We are here! Beautiful Porto! Getting to know some amazing ladies from all over the world (six different countries) who said YES to this adventure on the Portuguese Coastal Way.

May 23

Shells and passports today! Yay. Ready for a modern day pilgrimage and celebration of life.

May 24

Day 1

The utter beauty of our first day on the coastal way. Porto to Vila Cha. Spirits are high, the weather is fabulous and our ladies are the best!

May 25

Day 2 on the Portuguese Coastal way.

What stood out…

* Love. (And the quote from Lise that the love that is missing is the love you don’t give.)

* 86-year-old Celeste who we showered with love x 10 and then told us that this encounter was one of the gifts of her life and couldn’t wait to get home and tell her friend.

* Sunrise start and 8km walk to breakfast.

* Portuguese pastel de nata and cappuccino for breakfast just because you can!

* Our sharing circles. Love and treasures.

* Very fresh ocean dip!

* Delicious yoga stretches led by Sylvie.

* Albergue accommodation because we are pilgrims after all.

* Dinner in our small village. Laughing and talking hard

* Thinking I AM HERE. Why am I so lucky?

Day 3

A gem of a day! Aguacadoura to Esposende. Beautiful weather, wild fennel, breakfast surprise at Clarinha Pastelaria in Fao, a Camino angel, a gift shop and a swimming pool to cool off.

Day 4 and 26km

Incredible day.

So many gifts on the road.

I’m not surprised. This is how it goes.

My heart is overflowing as usual as the power of this group multiplies what happens here on the way

Day 5

Gifts of today….

* 19km of villages and forested paths to Vila Praia de Ancora.

* An old monastery and famous poet’s former residence.

* Dipping our feet in a cold stream.

* Last night in Portugal!

* Lisbon soccer team victory. Mayhem and celebration in our restaurant and in the streets.

Day 6

The “Fofas on Camino” are 6 days in!

Our days are jam-packed. (Fofa is our Portuguese name, which means cute ones )

We decided today the Camino is like a box of chocolates…You never know what you’re going to get. You just present yourself for another day on the way and it all unfolds.

It all unfolds perfectly

Today we said farewell to Portugal. We will miss the Nata tarts and the kind folk who always pointed us in the right direction.

We walked 26km to Oia where the monastery hovers over the ocean. What a reception by Tanya at Cala Inn. She was waiting with a jug of Sangria to welcome us and a restaurant reservation.

We invited her into our sharing circle eager to get to know her and the origins of her homely pilgrim sanctuary.

Oia is a real treat! Dinner was delicious with a sea view. Tonight is the “Virgin of the sea” fiesta and live music is expected to rage all night long. We danced a bit, taking in the ambience in front of the majestic Santa de Maria monastery founded in 1137.

Wow. Tomorrow we are having an early ocean dip at sunrise.

Hello Spain!

Day 7

Gifts on the road…

* Realising we are six days into the journey.

* Vagabonding with these powerful women across the countryside.

* An incredible breakfast.

* Following the ocean today and then climbing into the hills before descending into Baiona.

* Arriving at the Parador for a night of luxury, sleeping in an old historic castle.

* A plunge in the ocean to remedy tired feet and swim with a view of the boats and yachts.

* Sharing our stories tonight, a round table dinner and this moment in time.

Day 8

Baiona to Vigo 27km

Gifts of the day…

* A breakfast fit for a queen at the beautiful Parador Hotel. Wow.

* Following the coast today past clear blue water and white sands.

* Coffee en route. Always coffee en route!

* Managing the long distance.

* Stretching the body! Bliss.

* Another celebratory dinner…this time in a vegetarian restaurant for Lise. Yum

* Realising we are a Camino family!

* So much fun, laughing and sharing.

Day 9

Vigo to Redondela

Gifts of the day…

* Fresh orange juice and wholesome brown bread. Churros.

* A shorter day of 15km.

* Climbing into the hills and following the

waterline of Vigo and its iconic bridge.

* Mild weather.

* Reaching Redondela, the intersection of the Central and Coastal Way and lots of pilgrims.

* Arriving at our Albergue, a converted Galician manor home with a grand garden.

* Cooking dinner together and producing a feast.

* Eating together and listening to Spanish music.

* Another swim at a mini beach.

Day 10

Three days left of walking.

Today was 18km from Redondela to Pontevedra.

Gifts of the day…

* Cool forest paths and croaking frogs

* Bagpipes

* My happy walkers making their way

* Lots of stamps

* Galician food and coffee

* The Iglesia Virgen Del Camino, centred around female pilgrims!

* Climbing to the top

* Dinner in an Italian restaurant

* Laughing hard with my new roommate for the night!

Day 11

The Spiritual Variant was such a treat.

Gifts of the day….

* So many gifts!!

* Starting in the dawn.

* The magical old fishing village of Combarro

* The surreal sight of the women collecting clams in the ocean.

* The many beachfront horreos once used to dry fish and grains.

* Finally finding breakfast after climbing up Mount Redondo for two hours.

* Our very mod hotel modelled on the monastery.

* A swimming pool.

* The monastery!!

* Wine tasting of the region’s Albariño green wines

* A wedding at the monastery and traditional dancing.

* The pilgrim’s blessing by the nuns.

* Dinner at the town’s buzzing restaurant.

* A tray of complimentary chamomile tea and tarte de Santiago brought to our room by a young man named Santiago!

* The 10pm sunset in Spain.

Day 12

27km today of walking and a boat trip with a sacred St James story, now part of the Camino.

Gifts of the day…

* 5.30am start in the dark beside a river.

* Our breakfast packed for us by our hotel and presented with a smile pre dawn.

* Pronto to Villanova de Arousa by 2pm to catch a boat as the final part of the spiritual variant.

* Coffee on the way (always!) made by a lovely lady who then brought out cake and boiled eggs.

* Commentary on our boat by Gabriel on mussel harvesting and ancient crosses related to the Camino.

* Getting to Padron! Our Albergue with curtains

* Chatting with the local men gathered in the square

* Tasty dinner after a big day shared with tired, hungry women!

* Feeling elated. We are here and tomorrow we walk to Santiago!!!

* Visiting the home of Spanish writer Ramón María del Valle-Inclán.

Day 13

Santiago! 280km vagabonding across Portugal and Spain with these AMAZING ladies. An awesome experience comes to an end. Bonded by the Camino.

Our deep, deep gratitude to the amazing ladies that walked with us this year! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.

Darene & Sylvie xx