Day II: Vila do Conde -> Rio Alto; 9.8mi.

Total: 31.4mi.

On my last camino, I made a point to take a photo of my lodging every single night. I had planned the same for this trip, but I forgot to do so last night. I’ll pick back up with this tomorrow.

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Yesterday, I met two German girls, each about my age, at different times of the day. The first I met in passing, the second I walked with for a mile or two before she decided to stop for the night in an earlier town. As we walked together, she told me of her plans to stick to the coastal route. At the time, my friends and I had resolved to branch off of the coastal route the following day and take what is known as the central route (slightly shorter, more lodging options, inland and thus more predictable weather). I felt slightly envious of her, given how enamoured I’d been walking along the coast, but I also felt a pull to stick with my original friends and original plan. I gave her my contact information anyways and we parted ways. Shortly afterwards I passed the first girl I had met earlier – she was backtracking to the same place I had just parted ways with my precious companion. I told her about the other, and continued on my way, unsure if I would see or hear from either again.

That was a big piece of my last Camino that I learned to accept early on: the nature of this place is that you could run into one person every single day and another you might only meet once and then never cross paths again.

This morning, I awoke to a text from the girl I exchanged numbers with, telling me the two of them had befriended each other. She let me know which coastal town they planned to stay in that night. Seeing the two of them again and sticking to the coast held enough weight for me to consider changing my own plans. I thought a shorter day would allow my back more time to settle into this activity, anyways. So, I arrived at breakfast to meet my two current travel companions and informed them that I would stick to the coast and meet up with them again in a few days. It was a bittersweet decision as I traveled here with them and love their company dearly, but it was the best choice for me and I know they knew that and wanted that for me.

I started off my day solo, but as it goes with the Camino, it wasn’t long before I encountered a companion and a few miles later, a second. Myself and these two german men, also around my age, walked along for a few miles before one branched off for lunch. After eating a few snacks on the beach with the other, he joined me to where I planned to meet up with my two girlfriends.

So here I am, sitting on the beach of this place that is more like a KOA than an albergue (photos tomorrow), writing and stretching and reading some with a friend I met two hours ago waiting for the two friends I met yesterday to arrive, thinking about how much I love this quality and simplicity of life.

Lately my life has been a lot of big decisions with too much worry invested in who I’m disappointing and what trajectory my life should be on at age twenty-seven. Here in Portugal, it’s only where do I want to end up and how and when do I want to get there, which I suppose as I write this feels like a metaphor for how I wish life and the decisions I’m currently making felt. I’ve always preferred simplicity.

🎒:

The last time I wrote about my camino, I featured something I brought along with me in each blog post. I’ll do the same again, and because I overpacked this time AND have less days, I might even end up featuring more than one thing.

I actually didn’t bring the shell pictured above. I meant to bring one like it that I got on my last trip, but I’m pretty sure I dropped it on my front porch on my way out the door to the airport (dad, if you see that when you check on Arlo, could you please bring it inside? Thanks!)

The shell is a symbol with historical significance, along with arrows (see above), used to mark the trail here and you can see most pilgrims with one attached to their backpack. The story goes that this is supposed to be a gift and not something you purchase on your own. I was bummed I didn’t have one but not too concerned with obtaining one.

On the first day of walking, only a few miles in, we passed a seafood restaurant unloading their supply of fish for the night. My friends enjoyed this and the interesting variety of fish so much that they stopped to snap some photos. The manager came out and, identifying us as “pilgrims” on our way to Santiago, told us to wait a moment. As we did so, we saw him cutting down the shells hanging in his window before he returned with one for each of us – a gift.

🎶: A final tradition I had in my last camino blog was to include a quote I had been contemplating and / or a song I had listened to that particular day with a lyric I had enjoyed. I’d like to continue this eventually, but thanks to the ocean and my companions I have yet to pull out my headphones .. so stay tuned. ✌🏽