Porto, Portugal

Date	10/14 - 16/19
Hostel/Albergue:	Albergue de Peregrinos do Porto @ 24 eu; 2 nights.

Time to come home

Eu nao falo portugues. I don't speak Portuguese.

10/14/19

Rain, rain and more rain.

Stopped in a supermarket to treat myself to a new tooth brush. The simple things of life.

Signed up for an afternoon tour of Porto. Since it is going to be raining all day, might as well use the guided tours.

10/15/19

Woke up this morning to another pouring rain. I began to ask myself, how much do I want to do this some more. Yesterday the weather report was not bad, but it seriously deteriorated overnight.

As I was sitting at the breakfast table in the albergue, I realized I had done enough. Maybe if I was going to have good weather, I could have stuck it out. But I think in my heart, I was really ambivalent. And the rain just pushed it over the edge.

So I'm spending the day in Porto. I'm walking around during the morning, taking an afternoon guided tour and then we'll see about the evening.

But this time tomorrow, I will happily be returning to my loved ones.

Took the metro downtown for practice.

Walking to that famous bookstore but the line was huge to get in.

Walk down to the river, literally. Took a tram back up to the top of the hill. Walked across the Ponte Luis I bridge over the Rio Douro.

Had pizza in Jardim do Morro park while it poured cats and dogs.

Had chocolate cake and a latte, waiting for the tour to start

Notable memories

I've had so little time for thought and reflection on this hiking experience.

Walking the camino, I finally realized is about walking. True it's amazingly long distances, but it's walking.

Ireland and Switzerland were stone cold hiking experiences. I didn't have time to think and reflect because I had to keep watching where I was stepping to avoid injuring myself.

It's a whole different mindset. On the Camino my thoughts could wander.

In Ireland and Switzerland letting my thoughts wander could have gotten me hurt seriously.

Only now one month later after starting it, do I realize this important distinction.

And perhaps that is why the entire vacation I've had an uneasy feeling in my belly that I was missing something. I was missing special people.

And the nature of the hiking experience didn't give me time to think of them. Only at night in the dormitories was I able to unwind and remember the joys back in Rochester. A good woman, amazing grandkids, a wonderful son and daughter-in-law and supportive family.

Sometimes the Camino is closer to home and doesn't need to be across the ocean.