1st Stage: Porto - Vila do Conde

After a restless night due to the refrigerator and neighbors, we start our first stage after having coffee in bed. We take bus 500 to Matasinhos Mercado. Friendly bus driver - for him, we are the 'Ladies to Santiago'... he lets us off at the last stop. We spot a breakfast bar and get our first stamp in our pilgrim passport (Gelateria😅 ...but whatever). We cross the noisy bridge by the harbor and follow the Camino signs to the sea. From there, the path runs along the Atlantic, mostly on wooden planks and often through dune landscapes. There are always restaurants by the sea, but unfortunately, they open only from 12 PM, which also applies to the restrooms... they are very strict about that. Even the few public toilets are still locked; it's still not the season yet, despite being almost mid-June. We have lunch in Lavra, encounter a light rain, and continue on our way... we have resolved to take breaks at least every 1.5 hours, which we stick to because we realize that our bodies need it. We both carry heavy backpacks, different body parts are quite strained. The last 5 km drag on, and looking back, it was too much for us. Luckily, our hotel Brazao in Vila do Conde is nice; we get an upgrade, and I'm happy about the bathtub. In the evening, we eat at a bodega, which is actually well-rated online, but we feel a bit overcharged... it doesn't matter; we just didn't want to walk far anymore. PS. On June 19th, they celebrate the Corpus Christi festival here.. the streets are already colorfully decorated, and very loud (terrible) music blares from the already installed speakers... noise until 9 PM... for us, a full day with about 34,000 steps... more than enough for the first day. And the conclusion from Sabine: the Camino is not for softies😅