Distance travelled: 16 miles on foot
Day 11 - Caldas de Reis to Padrõn
One of the most interesting things about this experience has been meeting people along the way. Although most people are travelling in groups, and offer no more than a "Buen Camino" as they pass you, some you walk alongside for a while and get to hear a little of their story - and it seems that everybody has a story.
One thing I have tried to be better at, over the course of the walk, is listening. I don't think I am a great listener, I tend to chatter away when I meet new people, maybe because I'm nervous or the silence can be uncomfortable, I don't really know why.
But then it occurred to me, that if you tell everyone you meet your story, or even a small part of it, then that is the only thing you hear, and you learn nothing new.
So I have been listening: to people who I have met along the way, to my own inner voice, to the sounds of nature; trying to listen without opinion, judgement or comment and to see what I can learn, or what I can give - just by being present.
Before we even left Porto, we met a Canadian lady who just needed to unload. She was a lone traveller, meeting her friend in Porto to walk the Portuguese Way, but her flight had been delayed; she had missed her transfer and then had lost the keys of her hire car - all before getting to the hostel. She had then arrived late and had to access her bed in the dorm in the dark; she had had a bad day and then a bad night and just needed to tell someone. I was glad we could be there for her.
The next person we chatted to was another Canadian lady who was staying at the same hostel as us on our first night. We were staying at a monastary and had to walk down the road to a restaurant to eat. She walked back with us and told us about her pilgrimage; she had already walked to Santiago de Compostela, with her parents ages 70 and 72! They had all completed the walk, and her parents were now driving back down through Portugal to the Algarve, whilst she was meeting up with some friends for a few days before returning home.
Phillipe and Ivana were mum-and-son walking partners. We walked with them up a really long, steep hill, Phillipe and I chatting awkwardly in broken Portuguese (mine) and English (his). It was hard work, but he was able to tell us that the area they lived in had suffered from terrible weather and local flooding; we also were able to tell each other about our families and jobs, and the coincidence that both his mum and I were both teachers. It certainly made climbing the hill easier, and we spent the next few days bumping into them again as we stayed in the same hostels.
As we approached our accommodation at Portela de Tamel, we stopped at a bar for a beer. There was a tough 4km uphill ahead and we were bracing ourselves. A man approached and sat down with a huff and a puff. He introduced himself as Rolf, a German who was doing his fifth Portuguese Way. He had walked a long way, almost 40km, and knowing the route, couldn't face the hill ahead. We booked him a taxi, and when we met up with him again, later, he bought the beers. He told us all about his work and family, showed us pictures of his dogs and told us that he does this walk alone, every year, to clear his head. Again, we walked the same legs as him the next day before he left us behind.
One day, on our way to Ponta de Lima, we walked for a couple of hours with Martin, a young man from Lithuania. We had been walking and chatting for an hour or so before he told us that he was living with cancer. He had been in remission for two years and had found out it had returned just before travelling. With his doctors agreement, he was completing this pilgrimage before resuming treatment - a lovely young man, so upbeat and positive - I really hope it all works out well for him.
Also in Portugal, we met the Australians, the Asian couple and the Portuguese kids. We all stopped at the same cafe on a hot day and spent an hour chatting. The Aussies were father and daughter, completing this walk together; before each going their own way; he was picking up a motorbike and driving through Spain and she wasn't sure - she had been walking camino's for a couple of years since leaving university and said that it had become a habit she enjoyed. The Asian couple were very political, keen to discuss the current difficulties between Israel and Hamas; The Portuguese kids were a trio - two boys and a girl - who were very positive and upbeat, and we ran into them several times throughout our own journey.
Josef was also from Brazil. We only met for half an hour at the reception desk of one of the hostels, but he noticed the plasters on my feet and gave me some blister cream, and in return we shared the cost of a washing machine.
In Pontevedra, we met Bella, who was completing her first camino at only 8 months old she was travelling with her Canadian mum, who had completed the walk once before eight years ago, and her nan, who were taking turns to push the pram - huge respect to them! Again, our paths crossed for several days before we lost touch.
We met China Man in Veigadãna. He was in the next bunk and let us use his super-duper power pack to charge our phones. We met again the next night at the albergue and a couple of other times at cafes over the next day or two. We never actually spoke to each other, but always exchanged a friendly smile and a wave.
Once we crossed to Spain, Interactions became less frequent. It seemed that most people were travelling in large groups with their luggage being transported for them. They all seemed to know each other and were less fatigued than us as they hadn't walked as far and weren't carrying a large backpack, so it was a quick "Buen Camino" and off they went.
One group we did criss-cross with for a couple of days was a large assisted group. Thirty or forty adults with disabilities, enjoying the camaraderie of each other's company, laughing and singing - they were definitely the most upbeat group we met and always had a friendly "Buen Camino" for us whenever we passed each other.
We even met a group from Halifax - I recognised the Yorkshire accent straight away. They were on holiday in Portugal and were on a day walk to Valinhas. We had a lovely chat about Halifax and Clitheroe and they told us about some of their favourite walking routes on the East Yorkshire coast. It's a small world!
One more full day's walking left, so if we meet anyone else with a story I will update my post.
Buen Camino!
Update - day 12
We met two lovely guys from Ireland: friends who were walking together from Valença to Santiago. It was their first camino too. We drank far too much wine and sat and chatted for hours - but we did have an early night and will all walk into Santiago tomorrow.
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