The final days to Porto remained warm but not as hot as the previous week. By then I was used to getting up extra early and completing most of the day's mileage by noon. The mornings have been my favorite time to walk on Caminos -- there's a magical quality [...]
Day 4 from Zambujal to Coimbra was forecast to be another hot day. By then my routine entailed waking up at 4:30, getting ready, and then leaving at daybreak. Other walkers met opted for a similar schedule, and we often ran into each other at cafe stops to refresh. A [...]
Bom Dia & Bom Caminho! In June 2025 I continued my walk on Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Porto. Last year I had a week to walk as far as Tomar (blog posts begin with Part 1), where the trek began this year. Both walks were an extension of when Dad [...]
The last few days to Tomar included more charming towns with stays in Azinhaga and Vila Nova da Barquinha. Fortunately, the weather changed, and there were no more 'over the top' temperatures. The Road continued winding through agricultural landscapes, and a wooded section near Tomar involved lots of 'ups and [...]
On Day 3 I left Vila Franca in the early morning. It was going to be hot and another 'shuttle' day. The plan involved walking further than my lodging stop of Azambuja, then Ubering back to that town; in the morning I'd Uber to where I left off. Thus, the fourth [...]
Bom Caminho! In June 2024 I walked from Lisbon to Tomar on the Camino Portuguese Central Route. This trek was an extension of the walk that Dad & I took in 2022 from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Read more about our adventure in blog posts beginning with Camino Portuguese, Part [...]
During the final days of Camino Portuguese we passed through more Galician forests, rustic villages with horreos, & scenic Spanish cities. Intermittent rain followed us, and we sometimes left later in the morning after waiting for showers to subside. Overall, sunshine balanced out the wet days, and we felt [...]
Hola Espana! A sign announced our arrival to Spain after crossing the bridge from Valenca. We were now in Tui in the region of Galicia & more than halfway through our Camino journey. Tui is a popular starting town for Camino Portuguese and 117 km (73 miles) away from [...]
From Ponte de Lima the path continued on Day 9 through cobblestoned towns, tree groves, & mountain backdrops. Many homes were bordered by grapevine fences next to gardens that grew summer produce in abundance. Cloudy skies turned blue for the final days of the route in Portugal. Our walking [...]
The Road from Sao Pedro de Rates to Barcelos on Day 5 wandered through eucalyptus groves, pastoral neighborhoods, & fields bordered by vines. Camino guidance included a variety of plaques, yellow arrows, & stone markers that showed how many kilometers were left to reach Santiago. On the Central Route [...]