LP and VQT

Posted by LP Photo - inside the very ornate and clearly well loved church (with local parishioners cleaning) Photo - green tiled house (first of many green houses and doors etc., to be posted by LP) Photo - aqueduct built to serve the 11th century monastery  Since we’ve left home, we have trudged through Atlanta. Madrid and Porto airports, but we have not yet walked a single step on the Camino - that begins tomorrow with 15 1/2 miles (mercifully flat) from Vila do Condo to Esposende on the coastal Camino Portugues We arrived at Vila do Condo after lunch today (Monday) and have had a lovely time eating lunch, drinking wine and acting like tourists - monastery, churches, cobbled streets, medieval history and charm everywhere  Photo - Santa Clara (her likeness is everywhere in this town)

 Posted by LP Photo of LP at cafe with couple of glasses of beer on the table - only had one or two hours of sleep on the plane, nonetheless, we began as we mean to carry on….enjoyed a cold beer (and a meal of salad and fries/chips…..typical Camino fare for us vegetarians!)  Note - we describe the photos to make this blog as accessible as possible to everyone, including our friends with disabilities 💚

 Posted by VQT We usually stay a night in Madrid on our way home.  This year we are staying one night at both the beginning and ending of our Camino.  We think this is either our 3rd or 4th time at the same hotel near the airport.  In prior years we ate at a vegetarian cafe only 1/4 of a mile from the hotel - this time the cafe was not open - they close on Sundays.  Because “our” cafe was closed we ventured out further to a green square surrounded by restaurants and a cacophony of bird sounds.   Photo of a monk parakeet.  Our first bird of this Camino.  Noisy little creatures.  Photo: Quick Google search info. These parakeets are considered an invasive pest.  Photo: Two monk parakeets on the ground.   Photo of a large nest    Great way to start this Camino   Invasive or not I delighted in seeing them.  Long night of travel and now after eating we will rest and get some sleep. Tomorrow we go back to the airport an...

 Posted by LP Photo - LP and VQT checking a piece of luggage at the Delta desk - in fact it is a beautifully crafted box containing only our hiking poles and a pocket/pen knife (obviously not allowed in hand luggage) - thanks to GJA for excellent work with cardboard and tape 💚

 Posted by VQT Photo: VQT and LP in front of a portrait of Maynard Jackson.  Easiest airport check in ever!   Both of us are TSA pre checked but that line wasn’t open   The regular check in line had 1 person in front of us.  Took maybe 2 minutes to get through all the screening    Many of you that have faithfully followed us on our Camino walks might recognize our clothes.  Yep - same exact clothes we’ve worn for all 4 previous Caminos. I do have a slight fear that my clothes might disintegrate somewhere totally remote.  But, that’s a risk I am willing to take because I have not be able to find any other clothing that functions as well as these.   Flight departs at 9:55 pm.  

 Post by LP If you are reading this, we thank you - it means you are one of the many family and friends interested enough in our trip, our faithful supporters, to pay attention to our photos and ramblings - you are, therefore, much appreciated 💚 Can you bloody believe it?…..we are off on another Camino - I have had a “series of unfortunate events” these past 6 months that have threatened my capacity to take on the rigors of long distance walking, but with the help of several doctors and physical therapists, the encouragement of family and friends, here I am with just a little bit of a limp and (mostly) ready for another Camino adventure :) The photo is of the covers of our guide books - the first section of the trip is the Camino Portuguese, 175 miles from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, the second is a further 75 miles from Santiago to Finisterre via Muxia and the Costa du Morte - what you cannot see in the photo is the sections of the guide books of routes we are not taking, th...