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DAY 2️⃣5️⃣ ON THE CAMINOViana do Castelo to Vila Praia de ÂncoraTuesday 23 June 2026Breakfast was at the youth hostel be...
23/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣5️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Viana do Castelo to Vila Praia de Âncora

Tuesday 23 June 2026

Breakfast was at the youth hostel before Brodie and I headed out of Viana do Castelo. We left the Litoral route and came inland onto the Coastal route.

It was a good morning. The path out of Viana was quite hilly with plenty of rocky tracks and lots of small towns along the way. We were making good time and started seeing pilgrims we'd crossed paths with on previous days.

Then, with about 8km to go, things changed.

We were descending a reasonably steep hill when I lost my footing on the edge of a stone and went down hard onto the rocks.

A couple of workers passing by stopped to ask Brodie if we needed any help.

Once I got moving again, it didn't take long to realise my ankle was in a bad way and swelling quickly.

I got down the hill but could feel the ankle swelling with every step. The next section was a long climb, so Brodie carried on while I slowly made my way to the nearest houses where I managed to get an Uber to the accommodation.

I wasn't too worried when I hadn't received check in details because it wasn't yet 3pm. Then I checked my booking and realised I'd booked the accommodation for the wrong night.

After lots of texts in half Portuguese and half English I managed to bring the booking forward, but only one bed was available. More messages followed and eventually we sorted out two rooms. Not quite what I'd booked, but at least we had somewhere to stay.

By the time Brodie arrived a few hours later after flying over the hills, my ankle was gaining multiple colours and getting stiffer by the hour.

While checking through my bookings I then discovered I'd somehow managed to get things out of sequence and had two accommodation bookings on the same day.

We headed into town for dinner and nearly locked ourselves out of the accommodation thanks to the odd collection of locks on Portuguese doors. The triple barrel system nearly got us.

What a day.

Tomorrow I'll taxi to the last stop in Portugal and meet Brodie to catch the boat into Spain.

DAY 2️⃣4️⃣ ON THE CAMINOEsposende to Viana do CasteloMonday 22 June 2026Well, that was a hard day.The morning started wi...
22/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣4️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Esposende to Viana do Castelo

Monday 22 June 2026

Well, that was a hard day.

The morning started with coffee in Esposende before Brodie and I headed out, choosing the Coastal route rather than the Litoral route.

It was a big change from the boardwalks. Today was hills, old Roman roads, cobblestones, forest tracks and plenty of rocky paths. The route wound through villages and around the stone walls that seem to be everywhere up here.

There were plenty of familiar faces along the way. The speedy German couple appeared again, along with the English man in the blue shirt and his wife in pink. New arrivals included a group of ten Irish women, many of them in their 80s, walking on a guided tour. Their bags and accommodation were all organised for them, but they still had to get themselves up the same hills as everyone else.

I'm not sure if the toe infection muddled with my day or not, but I found today hard work. The climbs seemed endless and a lot of the tracks were rough and uneven. I definitely felt the heat and despite plenty of sunscreen arrived in Viana looking rather red.

We'd assumed everyone was well ahead of us, but somehow when we arrived all the familiar pilgrims were there again. Neither of us could work out where we'd passed everyone.

It was a long day. We left around 7.30am and didn't arrive until after 4.30pm.

Being Monday, quite a few places were closed, so after checking in we headed into town looking for food.

Tonight we're staying in a renovated youth hostel. It's clean and comfortable, but feels very different from the family run places I've been staying in. A bit quiet. A bit institutional.

Portugal is nearly behind me now. Just a few more days before crossing into Spain.

DAY 2️⃣3️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPóvoa de Varzim to EsposendeSunday 21 June 2026The day started in thick fog and surprisingly coo...
21/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣3️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Póvoa de Varzim to Esposende

Sunday 21 June 2026

The day started in thick fog and surprisingly cool conditions.

That didn't stop the locals heading to the beach. All morning Brodie and I passed people setting up deck chairs, stretching out on towels and lying in the fog waiting for the sun to appear. We couldn't quite work out how anyone was managing to sunbathe in thick fog, but everyone seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement. It gave us a few giggles as we walked past.

Being Sunday, the route was busy with locals out walking and enjoying the coast.

We started on the Litoral route but eventually decided we'd had enough of the boardwalks. A lot of them are uneven, broken and surprisingly hard to walk on. So we cut inland and joined the Coastal route instead.

Brodie was immediately happier. The route wound through tiny villages where he could wander around and see a bit more of how people actually live.

For me, it finally felt a bit more like Camino again.

I've found this Camino harder to connect with than the Francés. Maybe I've been spoiled. On the Francés there always seemed to be pilgrims around. People you'd met before, people you'd meet again, familiar faces turning up at the next stop. Since leaving Porto we've seen very few pilgrims and not many people staying in the hostels.

Unfortunately my toe decided to remind me of last year's Camino.

It's been brewing for a while, but today the nail became quite loose and I discovered a blister underneath it. Off to the pharmacy we went. Hopefully the antibiotic cream helps.

Thank goodness I packed my sandals.

Lunch was at a pilgrim stop tucked under shady trees. Pilgrims sat around eating, resting and escaping the sun. You could buy snacks and drinks or do what we did and eat your own lunch. It was the sort of place where nobody seemed in a hurry to leave.

Tonight we stayed in a hostel with a great kitchen, so instead of heading out for dinner we cooked. Chicken salad and baby potatoes.

By the end of the day, with lunch under the trees and dinner cooking in the hostel kitchen, it felt like one of those Camino days where everything just seemed to fall into place.

DAY 2️⃣2️⃣ ON THE CAMINOAldeia Nova to Póvoa de VarzimSaturday 20 June 2026A 7am alarm had Brodie and me plodding off to...
20/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣2️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Aldeia Nova to Póvoa de Varzim

Saturday 20 June 2026

A 7am alarm had Brodie and me plodding off to the bakery for coffee before leaving Aldeia Nova.

Much of the day followed the Litoral route. There were still plenty of boardwalks, although some had seen better days, with sections bent, broken and sagging underfoot.

There were lots of small villages along the coast today which broke up the kilometres. In one fishing village we stopped to watch boats being pulled up onto the beach. Half the village seemed to be gathered around waiting to see what had been caught.

São João feast day (St John the Baptist) is coming up on 24 June and preparations were everywhere. Decorations hung across streets, stages were going up and towns seemed busy getting ready for the celebrations.

We jumped off the Litoral route for a while and followed the Coastal route instead. It got us off the boardwalks and into the towns for a different view of the day.

One of the day's more unexpected discoveries was a DJ set inside the old fortress at Póvoa de Varzim. Curious, we wandered in for a look and found Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer pumping through the speakers while the crowd sang along. It felt like a time warp where 1740, 1986 and 2026 had somehow collided.

DAY 2️⃣1️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPorto to Aldeia NovaFriday 19 June 2026Today I returned to the Camino.The day started at Porto C...
19/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣1️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Porto to Aldeia Nova

Friday 19 June 2026

Today I returned to the Camino.

The day started at Porto Cathedral where Brodie and I began walking together. After weeks of walking alone, it was a big change to have company.

The route followed the coast for most of the day with kilometres of boardwalk beside the sea.

My feet were still not back to their best. An emergency stop in Matosinhos saw a new pair of shoes purchased. Looking back, I realised those shoes had survived training in New Zealand, around 300km on the Camino Francés and another 400km since Lisbon. The outside still looked fine but the inside had clearly had enough. The old pair were left behind to be donated through a shoe charity collection.

Matosinhos was full of activity. A huge concert was being set up on the beach with stages, stalls and sound equipment appearing everywhere.

After hours of walking we were very happy to arrive in Aldeia Nova. Bags were dumped, showers taken and a quick snooze followed.

Dinner was at the local kebab shop before watching the sun go down and heading back for an early night. Bags are already packed for a quick start in the morning.

It felt like an important day.

For me it was the return to the Camino after a few days off in Porto. For Brodie it was the start of his first Camino adventure.

We walked easily together, with Brodie being very patient through the endless shoe adjustments, foot rests and stopping.

A good day back on the trail.

🥾 🇵🇹

DAY 2️⃣1️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPortoThursday 18 June 2026The last day in Porto.It was a slow start to the day, which was nice. ...
18/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣1️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Porto

Thursday 18 June 2026

The last day in Porto.

It was a slow start to the day, which was nice. Even without the Camino there had still been plenty of walking over the past few days exploring the city.

We took a river cruise along the Douro and passed beneath Porto's six bridges.

After that we wandered through the food market, shared some nibbles, had a wine and watched the world go by.

The afternoon was spent playing cards and relaxing.

One last dinner together in Porto before an early night.

Tomorrow the backpacks go back on as Brodie and I head off to start the Portuguese Camino. 🥾🇵🇹

DAY 2️⃣0️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPortoWednesday 17 June 2026Brodie, Shannae and I caught the train out to Matosinhos and spent th...
17/06/2026

DAY 2️⃣0️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Porto

Wednesday 17 June 2026

Brodie, Shannae and I caught the train out to Matosinhos and spent the day at the beach.

Early in the day the sea was hidden behind a film of fog and mist. Sitting on the waterfront, we watched it slowly disappear. The grey blur gradually gave way to crisp white wave tops and a sharp blue horizon. It felt a bit like watching an old photograph develop, with more of the picture revealing itself minute by minute.

The Atlantic was in no mood to be ignored, with heavy waves crashing onto the beach. We stopped at the seawater pools built into the rocks and watched the ocean surge around them.

Later I caught up with my friend Jutta, who I first met on the Camino last year. One of those Camino friendships that somehow picks up exactly where it left off.

Portugal was playing DR Congo that night. Traffic slowed to a crawl, bars filled up and televisions glowed through open doorways as half the city seemed focused on the game.

One more day in Porto before the backpacks go back on and the Camino continues north. 🥾🇵🇹

DAY 1️⃣9️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPortoTuesday 16 June 2026Another easy day in Porto.A tile museum, a port tour and tasting, a bit...
16/06/2026

DAY 1️⃣9️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Porto

Tuesday 16 June 2026

Another easy day in Porto.

A tile museum, a port tour and tasting, a bit of shopping and the important task of finding one of the local pork sandwiches everyone talks about.

Mostly though it was just a day of relaxing. A few beers, a few games of cards and no backpack.

The Camino keeps making the world feel surprisingly small.

Yesterday I spotted Emma zipping past while we were on a tuk tuk. Today I bumped into John after he'd arrived in Porto.

People disappear for days and then somehow turn up again when you least expect it.

Tomorrow will probably involve a beach, which seems like a pretty good way to spend another day before heading back onto the Camino. 🥾🇵🇹

DAY 1️⃣8️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPortoMonday 15 June 2026A day off the Camino and a day exploring Porto.Porto feels very differen...
15/06/2026

DAY 1️⃣8️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Porto

Monday 15 June 2026

A day off the Camino and a day exploring Porto.

Porto feels very different to Lisbon. More relaxed. Nobody seems in much of a hurry. It feels less crowded and more spread out.

The city is all hills. Up one street, down another, then somehow back up again.

I spent the day with Brodie and Shannae seeing the sights and taking a tuk tuk tour.

We visited the cathedral where Brodie and I collected Camino stamps and saw the start of the Portuguese Camino. It felt strange standing there knowing we'll be back in a few days with backpacks on.

The tuk tuk took us across the river. Looking back at Porto I finally got the postcard view. It felt a bit like yesterday's game of Where's Wally. The difference was I'd gone from looking at the picture to being in it.

We also found the botanical gardens and the jacarandas were still flowering.

It sat around 21 degrees most of the day. Grey skies hung around until late afternoon before the sun finally appeared.

One thing I really wanted to do in Porto was try a Francesinha.

As a coeliac, local specialties are often something to look at rather than eat, so it was nice to just order one without the usual questions.

It arrived and was huge.

Bread, several different meats, cheese melted all over it, an egg on top and gravy poured over the whole thing. Even the fries ended up in the gravy.

It was good.

Also completely ridiculous.

I enjoyed every bite and then had absolutely no need to eat for the rest of the day. 🤣

More than anything, it felt nice to be eating what Porto is known for instead of trying to find an alternative.

DAY 1️⃣7️⃣ ON THE CAMINOPedroso to PortoSunday 14 June 2026I woke at 4am to a loud boom of thunder and hard rain. The fi...
14/06/2026

DAY 1️⃣7️⃣ ON THE CAMINO

Pedroso to Porto

Sunday 14 June 2026

I woke at 4am to a loud boom of thunder and hard rain. The first rain of the Camino.

Luckily for me I wasn't heading out walking. Today was about meeting Brodie and Shannae in Porto.

After a great breakfast from Fabian I headed into the city.

Our Airbnb is right in the middle of Porto's café district.

We spent the day wandering. Up streets, down streets, getting slightly lost, finding things, then heading off in another direction.

Porto is definitely a leg workout.

After weeks of walking it was nice to slow down for a few days. No early starts, no packing up the backpack and no wondering where the next coffee was coming from.

Just a bit of exploring, time with family and enjoying a city with a really nice vibe. 🥾🇵🇹

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