My first was 900kms on the Camino Frances
from St Jean Pied de Port in France, over the Pyrenees and across desert and
vineyards to Finisterre, to the end of the earth where Spain meets the Atlantic
Ocean. My second Camino was in September 2021. I walked 735kms of the Camino
Norte along the northern coast of Spain to Ribadeo, over mountains, along rugged
shores and getting lost in cornfields after first walking along the coast of
France and its beautiful beaches from Bordeaux. It was my first trip during
pandemic times and aside from wearing a mask as needed, I felt free and
unrestricted. It was more physically challenging than the first one and I’m not
sure my body has fully recovered from that one yet. It feels like just yesterday
I was saying goodbye to my Amigos in Barcelona and heading home. There were so
many differences between the first and second Camino, most notably the lack of
resources and isolation on the Northern route. The first one I walked with
family and the second I walked alone. On the first Camino, I found love. On the
second Camino, I found friendship. I can not help but wonder what I will find
this time around. I am not seeking anything other than the peace I always seem
to find when walking. I am the best version of me on Camino, physically,
mentally and spiritually.
I am leaving on April 1st and flying in to Lisbon
where I will spend a couple of days exploring the city. From there I will walk
my own way along the coast to Cascais and on to Sintra. Walking north, along the
shoreline all the way to Nazare, stopping first in the walled town of Obidos.
From Nazare I will leave the coast for a few days and walk inland to Fatima,
famed for the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 and on to Tomar, famed for
the Knights of the Templar. After 2 weeks of walking and a planned rest day in
Tomar, I will head north again to Coimbra and Porto for Easter. From Porto I
will follow the coast north into Spain for another 2 weeks and collect my
compostela in Santiago to commemorate my pilgrimage.
After a night celebrating
in Santiago, I continue my journey south, back to Portugal for more history.
I’ll be starting to walk again from Braga to Guimaraes and Amarante, the city of
love. My journey will come to an end in a small historical town called Evora
where I will spend a couple of days resting, exploring ruins and no doubt
drinking wine to celebrate and reflect on what I am hoping are 635 beautiful
kms. In total this will be a 5 week journey on foot. I hope for sunshine to
capture as many ocean sunsets as I can although I anticipate with the Spring
will come the rain. The rain however will create foggy forests and misty
mornings and those are a few of my favourite things. My itinerary has changed
since my original plan in 2020 and I have decided to save the southern end of
Portugal along the Rota Vicentina for another time. My first entry written for
this blog was back in 2020 and I decided to keep it as part of this documented
journey as it gives much insight to my desire to return to my ancestral country.
Over the past 2 years I have thought a lot of not only visiting Portugal but
perhaps making it a contender for retirement living. After exploring much of the
country in April, my guess is that fantasy will either be solidified or
scrapped. I hope that you will join me virtually on this long walk as you have
on my previous journeys. I feel very fortunate to have supportive family and
friends that understand my passion for adventure and encourage me. I travel not
to escape my everyday life but to enrich it. Let the packing begin.
