I could feel my body getting stiff, my joints losing flexibility. It’s been hotter than expected—43 degrees Celsius (109.5 degrees Fahrenheit) just the other day—and I’ve been walking with a strange feeling for several days now. Ignoring the signs along the way, I stuck to my plan and kept on walking.
Tree line along the Camino Portugues
Hoping to improve my body’s flexibility, I woke up early one morning and practiced yoga. I could feel my body stretching beyond the physical muscles and my soul expanding. It was then, in the silence of meditation that I knew what I had to do.
I haven’t been flexible on the first week of my Camino. Instead, I got so attached to my plan of walking from Lisbon to Santiago, that I didn’t take the time to listen…and the more I ignored my inner voice, the less flexible I became—physically and mentally. Lao Tzu once said, “The stiff and unbending is the disciple of death. The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life…A tree that is unbending is easily broken.”
In a humble yet powerful way, this is one of the Camino’s best offerings. With its ever-changing nature, the Camino constantly reminds you to let go of attachment, to embrace change, and to stretch your branches wide and high…
I decided to catch a train to Porto, spend a couple of rest days in the city, and start walking my Camino from there. Plans give you a solid foundation and serve as a guideline for you to set your direction and achieve your goals or destination. But a good plan also allows you to evaluate the path taken, leaving room for learning, flexibility, and change. Arriving in Porto felt like visiting an old friend, and I stepped out of the train station with a big smile on my face. It was then that I knew I made the right decision.
Change is the essence of life.
Whichever path we take, there’s a time to walk, and there’s a time to stop. And there’s a time to catch the train…
We cannot avoid change, no matter how hard we try. We can fight it, which will leave us stiff and broken, or we can embrace the changes in our lives…and let our branches dance in the wind.
The Journey from Within 
Too bad you missed Coimbra another wonderful town but the Camino is always right, if you had to change you had to change. You will find the way north from Porto better marked and more populated with pilgrims, that walk out is a bummer, big time, asphalt and suburbs, workshops and gas stations, furniture stores and car dealers, do consider to take the Metro from the Trinidad station in Porto, on Red Line to Santa Clara Station on Av. Da Liberdade in Vila do Conde short 5 minute walk to rejoin the Camino down by the river. Vila do Conde is pleasant but nothing to write home about – church is nice but usually closed.
Thanks, Scruffy. I am actually going to take the alternative route and walk along the ocean instead…leaving tomorrow morning!
Hi Michal, you did the right thing my pilgrim friend! as the Way guided you to Porto is the way that is you are meant to get there! at the time that you are meant to be there! I’m only starting from Porto on the 10th July as I have been guided to go there! on that day to start my Portugues way! I would like to be in Santiago for the 25th for the feast of St. James! so I think i will only have 1 day in Porto as it takes 12 days to Santiago from Porto I believe? so I should be there by the 23rd/24th? God willing!
Will you be there for the feast day Michal?? hope to meet up again soon! Buen Camino!
Greetings, my Camino friend! Glorious day yesterday and looking forward to starting my walk this morning…I am just taking each day as I go, so not sure about the 25th. If I am in Santiago, it will be after walking to Finisterre and, possibly, Muxia. So let’s see how it goes and maybe we’ll get to meet…
I highly recommend the alternative route, walking along the ocean, when leaving Porto. Buen Camino!
Hi My Camino friend I am now in Porto! Starting my Camino from here tomorrow morning so I am interested in finding out about the coastal route as you have recommended. I have just been to the pilgrims tourist office at the Cathederial- they can not provide me with any info on it? Only the inland route! Please let me know what the starting point is for it any info you can give me would be appreciated too! So where are you now Michal? How long does the coastal route take to Tui then Santiago? Cheers! Buen Camino!
Mags.
Welcome to beautiful Porto, Margaret! I only took the coastal route going out of Porto. Then, I walked inland and headed to lovely Tui. So my recommendation was specifically about the first stage out of Porto. I imagine the entire coastal route would be lovely but I don’t have much info about it with me. To walk the first stage from Porto along the coast, you have a couple of options: you can catch a tram or bus to Matasinhos (#500 I believe, will get you there), or you can walk to the Douro river and then walk along the coast from Porto itself (keep in mind that the beginning of this option is relatively busy and crowded, but you walk along the river until it meets the ocean), or you can walk through the city (and City Park, which is what I did) until reach Matasinhos. Taking a bus or tram will save you about an hour of walking and you can start at the bridge Ponte Movel.
I am taking a day of rest so might be online later so let me know if you have more questions about first stage or anything, really. I am in Pontevedra, and enjoying the city very much. Hope to post more tomorrow, so stay tuned :)
Buen Camino!
שלום מיכל! שליחה עד עכשיו קראתי את שמך מיכאל דרך צלחה! מיקי או בשמי בפורום
scruffy
Thanks, Miki!
Hi Michal, Not trying to run yourCamino for you but I would like to give a timely warning-cross the bridge into Spain and set your watch! There is an hour difference. Tui is nice enough, the walk out is lovely say hello to St Telmo for me by his bridge, nothing Christian you know, I was once a sailor. The walk through Porrino is god-awful unless you just like factories, warehouses, car dealers, asphalt and rubbish. Just beyond is Mos/ Cabaleiros with a new hostel Casa Blanca opposite church, the village has bar which was closed last spring and a restaurant La Taberna another 1k which was also closed. Plan well. If it is blazing hot, do consider this: as you come out of the woods just above Porrino before the big crossroads, there is a bar/restaurant, the lady there wil be happy to call a taxi for Mos allowing you to walk on through the countryside again and reach Redondela in good spirits.
St. Telmo says hello! Viva España! :)
Michal, it’s been wonderful reading your comments – can’t wait to hear when you get to Santiago. My oldest sister and I are walking from Lisbon to Porto in late September-October – our middle sister joins us in Porto for the rest of the Way. Like you, we’re anticipating maybe the plans will change, but the Way will guide us! I wish you much peace and happiness on your Way, Meena
Thanks, Meena! September is a great time to walk the Camino Portugues! I will update the blog with pics and info over the next several days and weeks…the last week or so has been incredibly rich and full! The Portugues route has so much to offer, also from Lisbon- it was just not the right time for me, and instead, I plan to walk to Finisterre via Muxia, and then…we’ll see :) Please do let me know if you have any questions or anything I can help with. Buen Camino!
אם אני מתחיל להיות נודניק תגידי ואני אאסוג, מושיה!!! איזה מקום מקסים-אין שם כלום מלבד השקט-הדרך נכנסת ליד כנסיה עתיקה שתתפללי שתהי פתוחה בכפר לפני מושיה אז את נכנסת ליער וירודת לים, בכניסה למושיה יש אלברגה-תתעלמי תשארי על הכביש הראשי תעברי את המלון המורדני המגעיל בשם “לה קרוז” ותמשיכי ליד הפסלון של ג’ימי הקדוש עד לבר/מסעדה בשם ג’רדין שכתוב עם האות איקס שמאלה פניי וברחוב ראשון תפני ימינה ובבית השני תמצאי את בגוניה נכון בשם הפרח בית ארחה מקסים ובגוניה עצמה ממל’ה מכל הממל’ות בעולם, תתפללי ליום גשום במיוחד שם כדי לראות את הכנסיה נעלמת בגלים! ועוד המקום לאוכל נרקא בר מרכזי תכנסי אל עף המראה החיצוני בהמשיך קצת יש מסעדה חדשה שלא זוכר את שמה יותר יקרה אבל מתאימה לחגיגת הסיום-ושוב סליחה שאני מנסה לסדר לך את הכמינו שלך-פיניסטרה? היא אהובתה של העם הטֶוְטוֹנִי למינהם-גרמנים דנים הולנדים בלגים אבל לא בגללם אני לא אוהב את המקום-שתגיעי תביני המגדלאור בשעתהשקיעה? כן
מיקי
Thanks, Miki!
I was actually in Finisterre last year, after walking the Camino Frances. I haven’t looked up the route yet…does it go through Muxia first and then Finisterre? Re: Finisterre, I am mostly interested in the path itself to Finisterre…walking by the Big Blue. And also, I discovered a remote beach last year that a local told me about, so I look forward to visiting it :)
From Santiago, the route goes down behind the cathedral and after two days splits,one to Fistera as the locals pronounce and the other to Muxia I can’t find my book or I would tell you exactly where. From Muxia there is a well marked coastal route back down to Fistera, very quiet and peaceful. The road into Finistera from Cee remains for me a nightmare beautiful mountains leading down to the sea from one side and a continous stream of cars-trucks-buses from the other. Found the book! Santiago to Negreira-the private albergue is the best, on to Olveiroa then 5-6 kilometer and at Hospital it splits north to Muxia. Please give Begonia a big hug from me, she knows who the bearded pilgrim from Israel is.
Thanks, Miki…no worries about the book and details- I don´t like to be led by the hand anyway :) The only question was Santiago-Finisterre-Muxia-Santiago or Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre-Santiago and I think I will go with the latter. That´s also JB´s recommendation and I feel good about that one…I will be walking with no guidebook this time so we´ll see what adventures await along the Way :)
Miki, Begoña says hello! :)