The Camino Portuguese, My Way

Some of you already know my constant hiking companion, Deuce the 2-iron.  My pacifier, conversation starter, ball retriever and repurposed hiking stick.  I doubt he'll accompany me to Portugal.  TSA gets one look at him and they'll confiscate him.  He doesn't fold up, so can't go in checked luggage.  I can't palm him off as a cane.  So I suspect I'll be looking for a "hiking partner" when I get to Porto.  As a backup I can put my hiking pole in my pack (it folds up), but that wouldn't feel right. Believe it or not, I have  located a golf course in Porto.  It's about 6 miles from my hostel.  I get in around 7:55pm on September 11, so it'll be late when I get to the hostel.  If I can get up early enough the next morning, I can catch a bus to the course to see if they've got an old club they wouldn't mind getting rid of.  Just like I did in Scotland two years ago.  I'll have to figure out how to ask "Do you have any clubs to ...

 Hiked with the Valley of the Sun Chapter of the American Pilgrims on the Camino at Dreamy Draw Park this morning.  An easy 5-mile hike on the nature trail and bike path.  More than anything else it was an opportunity to exchange information and experiences with others who have hiked the Camino and those that hope to hike.  In a sense it's a mini-Camino...I got to meet others just like I would on the Camino and pick their brains and share my own experiences.  There was a nice "second breakfast" (pot luck) afterward and a Shell Ceremony where pilgrims who are hiking this summer are presented with a Camino shell.  Someone had even brought cookies in the shape of a Camino shell and Santiago cake (see photos below). There's another hike at Butcher Jones near Saguaro Lake in two weeks that I'll do.  Yet another chance to meet fellow pilgrims.  I don't think APOC has a lot of events over the summer so I hope to hook up with some of those I meet after I ...

 A couple of "Hikers' Poems" from William Monk's book "Whistler's Way" that I enjoyed, especially the first one.  It applies to life as much as hiking. THAT IS YOU, THIS IS ME I've listened to what you’ve had to say, But let me be clear to you today. I may go fast, while you go slow. Who is right?   We neither know. I wake each day with my goal, While your days are a random roll. To judge each other, we are free, But please remember, that is you, this is me.   A HIKER’S PRAYER With that first step, you can’t change your mind, you will leave your love, leave her behind. Hike on, my boy, hike on, hike on. There will be hunger, there will be thirst, there will be pain that will surely hurt. Hike on, my boy, hike on, hike on. Hike each day, that endless trail, you will not quit, you will not fail. Hike on, my boy, hike on, hike on. When you are lost, it is true, angels will watch over you. Hike on, my boy, hike on, hike on. Whe...

Here's a map of the Portuguese Coastal route, highlighted in yellow.  Starting in Porto (Portugal) and proceeding north along the coast, turning slightly inland after Vigo (Spain) and continuing north into Santiago de Compostela.  The route is approximately 170 miles and takes 13 days.  

 Finally got my flights arranged last week.  I'd been researching airline flights for close to a month, watching fares and possible routes.  I'd considered everything, including taking a bus from Santiago back to Porto or Madrid after I finished.  The easiest way, as it turned out, was to go from Phoenix via DFW/Madrid/Porto going over, and Santiago/Madrid/JFK coming back.  I'm giving myself almost a 5 hour layover in Madrid going over, and 2 1/2 hours in JFK coming back.  Clearing customs can take time. The hardest part of getting an airline ticket was putting it on my Schwab card.  I'd created a Schwab account a few years ago with foreign trips in mind since they don't charge transaction fees on ATM withdrawals and don't charge foreign transaction fees.  I finally settled on a flight combination and when I went to check out and purchase the ticket on Expedia, it got flagged as fraud because it was travel and foreign related.  This required ...

 I get stuff in my email/Facebook feed all the time.  Some (a lot?) is pure crap, other stuff makes sense.  This is from a doctor I follow more than occasionally.  As someone who walks a lot, it made sense.  And you don't even have to walk as much as he's suggesting.  Anything you can manage is good. We're a sedentary, diabetes-riddled society that relies too much on medications.  Walking is cheap and you don't need a prescription from a doc. It's your  life. The Simple Habit That Could Add Over a Decade to Your Life Dr. Suneel Dhand Apr 7   READ IN APP   There’s something remarkably powerful—and almost magical—about the act of walking. It’s accessible, free, and doesn’t require fancy equipment or a gym membership. And now, according to research published in the  British Journal of Sports Medicine , it might just add  up to 11 years  to your life. That’s not a typo—just by moving your body for a little over two hours ...

 Just a quick post to give kudos to Dan Mullins, the Portuguese group leader who sang "Somewhere Along the Way" at the end of the film "The Way, My Way."  Here's a couple links to learn more about Dan: Dan's page:  Dan Mullins music | The Camino Song | Podcaster Somewhere Along the Way:   Somewhere Along the Way (the Camino Song) by Dan Mullins

You wonder "Why would anyone do something like this?" Different people have different reasons.  My first Camino, I wanted to see if I could actually finish, to see my goal to its completion.  I didn't know if I had it in me to walk close to 200 miles in two-plus weeks.  Ten to twelve miles every day.  I wasn't really an experienced hiker.  But three days in I knew I would make it.  That's when I walked an extra 6km up the hill through the bush to Foncebadon.  No blisters, still had gas in the tank. Once I started walking, I found it was also about the people you meet.  People from all over...Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, China, the UK and, of course, the USA.  Different ages, both sexes, all different colors from all walks of life.  All searching for something.   This time I'm looking for fun and enjoyment.  When I saw Dan Mullins' walk, I saw in my mind a concert on foot.  Sounded too good to pass up.  An...

 I've hiked a Camino previously, in May 2019.  It took me 16 days to travel from Leon in northern Spain almost directly west to Santiago de Compostela where the remains of St. James are supposedly buried.  And then another four days to hike to Finisterre on the coast, where I proceeded to lose my phone.  (That's one of my better Camino stories, but I'll save that for another time.)  Hiking the Camino was one of the greatest experiences in my life.  The scenery was great, but it's really about the people you meet.  All ages, locations, walks of life.  I basically hop-scotched across northern Spain for two weeks with a South Korean woman I met.  It's how the Camino works...you see some of the same people for several days, then never see them again.  Or see the same people all the way. Anyway, I kept thinking I'd do another Camino or hike some day.  And I completed part of the Fife Coastal Path in May 2023.  So this is in my blood...