Porto to Maia – 13.0km, 3.25 hours, Tuesday, 17 September

We woke up early this morning, even though we had a short walk planned for the day. Nerves? Anticipation? Jettlag?  Not really. I think it had more to do with Melanie accidentally setting a 5:00a.m. alarm on her phone. We didn’t even catch it until after she showered and after I packed my bags.  Oops. That was a bad start.

When the sun was finally up, we could barely see it.  The sky was even darker than yesterday and we could also smell it inside. This could be our biggest hurdle on this Camino. Later, as we walked, we could always see, smell and taste the smoke but at times, it was blowing into our eyes and making them sting. Where is our scuba masks and tanks when we need them?

We managed our Uber baggage transfer service fairly easily. At 19€ it was 5€ more expensive than we would have paid to a regular transport company but I felt more certain that our bags would be delivered faster and to the right hotel. After all, the driver only had our bags and he was delivering both to one hotel. I also had his name, photo, car plate number and phone number. When our bags were misplaced twice last year, we could only get through to a general company number after many unanswered calls.  

Of course, particularly since we were in Porto, the next thing we did was to find a cafe to get a small breakfast. Tostadas and cafe leche was Melanie’s fuel for the day while I had a croissant and apricot juice. When the lovely woman behind the counter asked if I wanted a plain croissant or one with ham and cheese, I didn’t want to disappoint her. I went for the croissandwich and I am happy to report it was much better than Burger Kings. 

We also hit up the bank once more for another 200€. You never know when we will see the next bank affiliated ATM again. Since we had walked to the ATM last night from the Camino starting point at the Cathedral, we didn’t have to re-walk that short distance but you are crazy if you think I haven’t gone ahead and added those few hundred meters into today’s total. 

After that, we climbed the steep hills out of the historic district and into the urban sprawl in the more industrial and residential areas in Porto’s north. It certainly was not as pretty as our last walk out of Porto along the river and the sea but it also had its own blessings. There are some beautiful buildings along the way as well as lovely neighborhoods and houses. 

We also saw more pilgrims on this route compared to the coastal route we walked ten years ago.  Our first that we talked to was a Spanish man who stopped us to make sure we were one the right trail for our intended walk.  He had just met someone who wanted to be on the coastal route but couldn’t understand the lack of water in sight.  He also asked if we had walked a Camino before and I proudly said that this was our ninth one. He lit up so brightly and gave us both a big hug. I thought he was impressed but then he said this was his 21st Camino.  I had to get down on my knees to shine his boots.  Melanie also walked with Polish Anna for a couple of kilometers. Anna walks faster than we had been so I thought it was great. Our pace went from barely 4kph to over 5kph while walking with Anna. She was going further than we were today so we had to say goodby too soon.  For 45 minutes though, those two talked constantly and when that happens, the mileage goes by so quickly – in this case, literally AND figuratively. 

There is not much more to report about today. I can say I actually preferred it to the coastal route but I understand why many others don’t. The coastal route is naturally lovely. The urban route needs more effort to be able to see its beauty.  The trail was surprisingly well marked but I’d still recommend having a backup Camino App or maps.me with the GPS tracks on it. We got off course twice but only a short detour. If you are walking the Camino Portugués in the future, consider this urban option.  If you are walking the Camino Portugués in the few days, consider bringing a gas mask. 

Peace y’all. Goodnight George and Leo.