First Stage Camino Costa Portugues

On Friday, I arrived in Porto safely. I explored Porto on Saturday, and today it finally began. After a very delicious breakfast, I hopped on the bus that everyone had recommended. I wanted to take the bus to Cabo do Mundo to start my first stage on the Camino. The bus arrived on time, and after a few minutes of driving, I realized something was off. Such nonsense, there seem to be other routes, and unfortunately, I didn't understand much. So, I got off the bus and ordered a Bolt. The driver was funny; after he found out I was from Germany, he started belting out all kinds of arias. He mentioned, among others, Bach, Schumann, and singingly continued along. When I saw the sea, I mentioned that I could also get off right there. No, no, he drove me singing to my destination at Cabo do Mundo.

When I was on the Camino, I took deep breaths numerous times. The scent of the sea was fantastic, and I had to smile. With this smile and a clear nose ;-) , I slowly put one foot in front of the other. The path is really magnificent; I could almost walk along the coast to my hotel.

For the first 2 to 3 km, I had to stop constantly and gaze at the sea. I was totally thrilled.

In a small town, some boats were unloading fish. That was a different scent that crept into your nose. I was allowed to take a picture of a catch and watched the locals' activities for a while.

After about 13 km, I sat outside at a small restaurant. Thanks to Google Translate, I was able to place my order. An older gentleman started chatting with me. He was Portuguese but lived with his wife in Luxembourg. He spoke very good German, so we had a really nice conversation. Satisfied, I set off, as there were still nearly 13 km ahead of me.

Around noon, it became incredibly hot; at a pharmacy, the temperature was displayed as 39 degrees :-(! I then took more and more breaks in the shade.

A man was selling fresh figs on the Camino. I love those things and I went ahead and bought an entire kilo. But where to put the heavy bag???? I kept it in my hand, which was really annoying. At the next stop, I surely ate about 500 grams, and lo and behold, the bag could go in the backpack. Just before I wanted to continue, a couple from Australia sat down next to me, and we had such a wonderful conversation and laughed. They were really cool. The man gave me great tips for some cities. The woman was totally impressed with my minimally packed backpack. Yeah, I'm proud of that! I then continued my journey because I still had 6 km to walk. And honestly, they hurt; I was really exhausted; the heat and the long first stage took their toll.

I arrived safely at the hotel. There, I had a great big room with a huge bed. Actually, I didn't want to move anymore today, but suddenly I had such a craving for a cheeseburger, and before I knew it, I was at McDonald's. Meeeegaaaaa delicious ;-) ... so now it's time for foot care. The first stage was very beautiful, and I'm already surprised by the thoughts that come to one.

Bo Camino, best regards, Anke