Camino de Santiago - Portuguese - Day 1

Daily Overview

• Summary of the Day(s): We headed out of Richmond to Newark (NJ) yesterday where we hungout for several hours before our flight over night to Porto. We had a couple hours after getting to Porto before we could get into our ABnB and we needed it because we struggled with the metro system and finding our room.

• What we planned to do: Vist the cathedral in Porto and get our first stamp for the Camino. Mission accomplished.

Today’s Focus

• Topic: The First Step -The Journey of a Thousand Miles

  It feels like we really have walked a thousand miles in our quest to finally get here but now the real journey begins….

• Word for the Day: Courage

• Scripture: "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31

• Spiritual Practice:  Mindful Walking - Begin the day with a few minutes of silent walking, focusing on the simple rhythm of your steps and breathing as a form of meditation and prayer. Acknowledge your dependence on God for each step.

  
  

Moments and Images

• Images from the Way Today: Collected our first stamp on our Compostellas and got a picture with the Camino marker in front of the Cathedral

• Beautiful Spot of the Day: 

  

  Approaching the Cathedral from the narrow streets below

• Spiritual Meditative Moment: 

  Lying in the sun on the balcony of Porto Cathedral with all of Porto spreading out in the distance, while this young street musician does a version of a Bee Gees song on the guitar.

  
  

• What Church We Visited: Porto Cathedral

  

  Porto Cathedral awash with tourists and pilgrims

• People we experienced: Helena the host at our AB&B. A lovely Portuguese lady who spoke very good English and was very helpful with directions.

• Unexpected Surprises: The nature of the subway system here. I may never get over it.

Video from our walk to the Cathedral

Reflections and Learnings

Being here feels surreal on so many different levels. Here we are more than five years beyond our initial attempt to do the Camino in 2020. That all ended with the onslaught of the pandemic. In the ensuing five and a half years ,much has changed with us, circumstantially and internally. My dad passed away, and Sandy’s mom as well. We have two rambunctious grandchildren. We find ourselves walking in the unfamiliar shoes worn by our own parents when we were the age our own children are now.

• Reflections from the last two days

  Sitting here on the tarmac in seat 34a on the United flight from Newark to Porto. As I was boarding the plane, I helped a woman stuff her suitcase into one of the overhead bins. The plane is completely packed. People are struggling during boarding to get their luggage stowed away. There are clearly lots of pilgrims. Many more women than men. You can feel the energy on the plane. It is a different vibe. Im tempted to go to the front of the plane and ask very loudly who here is bound for the Camino because a lot of people are not flying to their destination. They’re merely headed to a jumping off point and the far off destination is Santiago, the final resting place of one of the “sons of thunder”, St James. The lady seated beside us is going with a group. A more organized kind of deal where they transport your luggage and book your accommodations, but it’s still a pilgrimage. Lots of women are doing this. We met an older woman (probably 70s) and her daughter from eastern North Carolina, walking together but by themselves. We were sitting in the terminal, guessing who the pilgrims were. So many people with backpacks. What does this mean? We’re not headed to Las Vegas or Disney World or any of a hundred other exotic, beautiful, entertaining tourist destinations. What is the draw in the spirit attracting these people here. It reminds me of that old science fiction movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where all of these people have an experience that draws them all to the same place at the same time. A woman paused beside me in the aisle of the plane, trying to find space for her pack. She had a key fob on the side of her pack with Psalm 46:5 inscribed on it in blue marker. That scripture says, “God is within her, she will not fail…”

• "Well, that was hard": In America, we take our subways seriously. You are sure as heck not going to get on any subway I’ve ever been on in America without a ticket. Not so in Porto. They have ticket kiosks, but it’s almost like you don’t know what to do with your ticket once you get it. Where do you put it, and what turn-style does it open. What gate is barring your way that this ticket magically opens? Nope, none of that, it’s like everyone using the metro is validating their tickets on the honor system.I have no idea what happens to you if you just get on the train without a ticket.

• "What helped me today": my wife’s calm and patience were an asset

• "Something I learned": Porto is an amazing place where modern and ancient worlds collide with each other, and no apologies

• "Insight for the day": There must be ten million cobblestones in the streets of Porto because they are everywhere.

Daily Conclusion

• Strength and clarity

• Gratitudes (1–3 things I'm thankful for):

A nice bed to sleep on after a night on the plane

Beautiful weather today

Getting our first Camino stamp