Just a Little Further

This was a tough day. It was cold, damp and overcast when we set out just after 0700. Rain threatened all day so we trudged along expectantly, our rain gear at ready, though we only felt a few drops throughout the day. It was the combination of very steep ascents and descents in the towns as well as over rocky, heavily rooted terrain that tired us out. It also ended up being our longest walking day of 16.5 miles.Beyond Camino sights, there are always things that catch our attention. Leaving our…

Galicia surprised us before we even had the chance to appreciate its rugged coastline, green hills, and Celtic mystique. As we crossed the border from Portugal into Spain, I expected at least one thing to become easier: understanding the language.Marcie is the linguist of the family and somehow manages to communicate almost anywhere we travel. I, on the other hand, have spent years enthusiastically butchering foreign languages across multiple continents. Even after nearly five years of living…

We were on the Camino by 0730 just as the day was lightening up. It didn’t take long to reclaim the path. We walked through a tunnel painted with a pilgrim mural, regained our Camino rhythm and began our 12-mile day. A kilometer marker indicated we were under 100 km (~60 miles) from Santiago.

There’s a phrase you hear often on the Camino: “Everyone walks their own Camino.” It’s repeated so frequently it risks becoming a cliché—but out here on the path, it proves true again and again.Some pilgrims plan every detail months in advance, reserving each night’s accommodation before they even lace up their boots. Others embrace uncertainty, walking until they’re ready to stop and trusting that something will work out when they arrive. Some carry everything they need on their backs, feeling…

Up an hill, down a hill… ups and downs seem to dictate our walking experience at the moment as the path follows the rolling hill terrain of Galicia. Based on our reading, this will continue as we near Santiago. We’re having a bit of a problem with the loss of an hour in the time change crossing into Spain. Since we’re in the extreme western part of Spain, the sun doesn’t rise till 0730 and it sets at 2130. The late sunset is great, but it’s really dark in the mornings at 0630 when we’re getting…

As we walk the Camino, there are moments when the modern world quietly slips away. A yellow arrow points down a cobbled lane, church bells echo in the distance, and beneath our feet lies something far older than the pilgrimage itself — the stones of an ancient Roman road.Again and again, we are reminded that much of the Camino Portugues follows the route of the Via XIX, one of the great Roman roads built in the first century AD. This road connected Bracara Augusta — modern-day Braga — with…

With a good Portuguese-style breakfast under our belts, we set out on yet another sunny morning. Note that other than a few showers at night, we have not had a rainy day since arriving in Portugal. Very fortuitous! Fingers crossed that our sunny day luck holds.Though our route today was not as difficult as the climb to Rubiães from Ponte de Lima, it still presented its challenges. There were significant hills, steep ups and downs… not quite as a steep, but tiring just the same. David had…

One of the first things we noticed while walking the Camino Portugues was the ground beneath our feet. Mile after mile, the path rolls across Portugal’s famous cobblestones — the iconic calçada portuguesa. They are beautiful, historic, and unmistakably Portuguese. They are also exhausting to walk on.The stones appear everywhere along the route. They line village streets, city sidewalks, church plazas, and rural lanes between vineyards and forests. It sometimes feels as though the entire country…

We scheduled our layday in Ponte de Lima partly because we knew what was coming next. The path is neither harder nor easier than we imagined. It is what it is. Some parts are magic and some parts are downright misery. Today, however, was the hardest, most challenging day we’ve experienced thus far… misery climbing, magic once we reached the top. We left our cozy apartment and rejoined the Camino once again. We passed by Manuel’s shop and he cheerfully stamped our passports, then reminded David…

One of the interesting things about walking the Camino de Santiago is discovering how many different names exist for the same pilgrimage route. Depending on who you speak with, it may be called the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Saint James, the Jacobean Way, the Xacobean Route, or even the Norse Jakobsland. Each name reflects a different layer of the history and traditions surrounding the pilgrimage and understanding why requires a little background. According to tradition, the apostle James…

Technically, this is our 8th day on the Camino, but we’re not walking towards Santiago today. Nope… we’re taking a day off to explore Portugal’s oldest chartered town (vilar), Ponte de Lima.First things first… we slept in. No alarm at 0630. No rushing to pack the duffel that needs to be lugged downstairs and ready for porter service pick-up by 0800. No ace-bandaging my knee, or wearing two pairs of socks, or donning our hiking shoes and backpacks. Nope, we lounged till nearly 0830, read the…

Ponte de Lima, which translates to Bridge of Lima, is a beautiful town that sits astride the Lima River. The Lima River is peaceful—quietly passing vineyards, ancient bridges, and quiet streets. Kayaks and canoes paddle alongside cafes and restaurants. To the Roman soldiers marching through the Iberian Peninsula, however, the Lima was no ordinary river. They believed it to be the mythical Lethe—the River of Forgetfulness from classical mythology. According to ancient tales, anyone who crossed…

It was a cold, damp night at the Estabulo de Valhinas and we slept poorly. There was no breakfast available in the morning, so we left early, quietly closing the gate behind us. A light morning mist hovered over the newly planted fields providing an ethereal look to the local landscape.

There’s something timeless about the Camino Portugués—the quiet rural paths, the steady rhythm of footsteps, the sense of moving toward Santiago. But if a medieval pilgrim somehow appeared beside us today, he’d barely recognize the experience. The route is the same in spirit, yet radically different in practice.This is a story of two Caminos: one shaped by uncertainty and faith, and another by GPS, café stops, and glowing yellow arrows. The Old Camino: Faith, Risk, and UncertaintyCenturies ago,…

The route has taken us beyond the cities and towns and into the country now. We’re walking through small villages, past farms and vineyards on country roads. We left the lovely Leonchic mid-morning on yet another sunny day. We were on the Camino as soon as we stepped out of the door, half way up a cobblestone hill. We continued on up, heading towards Vitorino dos Piães, our destination for the day.After a mile or so, we came across the Portela of Tamel, a landmark for pilgrims with a church and…

After a good night’s sleep and a great breakfast (did I mention the scrambled eggs?) at the historic Top ‘Otel, we headed off across the Ponte de Barcelos, a medieval bridge dating from 1325 that crosses the Rio Cávado. High on a hill above the river is a huge stone edifice that we assumed was a fortress or perhaps a monastery or church. The Camino path headed in that direction and we soon discovered the enormous Gothic building was the ruins of O Paço dos Condes de Barcelos… The Palace of the…

Everywhere we’ve traveled in Portugal, one image keeps appearing: a brightly colored, stylized rooster. It shows up in every souvenir shop—on key rings, fridge magnets, Christmas ornaments, and jewelry—each piece offering its own take on the same distinctive figure.Now that we’ve arrived in Barcelos, a charming town in northern Portugal, the rooster feels even more alive. It’s not just a souvenir here—it’s part of the landscape. Statues stand in its honor, murals bring it to life on walls, and…

The path to Barcelos was 13.3 miles and we never strayed off the Camino. It seemed like a long day and we were hurting a bit, but pushed through with nary a complaint. Sometimes we chat while we walk. Other times, we get into our own heads and day dream. Either way, it’s one foot after another and before you know it, you’ve walked another mile.Sometimes we were on highways, sometimes on dirt roads or along forest paths, but mostly on cobblestone roads through small neighborhoods and villages.…

Walking the Camino de Santiago is an incredible experience—but it’s also a serious physical undertaking. Day after day of long distances puts your feet under constant stress, and if something goes wrong, it can quickly derail your journey. The good news: most common foot problems are preventable with a bit of attention and the right habits.The biggest culprits? Blisters, minor injuries, bruised toes, and those dreaded blackened nails. None of these are inevitable. Here’s how to stay ahead of…

All packed up and ready for the day, we walked to the São Bento station and caught the Metro leaving Porto for the trip back to Vilar do Pinheiro where we joined the Camino once again. We passed through suburban villages, mostly walking on roadsides. Drivers seem aware of pilgrims and walkers, and slow down when they pass. Sometimes there’s a sidewalk… a very, very narrow sidewalk that comes and goes.

Following the Camino should be easyThere’s a quiet confidence that settles in after a few days on the Camino Portuguese. The rhythm of walking, the early morning light, the sound of our hiking boots on the cobblestones—it all starts to feel natural, almost instinctive. And with that confidence comes a subtle assumption: the path will guide us.Most of the time, it does.The yellow arrows—some faded, some bright, painted on walls, carved into stones, stuck to signposts—become our silent…

We Uber’ed from our hotel in Porto to the exact point where we’d left the Camino yesterday and picked up the path once again. Still in the city, we passed through industrial areas and small neighborhoods. Flowers are blooming everywhere. The path led under a canopy of golden angel’s trumpets. Following the yellow arrows designating the Camino isn’t rocket science though some are faint or in a place you might not expect. There are constantly Camino assurance markers along the path. Getting into…

The scallop shell is the enduring symbol of the Camino de Santiago, appearing everywhere along the route—painted on signs, embedded in pathways, and worn by pilgrims themselves. In Spanish, the physical shell is called concha de vieira, or, in the context of the Camino, simply vieira or concha de peregrino—the pilgrim’s shell.Its rise as the emblem of the Camino is not tied to a single origin story, but rather to a blend of practical use, cultural tradition, and spiritual symbolism that has…

We were up early in anticipation of arriving in Porto and walking our first steps on the Camino. The Whitbys made the 50 km (30 mile) drive to drop us off at the Flix bus station in Coimbra. Lots of hugs and our first wish for a ‘Buen Camino’, and we boarded our bus for the 1-1/2 hour trip to Porto. We made our way through the maze of the huge TIC bus/train station in Porto and David ordered an Uber on his phone (isn’t that amazing?) and within minutes, we were heading to our hotel downtown.It…

When they learned we were walking the Camino, old Canadian/British sailing friends we’d met in South America who now live in Portugal, contacted us about getting together when we arrived in Portugal. The Whitby’s offered to pick us up at the Lisbon Airport, transport us to their home in Figueiro dos Vinhos, two hours away, feed us, entertain us, and let us de-jetlag at our leisure. A very generous offer which we were only too happy to accept. Despite the long delay at the airport, Catherine and…

If you’ve ever found yourself walking along a quiet country road, wondering how many footsteps came before yours, you’re already halfway to understanding the magic of the Camino. The Long Story of the Camino de SantiagoThe Camino de Santiago—often simply called “the Camino”—is not just a trail, but a vast network of ancient pilgrimage routes leading to the shrine of Saint James the Greater in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, in northwestern Spain.Where It All BeganThe story begins in the 9th…

We were packed and ready when our Uber arrived exactly on time and whisked us away to Terminal 3 at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport. Our check-in at British Airways was quick and easy. We checked our backpacks and made our way to the Sapphire Club Lounge, one of the perks of David’s new credit card. What a way to start a trip! Wow! From the champagne bar as we checked in to our reserved table in this posh club, we were impressed. A lavish buffet was on offer along with an open bar…

Our fitness watches show different mileages even though we walk the same distance. Time to calibrate…

The countdown clock is running out. In fact, by the time you read this, we may already be on our way.

I’d never seen nor read Henry V, so when I saw an ad for a free ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ performance by the Henry V Shakespeare Company, I marked it on our calendar.