https://www.mapmyfitness.com/workout/8184842386

With the extra down time, and the firm return dates, we have to be flexible with how we approach the Camino. Today’s stage was to walk 24km but 11 of them were leaving the city and that’s never pleasant. We took a bus instead and then walked the 24km to Vila do Conde. We can then walked 24km tomorrow and be caught up.

The forecast was for rain today. The forecast said severe weather today. Severe weather said thread to life. It drizzled on us all day. So while it wasn’t a treat to life, we did get soaked. Mostly my feet since I am walking in sandals and didn’t bring another pair of shoes with me. Now we are waiting for an old and tired drier to dry the socks…

Most of today was on boardwalk next to the beach which was quite a refreshing change from the Camino de Fatima where it was mostly asphalt. Whole on the CdF, we saw perhaps six other pilgrims, today there were dozens. Many got turned away from the public albergue, but there are a lot of beds in Vila do Conde.

With the cooler temperatures and the flexibility of the boardwalk, today was a breeze. We finished the 24km in six hours are not aching.

We arrived an hour before the albergue opened so we went to eat lunch and then wait in line for the albergue to open. Now that we are settled, we will be heading out to find the nearest pub.

Side note (based on a true story, embellishments added for entertainment)

At the youth hostel, Luis Armando was making his bed and found stuffed next to the mattress a turquoise thong, holding it up with two fingers and a bewildered look on his face like a strange treasure. We all stared for a second trying to figure out what it was before bursting into laughter. “Which one of the girls do you think left it there?” someone asked, and the speculation began. Was it a prank? A mix-up? Luis just shook his head, looking half amused, half horrified. Then, with a sly grin, one of us said, “Well, are you gonna try it on?” The room burst into laughter. I’m still not sure what he did with it.