CAMINO PORTUGUES...

 The Camino Bug has bitten us!  After walking a short segment of the Camino Frances last year, we decided we wanted to do a longer one, and chose the Camino Portugues (Litoral route), starting from Porto, Portugal.  We walked for 10 days, approximately 150 miles.  We trained for several months in the summer, routinely walking 3, 6 and even a few 12 milers.  We did not do a lot of hill training, as my knowledge of the Camino Portugues was that it was mostly flat, coastal walking.  Boy, was I mistaken!  There were lots of hills once we crossed over into Spain and headed inland toward Santiago de Compostela.  Glad we got poles!  We did not use them much in Portugal but we did in Spain.

The Camino Portugues was different from the Camino Frances, and I knew it would be.  It felt more touristy to me.  Of course, for a week of the walk we were going along the coast and those are beach/tourist towns.  Almost every stay was in a place with an attraction or something I wanted to see (which I loved, too).  So maybe we were not focused as much as just enjoying the walk as getting there and seeing something interesting.  I will say I think we talked to more people along the Way this time and that was really enjoyable.  We did skip a section due to time constraints (Vigo and Redondela) and also because we were trying to meet up with friends that were walking in from the Camino Frances route on Thursday of the next week.  We had a wonderful time despite some blisters and shin splints!

Enjoy some of my favorite pics:

The start!

Clerigos Tower - we climbed to the top!

Dom Luis bridge designed by Eiffel-pedestrians can walk on both the top and bottom

So much blue tile on buildings inside and out in Porto! Gorgeous!

Walking alongside the Atlantic Ocean - this beautiful pergola was just outside Porto and we met the Vigars from the UK.  We walked alongside them for a while and found out they have a youtube channel, Vigarsroam and chronicle their travels.  We were excited to have met them and have watched some of their recaps of days walked on the Camino Portugues!

We saw several forts on our walk

We took a Sardine factory tour one afternoon - it was so interesting and we even got to taste them!  Not bad in spicy tomato sauce!

We walked over several large bridges on the walk

We stopped at little chapels and large cathedrals along the Way, praying or singing at each one.

We saw an aqueduct at Vila do Conde

This blue tile mural wall in Povoa was one of my favorite random things along the Way

We saw the building remains of old windmills for several days

Sand dune trails - thankfully we were not on these for very long

One afternoon in Viana do Castelo we got to ride a funicular to the top of a hill and see this magnificent cathedral, Santa Luzia.  You could climb up the bell tower and get great views of the city!

Sometimes we took off our shoes and walked in the cool water!  What a gift!

Another fun thing for me was finding the seaglass beach!

In Baiona, we ate well, walked on this little beach, saw the Pinta (replica ship), passed by their massive fort and walked up to the Virgin on the Rock statue in the early morning.

Pontevedra was our rest day - we taxied here and toured the Scallop shell church, saw some convent ruins, and enjoyed the other sights in town, along with tuna pizza.

A couple of days we walked through lots and lots of vineyards!

Enjoying the thermal waters of Caldes de Rei

Our favorite night was spent at Herbon Monastery.  It is like a hostel now.  They have beds for 30 and take no reservations.  You just line up your backpacks outside the door and when there are 30 out there, they place a "completo" sign on the door.  We got there at 11 a.m. to secure a spot and the doors didn't open until 4 p.m.  So that was kind of a rest day!  We met some Canadians who were singing - we joined them and then all the visitors enjoyed it so much they asked us to sing again at the Pilgrim Mass and at the dinner we had together later that night.  It was super fun!

Our group at Herbon Monastery

Our last day of walking we got a wax stamp on our credencials from a young man who had a station set up on the trail.  He insisted we get our picture taken by his sign as well!  Sweet.

We made to Santiago de Compostela on Thursday afternoon as we planned!  The gigantic cathedral is an amazing destination and the plaza is filled with music and the excitement of people finishing the Camino walk, and tourists too.  

We loved meeting up with our friends there and swapping stories from the Camino!  We ate tapas and got gelato to celebrate our blessings!

Our extra day in Santiago, we had a good breakfast at Aires Nunas, visited the Pilgrim Museum, went to the popular noon Mass at the Cathedral with our friends, went to the mercado and shopped.  Then the next morning, time to head home via a train ride to Madrid and getting on a plane!

Till next time, Camino!

FAMILY TIME AT CARLTON LANDING...

 As our family grows more and more, vacations are starting to look a bit different!  We recently went on a trip with the whole family (8 adults, 2 toddlers) and decided to go to a nearby resort area at Lake Eufaula.  The idea for the long weekend was just to chill, enjoy each other's company, eat well, play games.  We went into the town of Eufaula to go out to eat twice - once at Captain Jack's, a floating restaurant, and also brunch on Sunday at Tulip & Table.  We drove around Eufaula looking at all their murals, too.  It's a nice little place!  Along with games, I came up with a few fun challenges for the group after the toddlers went to bed, and we had fun watching our adult kids do those. It was good to all be together!

Beautiful wildflowers

Play time!

Testing the water

Lego challenge:  See which couple could assemble the lego kit the quickest!

Puzzling

The weird food challenge:  Each couple got points for identifying, tasting and guessing where the weird food came from.  It was fun and interesting!

Our DIL made her own Blueberry birthday cake!

Butterfly

Can you look over there? 

The whole gang!

ORANGE BEACH STILL DELIGHTS...

Well, we MOSTLY love variety and new places when it comes to travel but we just spent a couple of weeks at Orange Beach, Alabama, again!  It's our winter go-to in February!  I think it's our 7th year?

At the east end of the beach by the Perdido Pass 

We haven't grown tired of it yet!  This year we did a few new things besides our usual walking on the beach and biking.  And the weather was amazing!  Only one cold day for the two weeks we were there.

We drove to Pensacola (about 30 min) and visited the lighthouse on the Naval Base - if you go you must bring proper ID to get on the base.  

We climbed to the top on this beautiful staircase.  At the base there was a keeper's house which is now a nice museum of history on the lighthouse.   

There are lots of Live Oaks there!  Can you see the lighthouse through the tree?

Close to the lighthouse, also on the Naval Base was the National Aviation Museum.  This is a presidential helicopter.  

We watched a movie about the Blue Angels and were so impressed with the training and precision it takes to fly one of those planes!  The whole museum was very interesting!

I discovered a new coffee shop I LOVED in Gulf Shores, about 15 min. away.  DH's grandpa name is Pappy, so of course I had to come again and bring him for a hot chocolate and enjoy their comfy atmosphere!

Being on the east end of the beach, we were close to the Perdido Pass bridge, which has a pedestrian walkway across it to Gulf State park.  We decided to give it a try!

On the bridge

A look at the Gulf State park (one of several beach ones) from the bridge!  We we walked about 6 miles this day, including all around the beach here.  

Near the bridge is a neat restaurant - The Gulf -  made out of shipping containers.  They have a great seating area with sandy beach, looking out at the ocean.  Great food, too!

We were there on Fat Tuesday, so watched the Orange Beach parade!  There are always lots of floats and they throw lots of Moon Pies and other goodies.  

Some of the goodies from the parade!

Another part of the trip we love is driving and listening to audio books, and stopping at new places along the way.  This time we listened to The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly and Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.  Both books were really good.  We went through Nashville (DH had a business meeting) so one good lunch stop was a butcher shop/deli called Mr. P's in Hoover, AL and another was Priester's Pecans near Montgomery, AL, with great food and gift items.  They also had a viewing area to watch pecan processing. 

I'm always thankful for the chance to get away during the winter! 

CAMINO LESSONS: BACKPACK BURDENS...

 As we prepared to walk the Camino de Santiago, we took many, many walks. We called it training and it paid off in more ways than one! We wore the backpacks we planned to take with us. Then we started adding weight in our backpacks(some use a luggage transfer service on the Camino, but we preferred not to).  We worked up to 10 pounds and I realized how uncomfortable I was with just that added weight, the added burden on my back.  I started thinking how much easier it would be not to have the physical load.  And then it dawned on me, without my backpack I'd be miserable!  It carries my clothing, food, and necessities!  It sustains me!  It really is a BLESSING!

Day 1 on our Camino de Santiago, with my backpack of blessings.

What if the things we consider burdens in our everyday living we thought of as BLESSINGS? Our chores, work and obligations. Our spouses, parents, children, friends, co-workers occasionally feel like burdens.  They all have needs.  And it's not up to us to meet all of them. But where would we be without them?  And without work to do, would life have any real meaning? 

The Cruce de Ferro on the Camino Frances intrigues me.  It is a hilly place where an ancient cross is and stone "burdens" are brought and left by many pilgrims on the Camino.  I've read many stories of how meaningful this is for them.  And I realized if I were to bring a burden to lay down at the foot of the cross, it would be the BURDEN OF EXPECTATION.  Often times I'm very hard on myself with unrealistic expectations.  Instead of relying on God's mercy and grace I tend toward filling my life with too many works or visions of perfection.   

Before I even stepped foot on the pilgrim's path to Santiago de Compostela, I had already learned something!  My BURDENS are mostly BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE.  Mindfully walking through life, smiling along the way is a more pleasant way to look at my mental and physical load.  And God has equipped me to carry it and enjoy the journey.  

It reminds me of a devotional song with a catchy tune:  

Who's that walkin' down the road?  Carrying such a heavy load!

Sinner, lay your burden down, 'cause you're walking down Heaven's road!

Walkin' down Heaven's Road, you're gonna lay down that heavy load,

(Sweet) Jesus said He'd walk along with me (Praise God, glory hallelujah)

I'm singing all the way, I've got sunshine in every day,

Won't you come along and join me on that Heaven's road?