Back in May 2022 we walked 9 days on the Camino Portugues from Lisbon to Cortica and had to return to the US due to a family emergency. We will be headed back to Cortica today to pick up where we left off on the Camino Portugues Central route.
Three weeks before leaving Beth suffered from excruciating sciatica pain. One week before, we got cortisone shots for our foot neuroma and then our feet got worse. Not sure if we are in shape for this now. We’ve bought better fitting backpacks to alleviate back pain that we both have and we also will be walking with two trekking poles as opposed to just one to take some of the pressure off of our lower joints. Our backpacks weigh 14 & 15 pounds with water. We’re just playing the hand we’re dealt now and see how it all comes out.
We like walking the Camino as you get to see a country at a very slow pace. Additionally, we get to meet other “peregrinos” from all over the world. It can be interesting, boring, fun, sad, lonely… It’s like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get.
Our plan for the first day is to take the red eye fight from Newark to Lisbon, metro to the train station, take the 2.5 hr train to Tomar, then half hour taxi ride to Cortica and begin our 6K walk to Alvaiazere. What could possibly go wrong?
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” ……Anthony Bourdain.
Bom Caminho.
Wishing you and a Beth a wonderful pain free (as much as possible) experience!!!!
Come on folks – you’ve got this – happy travels and enjoy your walk 👏👏