bunk, and had a bit of a nap wirh the heating pad on my neck. Until today, my neck hasn’t really bothered me.

Kirk and I chatted before I headed out again, looking for food in the heart of Padron. Apparently, I had just missed a huge party. The city center was a mess of garbage, but a few folks were already working to clean it up. I couldn’t find a thing open, and I spotted Rob, the Texan I met yesterday, so sat down with him to talk. Soon his friend Damon came up and we went in search of food and drink. Turns out Damon’s birthday was yesterday, and he is 48, too! Go 1977!

We ended up at an Italian restaurant with visions of fresh pasta in our heads but instead found pizza. We were fine with pizza, so we ordered a few and had a grand night of pizza and good wine.

I was back in my bunk at a decent hour and went to sleep with visions of Santiago dancing through my head.

The ocean is behind us now, and the way makes a beeline for Santiago at this point. Only a few days left! I feel like I’ve been out here for ages, yet it has also just begun. The pilgrims have started asking each other if there will be another Camino in the future, and, yes. Yes, I would like to do another or two.

On the home front things keep getting worse and for all of my focusing on the moment at hand it’s hard not to despair, so when I read things like this it makes me breath a little easier.

I stepped from the hotel into the rain and joined the stream of colored ponchos and raincoats of the other pilgrims. There are so many more of us now. Several paths have converged and many pilgrims hopped on in Vigo or joined for the last 100 kilometers.

I immediately see Adrian and Ignacio again. We see each other daily without planning it. We start walking next to a man traveling with a wooden walking stick and I mistake his accent for American, but he is Candian and living in Amsterdam. I introduce myself as Renee, he says his dad’s name is Rene, I somehow learn his mom’s name is Patty, and here I am, Renee Patrick meeting a guy with parents Rene and Patty. 😄

We talk about hiking and the PCT and the book Wild. I tell him about trail magic and trail angels and he says when he makes his first million he will hike the PCT and give all his money away. I said his trail name would have to be Trail Daddy if that happens, and he loves it. A thru-hiker is born!

At some point Stevie Nicks comes up, so I have to put on some Fleetwood Mac and the song Dreams is just about the most perfect thing there is to listen to on this rainy misty morning.

The rain is washing us clean of hate and fear. We get stronger together the closer we get to Santiago.

The meeting of cultures and people and ideas is beautiful. We are better for it. We need to travel more to see we have more in common then apart. It’s easy to forget that when we get caught doomscrolling and distracted by the 24hr news cycle. That isn’t real life. That is disaster magnified.

Trail Daddy and I talked about fractals, and, well, Richard and I talked about them yesterday too. I’m slightly obsessed. Have you read Emergent Stratagy? That explains the way we can take our personal experiences and influences turn that into systemic change (taking cues from fractals). This Camino: if all of us, or just some of us take this peace and tolerance and acceptance back with us, share it with our friends and family, it can spread and grow and unite us. It helps if we get off our phones and start looking people in the face (and yes, I realize the irony of that as I sit writing this on my phone)… maybe we can shift the balance.

We walked through vineyard after vineyard today and I got a whiff of wood smoke and immediately got excited for fall. It should be getting cooler soon at home: sweater and soup weather, and I’m here for it. This song fit in well here.


And this day should have a soundtrack because this one was perfect too.

I haven’t told a lot of people out here that I have cancer. Some take the news ok, some ask me more questions and share their own stories from their life, and others walk away as fast as they can. I met the group of Americans from California again as they waved me down when I got to the endpoint for the way today, so joined them for a glass of wine (I mean with all the vineyards it would be rude not to!) in a charming little cafe on the river. The talk eventually turned to our reasons for being out here, and I shared my story. They were all so lovely and caring about it. I needed that ❤️. We exchanged contact info, and I have a feeling I might see some of them again.

It was a lazy afternoon, and after I got checked in returned to the cafe for an early dinner (before they closed down before their dinner time) and ate with Trail Daddy and Alex (I met a few days ago) and a few other pilgrims from Texas. After, I took a stroll down their riverfront in the luscious warm evening air.

I was in bed by a decent time, thinking that today was one of my favorite days.

I was so embarrassed when my alarm went off at 4:30 this morning. Im not sure how it got turned on, and I quickly turned it off. I didn’t feel so bad a few hours later when another alarm went off and kept going off. I dont know if the person was already up or what, but it woke the whole room.

I wasn’t in a rush to get out this morning, so I waited for the bulk of the folks to clear out before I got up and moving. I was making myself some toast and coffee when Richard walked in; we didn’t know the other was staying there, but sat down with coffee and had a good chat.

When it was time to walk, we headed out together and had a lovely day of conversation about almost everything under the sun. He, like many of us out here, was at a transition point in life and was walking to find more clarity…because we had such a similar background in leading ecological volunteer programs, snd such, it was a good day for digging deep and sometimes finding ourselves on the other side of points we had been making just hours earlier. 😄

There was a coffee break mid-morning where I bought a yellow bell pepper and some kind of hand pie not being quite sure what was in the middle. Not many folks in Spain also speak English, so ordering food is always a bit of a mystery. I was a bit desperate for vegetables and ate the pepper like an apple as we walked.

Many more pop up vendors appeared along the way, a signal that we were getting closer to Santiago, including a woman playing the traditional Galician bagpipes! Several pleasant grottos appeared in the woods where food trucks parked with plastic chairs placed about for weary travelers. We had a good day of walking, and when we took a lunch break on a few rocks in the woods I discovered my hand pie was full of fruit. Ok, Ill take it!

I met some folks from Tennessee near a small church, and soon after, the path diverged, and we took the one more wooded. The trail wound in and around a stream and was a nice change from the linear path we had been walking. There were no straight lines here, and walking next to a wandering stream was a nice change of pace.

Then suddenly, the next large town of Pontevedra appeared, and we had a quick sit-down before our lodging opened for the night. I headed towards another hotel stay and found a very tiny room, but it was nice to have my own space and took a shower before having a snack of a nap.

Most places dont open for dinner until late, but there are always a few that will serve hungry pilgrims like me at any hour, so I went i search of a nice dinner.

So nothing was open. Nothing! I had a glass of wine and bowl of olives and waited. I met Janet, another pilgrim from Poland while I waited,and watched so many people out and about in the main plaza. Babies, kids, the elderly, there was a strong sense of community here. It was beautiful.

When the church bells rang for 7 pm, I just couldn’t wait any more. I needed food, so I headed down a narrow ally to see a restaurant setting up their tables and chairs so asked if I could sit down. Success! And wouldn’t you know it, but a few minutes later Marnia, Adrian, and Ignatio rolled up looking for food and ended up joining me. This happened at lunch yesterday too. There are so many restaurant options and somehow we keep end up at the same ones 😄.

We had a fabulous dinner with too much wine. When in Spain!

Vigo was a maze of streets, but I followed some other pilgrims out of the city and was back on a marked path before long. I hadn’t done my due diligence, though, and when I went looking for my mid-morning coffee break, I learned from some others that there wasn’t anything to be found on the route for many miles. Doh!

The minute the way turned from the waterfront, we started climbing. It’s incredible how steep some of the roads are, but the views were worth it. I asked if the area ever got snow or ice because there was no way these hills could be navigated in slick conditions.

I found myself in a pack of pilgrims and realized when I started talking to Alex, a flight attendant from Dallas, that I was in a group rushing to the next town for a first come first serve Alberge. I didn’t need to be traveling so fast to get there early in the afternoon, but the damage was already done, I was over half way before I decided to sit down on a rock for a morning break. I will really have to stroll the rest of the day.

Finally I came upon a cafe, but as it was the only one along the route the lines were loooong.  I had the time, so sat it out. Today’s delight? Walnut cake.

The path stayed high in the trees and on an old road grade, so was quite pleasant. When we started going down, though, it was knee-screaming steep. The path took us though the town of Redondela, where I went in search of lunch and decided on a carbonara pasta; the dish was large enough that I was able to take half for dinner later on.

I was a short distance from my night’s hostel and ran into Marina on my way over. She would be staying there too. Thr best place about tonight’s stay was the extensive garden and I found a spot in the shade to close my eyes for a minute and read some of the Harper’s Magazine I had been toating with me. How relaxing!

My top bunk was in a room of about 30 people, and there was snoring galore, but I stuffed my earplugs deep and slept OK.

Things get a little frantic when that many people try to get ready in the morning, so I schlepped everything outside to pack in the courtyard and was walking by 8am, just after first light.

The guidebook said the next section of the Camino was confusing and had multiple options. Part of the confusion came in because shop owners and cafes started putting their own yellow arrows out, even when they are not on the route, and the path has changed a bunch, so pilgrims will find many misleading cues for the path. I decided to stick to the sea, so set off and immediately met a few women from Idaho, and then a couple more from California.

The walk was very scenic, and there were fantastic views into the mountains around and some islands just off land. I stopped for my morning treat and saw that many other pilgrims chose the waterfront walk, too. Today was slated to be the longest of the trip at almost 18 miles, so I wanted to go slow and steady and was trying to keep the back happy. But as it turns out, I didn’t walk them all. I knew from the beginning that if my body or brain wasn’t having it that I would hop in a taxi and jump ahead. I was just getting ready to leave my morning coffee stop when Ignatio showed up.  It had been a few days since I had seen the boys (and by boys, I mean retired guys in their late 60s), so I joined them at their table and started walking with them again.

We cruised along the coast, sometimes forced up and inland in steep climbs when there was a private house or rocky shore, and we stopped a cafe a while later snd dipped in for a break. The sun was hot today and would only get hotter. I met some folks from Sacramento who were very familiar with Bend and had a nice chat. The talk inevitably turned to food, and Ignatio insisted that Adrian and I must try barnacles. I said ok, I was here to have a grand adventure, even if it was culinary… We thought about restaurant schedules and the miles we had left to walk but the math didn’t compute for getting to town before the restaurants closed for their 4-8pm break, so someone suggested hopping in a bus or cab to Vigo (to their well-known seafood restaurants) and then bussing back after lunch. I said, “Let’s go!” but elaborated that i didn’t need to bus back….I’m not getting precious about continuous footsteps out here. So before we knew it we were at a bus stop and for 1.63 euro we were on the way.

The bus kept to the waterfront for the most part, so we did experience what the pilgrims we passed did, but without the sweat and fatigue. I had needed to mix things up, and even though I walked about 10 miles, I could now consider this my rest day 😅.

I am so glad Ignatio is from Spain, because he polled the people on the bus about where we should get off and eat our seafood. We arrived in the middle of Vigo and just walked a few steps to our restaurant where we had an amazing meal of muscles, razor clams, squid, and more. We splurged, and it was everything I could have wanted from a fun “rest” day on the Camino 💃💃. We even had dessert!!

After lunch, we were excited to find that we were close to our hostels for the night, so I said my goodbyes and checked in.

After a shower and a lie down, I was ready to explore a bit and happened on the happening place! The shopping area was teaming with people and I sat and people watched for a while….comforted by such a big city and people who were completely unaware of the stress and angst of what it means to be an American these days. Well, I’m sure they are aware. Thanks to globalization and the 24hr news cycle 😒. We’re kind of all in this together.

After watching an amazing sunset I fired up the tablet to watch a movie, and was half way into it before I realized it was yet ANOTHER movie about someone dying from cancer, and after crying a bit I wondered, what about the stories of people who live with cancer? What about people like me and Pam and others who are doing better? Where are the radical remission examples? What has been so powerful about having Pam in my life and listening to the Radical Remission podcast is knowing that not all of us die right away. There can be life after diagnosis. There can be a long life after diagnosis. We need these stories of people who succeed. Is that my story to tell? I guess I’m already telling it here!

The time change is odd. Spain is only an hour ahead of Portugal, but it’s dark when the clock tells me it’s time to walk; I waited for the light before setting out this morning.

There was a mixture of surfaces – dirt, yellow brick road, gravel, and a bit of tile in the town of Oia. I would definitely come back to Oia, it had such a charming feel, but I kept walking, not quite ready to stop for a break yet.

There were horses and cows, farmed plots, and terraced gardens along the way this morning. Finally, at the two hour mark, I was feeling a strong urge to sit down and saw a sign for a restaurant. I stumbled in and ordered a cappuccino and croissant. I’m tired today. The legs are tired; the back is tired. I’ve been walking a week now, and I don’t have a rest day scheduled, but it should only take me another week to finish, so I’ll keep going.

Then more walking. I listened a few episodes of the Sarah Silverman Podcast to help me get through the hot afternoon, especially as the path climbed up and up through a burn area! I had heard that Portugal had fires this year, and I walked through the aftermath of one. The ground still had that acidic torched smell.

Then, on the other side of the climb, we went down and up and down through back roads. I could see that many pilgrims stayed on the bike path, but joke is on them because the way will be longer to walk around the peninsula that I just avoided by climbing up to a saddle, but then again, I had to climb and they didn’t.

I was knackered when I got into Biaonia and found the first bar I could where I could sit down and have a cold drink. The bartender gave me a few oysters on the house with my order, how lovely!

I made my way through town to my hostel, checked in, and changed for a stroll along the oceanfront. There was an old castle and lots of touristy things about. I had dinner at one of the few open places (in Spain, many restaurants close between 4pm and 8pm. People don’t eat dinner until 8 or after!!! That is bedtime for me…) I sat next to a girl from Belgium and her Argentinian boyfriend who work in Norway as guides and were down here on holiday.

Then back to the hostel. It’s still light out, but I’m ready for bed 😶

I was up early, but since we had the apartment to ourselves, I made myself some coffee and did some writing. I thought I was going to be doing most of my writing on my tablet, but it has been far easier to take out my phone and write little bits throughout the day, so the tablet has stayed in my luggage for the most part.

I left the apartment (shout out to Xicotina for the excellent accommodations!) and walked the final few miles to the water taxi and the end of the Portugal section. For six euros, a boat takes pilgrims across the Minho River to an entirely different language and culture. Let’s go!

On the other side, as I was debating if I should stick to the yellow line or walk along the water and a few other pilgrims were discussing the same thing, so I teamed up with Marina, a German girl who lives in Vienna, and Alfanso, from Rome. The three of us traced the contours of the Spanish coast while Marina played translator because Alfonso didn’t speak much English and I didn’t know Italian.

We arrived at the first Spanish town, bypassing the first cafe we came to, assuming there would be many others, but everything was closed! We had walked far enough that we didn’t want to backtrack, and even after talking to locals, we thought we were out of luck. Finally, we climbed up into the town to find a small market open that would make us coffees.

The look of the town was different right away. The buildings were tall and slim, a notable change from the look and feel of the Portuguese buildings I had seen. Both were beautiful in their own ways.

The three of us split up a short while later as I wanted to sit and relax a bit, and the other two had farther to go than I did.

The path got rocky, and the coast was much more rugged than what we had just experienced to the south. I enjoy how much variety there is in the types of walking we get out here; it was a beautiful day, especially when the sun finally made an appearance.

Soon, though, the way popped out on a busy highway, and the pilgrims were relegated to a strip of yellow pavement that was very taxing on the feet. The Yellow Brick Road song from the Wizard of Oz got stuck in my head. When I got to the next town, I realized I was already where I needed to be for the night.

The one cafe in town was closed, but I made my way over to the patio to find a place to relax for a few hours before I could check in, only to find it was open! In fact, one of my fellow housemates from last night was there, so I had a seat and we caught up. Richard is from England and we had a wonderful conversation last night about conservation, volunteering, and grants…it sounds like we have a very similar background and interests…in fact he works in Eco Therapy…probably very similar to Wilderness Therapy. I didn’t get a chance to ask him more about it, but I’m sure our paths will cross again, and maybe we can talk more.

I got a sandwich to go because I didn’t think there would be any food options where I was staying, and lingered until I could check into the apartment I had rented for the night. I have another luxurious night to myself.

This place had the best view of the trip by far!!! 10 stars!

It was party time outside my hotel window last night. The waiter at dinner told me it was a festival to bring more tourism in before the slow season, and folks were tying one on! I put my earplugs in and got some good sleep despite the band practically playing right outside the door.

The hotel didn’t serve breakfast until late, this being a weekend and all, so I walked a few steps towards a main street and found an open cafe and plenty of other pilgrims fueling up for the day. I exchanged hellos with a group from Croatia and devoured yet another new pastry.

I had a choice between the coastal route, which stayed inland, or the cultural route that went to the coast. Ironic, no? I would have my first 15-mile day if I kept to the yellow line, so decided to stay true to the coastal line (which meant not walking along the coast) confused yet? The big question was how my body would do with 15 miles. There was only one way to find out.

All morning, I played spy the yellow arrow; some were much more obvious than others. Can you see it here?

Or here?

For days, the arrows have reminded me of the scene in Labrynth where Jennifer Connely drew arrows on the cobblestones with lip stick, and some naughty goblins would immediately turn them around the other way. Could I trust these arrows?

My lower back has started to protest, so I walk carefully and slowly to keep it happy. I’m glad I brought some biofreeze and have started to take some pain meds when it really starts to make life uncomfortable.

It was very misty and humid all morning, and I walked alone with my thoughts in and around the neighborhoods. Then, the way transitioned into eucalyptus lined paths, and the air smelled devine. I’ll be in Spain tomorrow already! The days are moving right along, and I’m doing my best to stay present.

When I turned a corner around lunchtime and found the most charming garden cafe, I just had to stop. It was by far the most pleasant oasis I’ve seen on the trip. I ordered a green tea and salad and was pleasantly surprised to get a tomato and quinoa salad. Tables were in short supply, so I offered to share mine with a couple from Norway.

After that, I continued walking on my own. It was a day of walking without thinking… a walking meditation. Sure, the time outside here allows for a deep dive into all your problems, but being present to the cobblestones under your feet, the yellow arrows marking the way, the breeze cooling your skin, has a way of making those problems seem less pressing. You can think about them another day… or maybe not at all! It was a wonderful afternoon.

When I got to the town of Lagarteria, people were amassing, and I spotted Bill and Michelle at a café, so I worked my way over to them for a beer and a visit. Michelle voiced just what I had been thinking about. This was her first long walk, and she thought she’d get her life sorted out here with all the hours in the day to mull over her issues, but she hadn’t. It was enough to just walk. I expect the subconscious does work on your problems while your awareness is distracted by the mouth feel of another pastry, or when you stop to smell the heather that lines the path, but even if it doesn’t, what a blessed break from having to think all the time. You can be. You can simply be.

Back to the town…it seemed that a festival of sorts was under way, and later after we parted ways it appeared we were walking down a path of people lined up for a parade, and the parade wasn’t us, so we quickly hopped off the street. I lingered, and soon I saw a marching band come by. It was pretty cool!

I continued on to find a full blown carnival happening. Maybe this was the same celebration from last night’s city? It probably had something to do with a church holiday. Someone handed me a pamphlet, but my paltry Portuguese didn’t clear up the mystery.

I walked a few more miles back on the ocean and spied Adrian and Ignacio on a break. We were all tired from our day, so we only chatted for a few minutes before I left them and walked a little farther to the hostel.

Turns out i had booked a room in a private house again, but it was a separate apartment with two other pilgrims and myself. We each had our own room. What a nice surprise! And there was a washing machine, so i took advantage of it for the first time on the trip. Fresh clothes for me tomorrow!

While resting my sore back on the heating pad, I read a devastating article about the uptick in lung cancer in young women who had never smoked, and it took my breath away. It’s easy to forget my Stage 4 status when I’m doing things like this – even when there are constant reminders like the ache in my back and my neck scar. I still can’t believe it is happening to me, even after all I have been through this year.


I ate dinner on the beach in a little cafe and indulged in pasta and shrimp…this whole trip feels like quite the indulgence and my body and mind are waking to it. I mentioned to a few friends before I started this journey that it feels like my body is turning on again. That I didn’t know aspects were gone until they came back…definitely the joy found in food fits in here. I was nauseous or had no appetite for most of this year, but now I do have a bit of a sweet tooth again and really savor food. Ok, sure, part of that may be driven by the hunger of walking every day for a week now, but it had started before the trip. Then there is my skin. It is softer than I remember it being in a long time. I’m taking hormones now, and I think it’s bringing moisture, fullness, and life into what had become dry and brittle skin without me realizing it. Im turning on! I’m coming back to life! What a fabulous feeling it is…to be alive.

I had so many vivid dreams last night, and in the morning felt very rested. The Marinhas B & B put out a wonderful breakfast, and I had my first Pasteis de Nata heated up….the warm custard and flaky crust took this treat to another level! Mmmmmm.

Today’s route stayed up in the hills away from the ocean, and I loved walking through neighborhoods again. Roosters crowed, and it was a delight to see how different houses bedazzled their homes with vivid paint colors, exotic tiles, and curious sculptures. There was so much to see.

Then there was trail! Real trail in a forest! I had to put on some David Bowie and do a bit of frolicking through the forest to Let’s Dance.

Then the route climbed and climbed up to a beautiful church where I got a stamp for my pilgrim passport and had a coffee with a couple of women from Holland. The day was stunning and views of the hills made the climbing all worth it…plus it felt good to use some other muscles to walk, sometimes the flat is too flat. I chose to wear my chacos today, but brought my shoes just in case my feet needed a break later on.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, Adrian and Ignacio walked up. So I chatted with them while they took a break, and we walked together the rest of the afternoon. There was more trail and lovely forest, then many miles of cobblestone streets which took quite a toll on all of our feet.

We had a quick beer break in a slim sliver of shade and then started off again. I learned Ignacio had strong convictions about staying in the municipal auberges, and would not reserve ahead of time, thus the rush to get to there by 2 or 3 in the afternoon for a good chance at getting a bed. It reminded me of the early days on the AT, where folks would rush from shelter to shelter to get a spot, especially if it was raining! Again, that is not my style, but I decided to stick with them for the day.

We started down a steep grade to our next town of Viana do Castelo, and the town just didn’t get any closer. All of our feet were screaming at us, and we finally took a short break on a picnic table where I put my shoes on, a bit too late, for they were very sore.

And then the bridge, and then town. We split up. They went in search of their night’s stay and I found a seat at a café and called Kirk. The eight hour time difference meant he was just getting the day started as mine was winding down. Turns out he won an electric scooter at a work event yesterday, so that will be fun to try out when I get home!

Then I took to the streets to find some seafood for dinner. I was already treating myself to a hotel room and a shower, I might as well go big!

And I found a lovely place that was open for early eaters like me, and they were even playing Gen X music like Tears for Fears. Yes please!!

Finally I meandered over to my hotel (I’m splurging tonight!) and checked in. I couldn’t get any of the electricity to work, but took a shower and short nap before calling the front desk. Apparently you put your room key card in a slot by the door to turn things on. Huh! I’ve never seen that before!

I capped off the night with some apple crumble, and later in the hotel, some Netflix and chill. Luxury!