We started the day off with excitement to begin our journey. In preparation I had adorned my backpack with green ribbons in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month. My intention was if anyone asked about the ribbons I would share one with them. Bags were packed and left with the front desk for our transport company to fetch and bring to our next destination.
Our daypack was ready – extra socks, water, clothes for layering, phone for GPS and our trusty first aid kit. We were ready to embark on whatever God had in store for us.
Lisa had noted that there would be a Starbucks on the way to the Cathedral. A chance to get a small token of the comforts of home before we wondered into the unknown. Well, we never saw the Starbucks. At the Cathedral we received our first of many stamps needed to receive our document, Compostela. There we began the game of “Where’s the yellow arrow? It was a cross between “Where’s Waldo?” and “I spy with my little eye.” The golden arrows were always the same shade of yellow but you never knew where to look – fences, light posts, ground, up high, down low…everything and everywhere was free game.
Within our first hour we became fast friends with two other Americans from New Jersey and Washington. Our walk out of Porto and to the next town, Matosinhos was filled with splendor of getting to know our new Camino sisters. Trish and Linda are over 70 years old and have been friends for 53 years. Linda had asked about my ribbons and I shared their meaning and my story. She was honored to receive the first ribbon. We enjoyed the company and were saddened to part ways. We were continuing on and they had reached their destination for the day. As we left them we thought we had 12 miles left. Of course we were expecting a 17 mile day.
According to Lisa’s iWatch we walked in total 25 miles mostly on boardwalks along the Atlantic. The wind kept us cool and the blue skies made us hopeful but the Camino map just seem to play tricks on us … it reminded me of my childhood when my father would tells us 5 more minutes until Wisconsin Dells. The app just seemed to always show 5 more miles. Thus, the lesson – things are not always as they seem.
We thought we had prepared with our map and set voyage of 6 hours but we walked from 9:30am to 8:30pm with short WC (restroom) and change of shoes along the way – we estimate at least 9 hours.
I wish I could say I came away unscathed but I had one blister that the removal of the bandaid stripped away a layer or two of skin. We are expecting that tomorrow will be a day of wobbling and walking and who knows how many miles – the map says 14.7… but what do maps know!
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