After a free walking tour in Porto I started my way out of the city. I had hoped to arrive at my hostel before the rain started and left with my sunglasses on. It was an easy 10km walk today, all flat, following the river Douro until it reached the sea and continueing along the sea promenade. Before I’d reached the sea it started raining though. It wasn’t so bad, since I knew it wouldn’t take me long. And I loved reaching the sea, smelling it and watching the waves crash to shore. The 500 bus went the exact same way I did, teasing me with a dry place. But apart from one moment, where I hid under a tree, the rain wasn’t too bad. There were some other people walking or running along the boulevard and at the end I saw the surfers in Matosinhos. I got good vibes from Matosinhos. So close to the city, but on the sea, plenty of shops and restaurants. It was really nice. Because of the 500 bus, I could go into Porto for the evening to interrupt my camino for a concert. The Crystal Fighters were in town, so I danced away any pain.
The following day I had to cross a bridge with a lot of morning traffic. One car had its window open and I heard “bom caminho”. It certainly became a good, although fairly long walk. At the seafront was a wide boulevard. The waves were wild and gigantic Altough it was windy, the sun was out and it became a great walking day. I noticed more cafés were advertising that they welcomed pilgrims or that they had stamps. After Praia Azul, the road deviated and walkers entered a boardwalk, free from traffic and bikes. At that point I saw a van arrive. A whole group got out, with matching tiny backpacks. I passed them as they were checking out the tiny church and view.
On my left I had the beach. On the right a big sewage treatment plant. It was pleasant walking on the boardwalk. It took a while before I saw any towns, but then they followed each other quite quickly. Occassionally I saw beach bars or restaurants, although most were closed for the season or for the morning. At times there were also informative signs. For instance, off the coast lies a sunken WW2 submarine that the Germans sunk rather then letting it be captured at the end of the war. They also informed me of about every stream that flowed to the sea. Mostly it was great to see the waves. I wonder if they ever calm down and make it suitable for swimming.
At some point I talked a bit with a lady from the matching backpack group. She was Puerto Rican but lives in Florida and had come with their church group. She said they did it the bougie way, with their van stopping at checkpoints to provide help or water.
It may not surprise you, but fishing is a big thing around here. Every now and then I saw a fisherman on the rocks. One guy raced by me on his bike, dressed in a wetsuit, carrying a big bag with some sort of shellfish. I also read that they gather seaweeds to sell to cosmetics brands. At Praia de Angeiras I found a town with colorful houses at the shore. In front of it stood loads of fishing equipment. I went into a side street and found the local bakery for a quick rest.
After a few more beach side villages I had to take a detour. They were repairing the boardwalk around Mindelo. I ended up walking back to the coast to follow the way into Vila do Conde. I crossed through town and when I hit the beach, there was a beach bar. I first asked if they had a toilet, otherwise I wouldn’t have stopped. The girl said they did, but I had to take the door handle off the bar, otherwise I couldn’t open it. By this time I could barely see anything through my glasses. The salty air and spray from the waves had created a layer of blur.
After checking in at the hostel I went for a walk in Póvoa de Varzim. You can still reach this town by metro from Porto. There wasn’t a huge amount to see, but I walked by a big casino and then found a long and interesting shopping street. I finished the day with a really nice dinner in the Churrascaria Galo D’ouro, right across the street. While I was having tea at the hostel, I saw Vivian come in, who was now traveling with her friend Helen. I joined them for dinner and we shared a chicken, grilled on hot coals, rice, salad and some green wine. I couldn’t even finish all the chicken. Also, once again the man at the restaurant was super friendly. A few more days left in Portugal and then I’ll find out what it’s like in Spain.
