🎒 WE DID IT!!! 🥾

Ola from Portugal, yesterday. 🇵🇹 And Hello from Canada, today. 🇨🇦 We arrived in Portugal on May 20th and returned to Canada on June 16th. I had hoped to write before this date, but Portugal stole my heart and my time. Understandably, as the weather was perfect: sunny skies each day, moderate temperatures, no rain or humidity, perfect! Do you know that Portugal has 300 days of sunshine per year? Spending a month there was such a gift. Our purpose for going to Portugal was to walk the Fisherman's Trail, tour Porto, and enjoy a pet-sit in Coimbra. We completed it all. Let me share the three segments with you.

The Big Walk

Starting with the Fisherman's Trail. We walked along the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic coastline for 223 km, over twelve days. It is noted as one of the best coastal trails in the world. We walked from Lagos in the south, going west to Sagres, and then north to Porto Covo over 12 days, with one day off. Every day, we gazed at stunning vistas and felt the breezes from the Atlantic Ocean as we took each step. At times, the breezes were downright windy. The scenes were enchanting and captivated us. In the beginning, each footprint represented sheer adventure. We greeted those coming from the north and finishing the trail in the south with congratulatory words. Each time we met the other's gaze, I wondered how they felt closing in on the finish line. I could not have known at that moment what they had been through. Walking 20 km each day, how hard can that be, I thought. This was to be our first experience of this kind.

At first, just the sheer weight of the backpack was our only concern. Carrying everything on our backs brought us some discomfort. But as the days passed, the footsteps grew agonizing. Blisters appeared on our feet despite taking preventive measures: special anti-blister socks and good shoes. I am a runner and a well-seasoned walker. I seldom ever get a blister. What happened? When these appeared, all other discomfort was overshadowed. Along the way, we dipped our feet in the salty ocean water to relieve the pain. All along the route were magnificent beaches where locals and tourists alike stopped to surf and soak up the sun. Often, we saw more than we bargained for, as many of the sunbathers were naked. 😳 We didn't let that stop us from embracing the scene, except we kept our clothes on. We jumped in the waves and took a break from walking.

The restaurant shacks attached to many of these beaches became our reprieve for nutrition. Other than some oranges, orange juice, and water, we didn’t carry food. Our 20 km jaunts were broken up by way of nutrition breaks at the beach shacks. They didn't always offer much, but we enthusiastically drank fresh juices, which were thirst-quenching and energizing. Beet juice mixed with apple and ginger, and freshly squeezed orange juice were my favourites. Villages were dotted along the walk, where we stayed each night. We trudged into town at the end of the day, showered and rested until we walked out for dinner at the nearest restaurant, as we couldn't fathom taking one more step. Different styles of B&Bs: hostels, a farm home, a renovated chapel, resorts, and some quaint Portuguese Airbnbs gave us rest. Some were wonderful, while others just did the job. A cold beer or a glass of ice-cold Sangria, along with some well-earned food, made it all bearable. Shortly thereafter, we drifted off to sleep and by some miracle felt like we could do it all over again the next morning.

Each new day slowly unravelled with feelings of exhilaration and satisfaction, to fatigue, anguish, and hopelessness. On the third last day, I had a meltdown. We had finished half of the 20 km, eleven before lunch, and my feet felt like they were on fire. I had a few blisters, which translated to pain with every step. We stopped at a local restaurant in a tiny village, and I burst into tears. The place was filled with walkers finding some respite, along with the local beer drinkers, but I didn't care. I felt like I couldn't go on and wanted to stop walking. Thankfully, some tasty orange juice and a sandwich spurred me on. We walked the last 11 km and finished our day. There were only two more days left. We can do this, I thought. Sadly, our final day was the absolute worst; we walked 20 km in the sand and wind, with a few ups and downs, though not too high or too low. At the 15 km mark, we found a spot for me to dangle my legs in the ocean from the rocks. I cleaned off my ten sand-covered blisters, and Rachel bandaged them so I could get the mileage done. We did not want to give up. One of my friends reminded me that a person can find more strength and energy from within when the going gets tough, and I agree. I found it, thankfully! The walk is over now, and my feet have healed. I couldn’t be prouder of us both or more satisfied with our effort. The Fisherman's Trail was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We had risen to the challenge. For many days, I felt like I would never do this kind of challenge again. But it's akin to childbirth; a woman seldom wants another child just having gone through the ordeal, but with time and memory loss, she reconsiders. Just maybe, I will try another walk someday.

Porto

We rewarded ourselves with a trip to Porto in the north. After a three-hour bus ride to Lisbon, followed by a three-hour train ride to Porto, we arrived in Harry Potter land. J.K. Rowling wrote the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Porto. Apparently, the author was inspired by the cape-wearing, as students in Porto have historically worn capes to show respect for the place one is in (the schools) or for the person one is with. It is written that she was influenced by the University of Porto, Café Majestic, and the famous bookstore, Livraria Lello. We visited that bookstore; it was magical and intriguing. Though it got somewhat crowded during our timed entry, it was alluring to see. While in Porto, we went on a one-day wine tour, which included a cruise down the Douro River. Afterward, we stopped at two wineries for wine tasting. The famous Port was on the menu; tasty and smooth. We also indulged in lunch, served outside overlooking a vineyard. We were part of a small group of eight, consisting of two families of three from the U.S. There were no Trump jokes, as I was unsure of their viewpoint. We had some delicious food, saw beautiful architecture, and soaked up the ambience of Porto.

Coimbra

Lastly, we went to our pet-sit in the countryside, halfway between Porto and Lisbon. It was sheer paradise. The pet owners were British, had two German dogs (Weimaraner Breed), a cat, and a piece of paradise. For seven days, we cared for the two human-like dogs, embraced pool hours each day, and cooked our own meals after having had three weeks out of the kitchen. The grounds were full of beautiful, exotic flowers, plants, and trees, which were maintained to perfection. Every morning, we took the dogs on a sixty-minute walk in the forest, which was reminiscent of the Fisherman's Trail in intensity. We could easily do one hour a day of walking with the girls (the dogs) as compared to five hours a day of challenging conditions on the previous trail. We have done many pet sits, but this one was absolute euphoria.

Have you enjoyed your tour of Portugal? I would certainly recommend a visit to this country. I hesitantly recommend the Big Walk. I appreciate completing it, but it is a personal decision. It was fitting for me, hardships and all. Okay, this just about sums up my trip to Portugal. Though this country is the only European country I have been to apart from the U.K., it has mesmerized me. Thank you, Portugal! I am rooting for you in the World Cup. ⚽

Take care, all,

Rosemary 🌹

Our itinerary is attached, should anyone wish to reference or fact-check me...lol. 😉

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZVsOCN66SsngJ3Vv63S68SceKiPKQN-W/view