Portuguese Camino Day 1 (13 September)
It is pure coincidence that we start our pilgrimage proper on Friday 13 September. This is, at least in part, a spiritual Camino, with no room for cheap superstition, talismans and holy medals! Ignore the scallop shells on our packs.
Today’s leg took us on the metro to Matosinhos, the north along the senda litoral, the beach path. We always have a couple of options for our days, depending on whether we want to walk beside the sea or a couple of kilometres inland. Our goal was Vila do Conde, about 24 km down the track. This is the first time we have walked through a dune system, and the locals have placed the whole thing boardwalks whenever the path is on sand. This is environmentally friendly but hard on the feet and, although the path moved away from the beach at times, it wasn’t the most scenic.
We both realised very quickly that we weren’t ready for Portugal’s unseasonable warm autumn and that we would very quickly work our way through the expensive sunscreen we purchased in Lisbon. There was no shade on the path and precious little in the towns, and we probably should have had more water with us, as we had only taken a litre each. The coast, however, was rugged and beautiful and the fishing villages, at least, were appropriately industrious.
As usual, and it doesn’t matter if the guidebook is written by Wainwright, Brierley or St James himself, the last few kilometres seemed to be endless, and endlessly uphill. It was a reminder that you are never as fit as you think you are, and never as prepared as you should be!
We checked into one of the chain hotels, which was basic but good, and had an outstanding meal at Restaurant Repúblika. I had a lovely chunk of baked cod, further confirmation that fish is going to be the favourite fuel for this Camino.
