Camino de Santiago (Portuguese Coastal Route) Day 15 – 16.5 miles (171.5 miles total)

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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.

37 thoughts on “Camino de Santiago (Portuguese Coastal Route) Day 15 – 16.5 miles (171.5 miles total)”

  2. Congratulations, She-Ra! It was great meeting you on the trail and walking with you for a while. We entered Santiago on the same day as you, but probably a little earlier because we started in A Escravitude that day. I think the Camino was a great choice for you this year. It seems to have helped with your healing. Hope that continues. We’ve read some of your other journal entries, and you are a great writer. You SHOULD write a book!
    (By the way, was it at R4 Hostel in Vigo when someone’s alarm went off interminably? If so, I know whose alarm it was!)
    Wishing you many great adventures in the future!
    Regards,
    “Doctor C” and Judy C

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  6. Congratulations! You are amazing.  It has been wonderful to follow your journey (with my morning coffee). Cheers! I hope to meet you some day. Anne Marie from Medford OR 😀Sent from my iPhone

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  8. Wow, I cannot even express how proud I am of you. The physical part, the mental part. I’ve loved following your journey. I’ve been on a daily chemo pill for three years and two more years to go and I am always tired. My three different cancers have worn me down. You are an inspiration to me to get out more and just do it. I have loved your blog and the photos! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

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  11. Congratulations and wishing you the best as you return home. It has been such a pleasure to be with you during your camino and your experiences have been a huge help for me as I ready for my departure from NZ to Porto on Saturday. If you would like to follow my walk I have a group – one way communication only from me to my friends – on WhatsApp. Send me an email at PCN0522@gmail.com and I will send you an invite.

    You are in my heart as you continue your jouney to be cancer free:)

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  13. Congratulations! What an amazing accomplishment. It was fun to relive the arrival through your narrative and experience. We too just arrived back in Bend. We hope that your flight and travels home are like like a leg of the Camino and that you prevail and keep your spirits high. Your example is a shining light to us all!

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  14. You did it! I’m still catching up on your journey but was excited to see your post about making it to Santiago.

    I’ve been inspired by you and have decided to fire up a little travel journal for NZ 🙂 https://www.highmountaincreative.com/travel-journal

    Can’t wait to catch up in a few weeks!

    Margo

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    Margo Stoney (she/her) Graphic Designer High Mountain Creative

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  16. I’ve just finished reading your blog on the Camino Portuguese with a smile on my face! It brought back many good memories of walking the Camino with my good friend Ignacio and also you Renee who we seemed to bump into day after day entirely by chance. It must have been fate.

    You were an inspiration to both of us bearing in mind the various health trials & tribulations you have had to endure over the past 12 months. May you walk many more trails in the future and also maybe one or two more Caminos.

    As you say in your blog it is the lovely people we meet and their unique stories that make these pilgrimages extra special and one reason why I intend to continue walking many more Caminos until my body cries enough!

    Best wishes to you and good luck in your new writing career. Judged from your blog you won’t need too much of it!

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    • So good to hear from you Adrian! I know I will walk more, and with the luck of this Camino I wouldn’t be surprised if our paths cross again out there 🤗 it was such a pleasure getting to know you!

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  18. Hello Renee, I am Ignacio. Wrote you by guassap just to tell you how happy I am for you as I understood that your health revisión results are ok!

    It was a pleasure meeting you and being able to share the Camino.

    Keep walking!

    Kisses from one of “the boys”

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