Exploring Porto
Took the opportunity to be a tourist today! Walked the streets of Porto, wherever they would take me. It’s very easy to get lost in this city (especially with my sense of direction)! After spending the past couple of weeks in smaller towns, I’ve found Porto to be a little overwhelming. There are peo...
Coimbra - Porto
This morning was spent exploring more of Coimbra - I spent nearly 2 hours in the university’s botanical garden. They have a wide variety of local and exotic plants to explore. It was all very beautiful and fascinating, but I was most excited when I heard, and eventually saw, a feral parakeet in one...
A Day in Coimbra
I forgot to post yesterday! I was having too much fun with my extra day in Coimbra. Coimbra was the former capital of Portugal in parts of the 12th and 13th centuries, and is home to the first Portuguese University: the University of Coimbra, established in 1290. It has been deemed a UNESCO world he...
Camino - Day 13
18(ish) miles from Rabaçal to Coimbra I wasn’t expecting to go this far today! But the towns in which I thought I might find accommodations were incredibly small and some of the albergues/hostels were closed. I decided to keep chugging along to reach a bigger city. It was a rainy morning. The weathe...
Camino - Day 12
10 miles from Ansião to Rabaçal The weather has cooled down today. As I was walking up an incline, it started to downpour. Trying not to slip in the clay/mud, I had to juggle setting my backpack down, making sure my laundry (still drying from last night) didn’t get too muddy, and trying to get my po...
Camino - Day 11
17.5 miles from Areias to Ansião I overdid it today. Feet are aching, and I’m monitoring closely for any redness/swelling. Not only did I walk 17 miles, I also gained (and then lost) about 1500 feet of elevation. It was brutal. I tried to get some good pictures from what I thought the highest point...
Back on the Camino - Day 10?
11 miles from Tomar to Areias I did it! I got back out there. My feet were feeling and looking a bit better, so I decided to go for it. It helped that my Camino buddy, Ben, had provided some words of encouragement and also offered to walk with me until we got to my Bed & Breakfast in Areias, and the...
R&R in Tomar
This morning I sat in the park, listened to birds, and people watched. A woman, Celia, had taken her elderly mother out for a stroll to get her out of the nursing home. The elderly woman took a liking to me and sat by me on the bench. Unfortunately, due to her mental state, she wasn’t able to speak...
Day Trip to Fátima
Today I visited the holy city of Fátima, another name given to the Virgin Mary. It is said that on May 13th, 1917, an apparition of the Virgin Mary visited three shepherd children in this town and prophesied future events and the promise of a miracle. On October 13th, 1917, word had gotten round to...
Exploring Tomar
I tried to do a little bit of exploring in between resting and icing my feet today! Tomar is famed for its ties to the Knight’s Templar and the time of the Crusades, so I made a jaunt up to the Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World Heritage site. I didn’t feel compelled to go inside, but the outside was...
Time to Rest
Uber from Golega - Tomar. I was supposed to walk another 20 miles today. My feet are struggling. They aren’t in a lot of pain, but they are very swollen and red. Medical consensus is torn between an allergic reaction and a more serious vascular problem. I now pack around a portable blood pressure ma...
Camino - Day 5
19.4 miles from Santarém to Golega Today was miles and miles of more farmland. I found some enjoyment in it after a couple of the farmers waved and struck up conversation with me. They spoke some Spanish, so we were able to hold a conversation of mixed Portuguese, Spanish, and English. I even accide...
Camino - Day 4
Today was a rest day. I woke up at sunrise, still feeling somewhat ill. My eye wasn’t as swollen as yesterday, but it was causing me a bit of discomfort. I decided to call a doctor - thank goodness for telemedicine! I got a prescription for antibiotic eye drops that will hopefully relieve symptoms w...
Camino - Day 3
Nearly 21 miles Today was a roller coaster. I awoke to realize I’ve fallen ill - possibly a small cold and an infection in my eye. Medical offices and pharmacies are closed on Sundays, so there wasn’t much I could do. So, I started walking. I actually felt surprisingly better once I got going. The f...
Camino - Day 2
19 miles from Verdelha to Azambuja! I learned to fasten my laundry to my pack - it hadn’t fully dried the night before, so I had to literally air it out for everyone to see. I’ve embraced the backpacking lifestyle. The path today consisted of busy roads and some quieter country lanes through industr...
Camino - Day 1
And so it begins. I completed the first day of my Camino - started back at the Lisbon Cathedral, and came all the way to Alvercas/Verdelha - 18 miles! It should’ve only been about 16-17 miles, but when I realized I was going into a 7 mile stretch that wouldn’t provide any water, food, or bathrooms,...
Lost in Lisbon
Spent the day roaming around Lisbon! It is such a beautiful city, and I could spend a lot more than one day here. I think I meandered about 12 miles in total today - a good warm up to kick off the Camino tomorrow. Some of you may know that my sense of direction is severely lacking, and for whatever...
Adjusting
Spending 48 hours in Carcavelos to adjust and ground myself before my journey. So grateful for Colin and Thea who opened up their home to me and provided tips and tricks for the Portuguese lifestyle. Unfortunately brought some of the PNW rain with me, but found a few sunny moments to enjoy beaches a...
Arrival + Camino friends
I made it to Lisbon! TAP (Air Portugal) provided a nice, safe, cost-effective flight. While in line to go through customs, I met Yuko and her father. They came all the way from Japan and were headed to Porto to start their Camino journey!
Last (American) Meal
A burger and fries felt appropriate!
Takeoff
Here we go! The bags are packed. I can’t tell if I’m hungry, or if I’m going to vomit. I hope it’s the former, for the sake of everybody else on the plane. Headed to Chicago for a layover - the last time I’ll be stateside for 2.5 months! Love you all who have helped me realize how brave I can be 💕