Category: Life and Living

April 20th. Day One on the Camino. Porto to Mosteiro de Vairao.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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We are approximately 30 km from Porto at the end of our first day. Rather than “slog” through the heart of Porto and its suburbs we took the Metro to the outskirts of town and began our walk.

Today was hot by Camino standards, sunny and nearly 80 degrees. Our “path” followed rural cobblestone lanes with occasional shade, the fragrance of lilacs, and the barnyard sounds of sheep and chickens. Cafes were pleasantly spaced every few kilometers.

We have ended our walk for today at the Mosteiro de Vairao. Once a Monastery, and built in the 11th Century, it has been repurposed as a classic Pilgrim’s Albergue (Hostal). Use is limited to pilgrims walking the Camino, and the charge is a suggested donation of 5 euros per person. There are beds for 50 divided among 12 rooms, but it appears that there are only 7 of us here this evening. The other Perigrinos are 2 ladies from Finland, 2 gentleman from Brazil, and one from Maine. Since there are no services here at the albergue, 5 of us have agreed to join and walk 20 minutes to a nearby restaurant. The pilgrim from Maine and the other Brazilian joined later. 15 euros each for 3 excellent courses each of us, plus beer, wine, and a Tawny Port afterwards!

Here are pictures of the Monastery:

The Finnish ladies and I walked to a mini-Mercado (store) to buy some breakfast supplies, and as luck would have it the store had a small bar that serves cold beer as 1.20 euro a glass. The “supplies” I purchased, 3 bananas, cream filled croissants, and a bottle of good Portuguese wine (to share tonight with the pilgrims) cost only 6 euros! One could really stretch the retirement income in rural Portugal.

Today Christine turned on the charm with the lady managing the Monastery Albergue and got us the only singe room and double bed! Pretty remarkable since the lady spoke no English and Christine speaks no Portuguese. However, they do share the common language of pleasant smiles.

Tomorrow looks to be a 20 km segment. We have called ahead and reserved a room in a private albergue.

 

Peace Everyone! Pete

 

April 19th. Leaving Porto, A Supplement.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

We leave Porto in the morning to begin walking the 250 km Portuguese route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This was our first visit to Porto (hopefully not our last!) but not our first connection to this beautiful place.

In 1991 Christine and I were in London, staying at a quaint brownstone B&B in the heart of the city on Gower Street. We had become friends with Teresa who was a staff person from Porto, and her visiting sister, Isabelle, also from Porto. Isabelle had brought her 10 year old son to London for continuing treatment of a life threatening condition, a growth in his throat that was restricting his esophagus. Doctors were investigating therapies before electing for a potentially dangerous surgery.

Guests were typically not allowed in the kitchen or garden of the B&B, but we became the exception. One evening we were treated to glasses of the excellent Port wine that Isabelle had brought from home, the four of us were exchanging stories and gratitude for the lives we had been given to date. It was one of those times that one comes to appreciate how much we are all alike across the globe. Teresa suggested that we all go to dinner the following evening at a local Greek restaurant, one of her favorites.

The next night we walked, arm-in-arm to dinner. The restaurant was alive with patrons speaking a number of foreign languages… our “America English” may well have been considered “foreign” by the Brits in attendance!

In the midst of the celebration Teresa let out a scream. A thief had grabbed her purse and was making a fast run to the street. Reflexively, I took pursuit and caught him just outside the restaurant. A physical confrontation ensued. I ducked a punch and succeeded in wrestling the purse away from him. He then ran off as other patrons were coming to lend assistance. Teresa and Isabelle were grateful, the restaurant owner thanked me and expressed his relief that I was unhurt. It was at that moment that I learned from the owner and other patrons that the fist that I ducked had held a knife.

Sadly, we lost touch with Isabelle and Teresa. I have wondered over the years about them and Isabelle’s son. Some stories are just destined to remain unfinished.

Peace Everyone. Pete

April 19th. Porto. Camino Eve and Today’s Camino Angels.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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Tomorrow we officially start our 250 km walk to Santiago Spain. Today we mailed more “excess stuff” back home…

… and made a morning visit to the Cathedral in Porto to have our credentials stamped. It was an unexpectedly emotional moment for both of us. After a bit of silent reflection we decided to tour the adjoining Cloister.

We were met at the entry by Rita. She is a psychology student at the University of Porto. She and her friend and fellow student (in tourism), Mafalda, were taking pictures of visitors for personalized Cathedral memory booklets available for purchase, 7 euros. At the conclusion of our visit Rita showed us “our” booklet. It was a very good picture and we explained our regret that we had no way to safely carry it on the Camino. She thanked us as we left. A few minutes later Christine decided a crumpled booklet would be better than no booklet, and besides the young ladies were so polite and engaging. I remained behind and waited. Shortly thereafter Christine returned, red-eyed with tears. She explained that the girls decided to use their personal time to package and mail the booklet to our home. While our nationality didn’t matter, they had initially guessed that we were Canadians, because we had such big smiles!

We visited with Mafalda and Rita, learned a bit about one another, exchanged contact information, took pictures and hugged as we parted. Friendships were forged in minutes that may endure for a lifetime. This is the way of the Camino, and its “Angels”.

Our day continued, warmed by the glow of those special young women. We visited and toured the Croft Port wine cellars, the oldest Port producer in the world, its operations dating to 1588. They have one barrel of port that has been aging for nearly 130 years! A 90 year old was opened last year and declared excellent!

We enjoyed a boat tour on the Douro River, a gondola ride above the Port wine warehouses, and another exceptional street performance.

We will finish our day seeking another gastronomic “hidden gem”, drink a good Douro wine, and then try and get a good night’s rest for the Camino that awaits us.

Peace Everyone! Pete

April 18th. Porto! You Can’t Tell a Book (or a Hostel or a Restaurant) by its Cover.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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Porto immediately impresses as a place that no matter how many days you are here, it is not enough. In our case we have allotted only 2 days as we are intent on beginning the Camino. As with Lisbon, perhaps another time.

We are staying at The Poets Inn of Porto, another “upscale” hostel. 45 euros a night buys us a remarkably spacious room that oozes with charm… breakfast is included! The bland exterior camouflages this hidden gem.

We settled in late in the afternoon and chose naps before settling out to explore the neighborhood, central city, and seek dinner. This is a compact city, folded into the hills that challenge ones legs and sense of direction.

The restaurant we chose was located in an alley, hidden from the more tourist oriented establishments on the nearby square. It was recommended by our host, yet the exterior still commanded a leap of faith for us to enter. Our reward was the finest meal of this journey to date, bar none! Christine had a fall-off-the-bone pork shank, and I was wowed by a grilled octopus. The trimmings would have outshone most fine dining entrees, but ours main courses were so exceptional that they retained their status at “top billing”. A rich and complex red Duoro wine became the exclamation point of the meal. By the way, can you guess the original function of the “chandelier”???

Tomorrow we explore the city, get our credentials stamped at the Cathedral for our Camino departure, sip port wine, and look into each other’s eyes.

Peace Everyone. Pete

(Answer: The drum to a wash machine)

April 17th. The Last Full Day In Lisbon.

Posted on by Pete Schloss

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The weather set the tone for the day; sunny, warm, and not a cloud in the sky! We intended to occupy a part of the morning doing laundry, but Liz here on staff at Poets Hostal did it for us. Washed, dried, folded, and ready for us at the end of the day!

We are getting a bit burned out on the “tourist, do this museum, see this site thing”. Lisbon is beautiful and there is so much to see, but it might just be here for us another day.

That having been said, we returned to the waterfront and enjoyed tea, a coffee-con-leche, and a sandwich while watching people pass by. The square is dominated by a grand arch. 2.50 euros buys you a ticket to the top where you can examine the tower clockwork mechanism. The view from the top is stunning!

Returning to ground we caught a street tram to the Belem District, about 4 miles away, and the location of a number of very fine museums. We only had time to visit the monumental structures and grounds of the Monastery of St. Jerome. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is over 500 years old and was once the home of the monastic Order of St. Jerome. It was secularized in the 19th Century. A number of members of Portugal’s royal family members are entombed here, but the most notable crypt within the church is that of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator who in 1497 discovered a route to the wealth of the Indian Ocean via rounding the bottom of Africa. The resulting trade enshrined Portugal as a dominant world power for the next 200 years. A link at the end of this post will give you access to more pictures of the Monastery.

I received a message the prior day from Jerome (no relation to the Saint or Monastery!) and Morgane, the young couple we met on the night train from Madrid. Apparently they had not had their fill of our company and asked if we were available for dinner. We responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!”. We met in The Chiado District and found a venue to eat, drink, and make memories. Sharing a love of life has a way of erasing the decades that otherwise separate us in age.

Christine and I enjoy the sights of travel, but most of all we love the chance encounters that become endearing friendships. Our evening with Morgane and Jerome was special. We suspect that this will not be the last time that our life paths cross!

Peace Everyone! Pete