Chegando ao Porto - Day 14

Arriving in Porto

Souto Redondo - Porto (19.1 miles) 

It was nice having my own room again and I slept fairly well. The room was very dark, but my body couldn't decide if it was cold or hot. Usually there is only one sheet over the mattress, so I use my sleeping bag most nights. I started off inside it and ended up just sleeping on top because it was too warm. By morning time I was cold again and I had to climb back inside for warmth. It was raining when I started walking this morning. The weather forecast called for rain all day long and everyday hereafter. For almost a mile, I was going downhill on a cobblestone street that had no sidewalks. There was a river flowing down the street and I had to really try and keep my feet dry. That wasn't a success. I thought about how crazy I must be to try and walk to Porto in this weather.

By 10 am, the rain had mostly finished and the sun came out. My pant legs and feet were able to dry out. The route was entirely through residencial and commercial areas until a small stretch just outside Porto. That section was all uphill and had a very cool path built out of large stones. Some places even had large stones placed alongside the path creating walls. I'm glad I wasn't walking up this place when the floods were coming down it!

At the summit, I encountered 3 fierce dogs. These stray dogs were mangy and desperate. One had mud on half of its face that looked like war paint. They all barked at me for the longest time as I kept walking. I frequently looked back only to see them charge a few yards towards me and then stop. There were large puddles on the path due to the heavy rains earlier and I had to carefully step around them to avoid getting my feet wet. I wasn't sure how much further I could go on like that. The situation was really stressing me out. Then one dog dropped behind and the others gave up their barking. The two remaining dogs followed me a little further down the path. I noticed one had a slight limp and by this time, they seemed more interested in sniffing around piles of leaves and trash than my presence. Not long after that encounter, I was walking down a busy avenue into the Porto metropolitan area. I maneuvered my way through the tall buildings, loud construction projects, bus stops, metro stations, and people of all ages going every which way to get to the Douro River. Just before coming into view of Porto and the river, I saw a sign for a historical monument. The sign pointed uphill, yet I knew I needed to go down. Thankfully, I decided to walk up the hill and check it out. This decision made my first view of Porto and the Douro River spectacular!

From the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, I could see the boats down below ferrying tourists up and down the river. Poking out above the orange tile roofs on the other side of the river were old churches and a clock tower. It was all an impressive site to behold. I then went downhill to the bridge and across the river. The height of the bridge and the strong breeze made me very nervous as I crossed over. I'm honestly scared of heights and several summers of roofing didn't cure me of that.

At the Cathedral of Porto, I met three Portuguese men setting out on the Caminho de Santiago by bike. While inside, there was a couple ahead of me in line to get my Credencial stamped. He had on a skiing t-shirt from Alta Utah. I had to ask them where they were from. They are also starting to bike the Caminho from Porto. After receiving my stamp, I went outside and happened to find Alana sitting in the courtyard. We talked for a minute and then Adri appeared and offered us some chocolate. She has already been here for a day and will leave tomorrow morning.

We parted ways and I walked an additional 30 minutes to reach the albergue, where I discovered another familiar face. Tracy from Wisconsin was sitting at the table working out plans for her next day of walking. I invited her to have dinner with the rest of our Caminho group who were in Porto that evening. We all met at the São Bento train station and then found a nearby restaurant. There were 7 of us seated at a round table; going from left to right was me,Tracy, Alana, Adri, Christian, Xenia, and Yeji.

In a way, it was Christians last night with us all. He will be flying back home to Bremerhaven, Germany. The weather forecast called for rain the next 10 days and he would rather not be miserable and wet all that time. I'm sure it was not an easy decision for him, because he has completed 7 Caminos previously. I think he will come back next spring to finish this one! 

I'm surprised to be this far along on my journey. Arriving in Porto seemed like such a big milestone and I thought it would take longer to reach it. At times I might have worried about being able to go the distance. Every ache and pain in my back, legs, and feet made me nervous early on. Fortunately those were only fleeting issues and I have felt recovered and fresh every morning. The way is not too difficult and everyone around me has a positive mindset. I have not needed motivation or encouragement to keep me going a little further at the end of each day. It is just what I am doing. As Christian would tell me, it is a simple life to be walking the Caminho. All we need to do is eat, walk, and sleep. While I am walking this way with others, we are each going at our own pace and for our own reasons. Reuniting with friends is exciting but this journey is for the individual. I'm having such a great time and am sad to think how fast it is going by. I feel like I just started, then I remember Lisbon, Azambuja, Santarém, Tomar, Golegã, Alvaiázere, Coimbra, Águeda and all the other wonderful places I have already seen. There is still more ahead for me and I am excited to press on! 

Check out Chegando ao Porto - Day 14 on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/v7O95VNGZQO