Day 3: Validation

Today started out super foggy. Like, you couldn’t see more than about 12’ kind of foggy. I’m told (by Google maps and the sound of seagulls) that I was walking along the coast. It smelled like the ocean but this is what I saw.

Georgeous, right?

I trudged along cobblestone walkways (which thankfully weren’t very wet) and through a couple of coastal towns. Overall, it was underwhelming. Lots of traffic and buildings and foot punishing surfaces.

Then, the fog lifted and the sun came out. Not only did the sun come out but so did my super awesome sun hood!!

I’ve been waiting to bust this thing out and show Portugal what’s up in fashion

If you thought my normal Camino “fit” was dope, now you know it can get even doper. Along with the sun making an appearance to lift my spirits the whole walk started to shift. It got a lot quieter. It had small rural villages, hills and a couple of forests. You had to start really looking for the arrows, which is kind of fun. Of course I missed one and a gentleman turned his car around and came and gave me directions. I’ve found it doesn’t take long for kindness to make an appearance on these walks.

This is the arrow I missed. You can’t really blame me, right?

Then I saw this:

Like a moth to the fllame…..

So I did this.

The croissant wasn’t as big as this picture makes it seem, but it was pretty damned big. I only had half and saved the other half. And then I ate the other half about ten minutes. I consider that remarkable restraint so just shush it.

After my Post Chocolate Euphoria wore off (also my new DJ name) I found a spot to get lunch. While sitting and enjoying a coffee I met a father/daughter duo on the walk. It turns out that they walked the entire Camino Frances just last year and as we were discussing the differences it became obvious that they were also struggling to not compare the two journeys. Today felt like the first true Camino day to me and I think that’s because it’s the first day that really reminded me of my previous walk. They felt the exact same way and had been discussing that right before I showed up. The more we spoke, the more we were practically finishing each others sentences. All of my thoughts about the differences were confirmed and visa versa. Something about this made me feel much more at peace. I guess it’s just validation that what I was feeling was in fact, well, valid I guess. It’s funny how just knowing you’re not alone in something can make it a little easier. All three of us had been feeling kind of guilty about judging our experience so far through the lens of our previous experiences. The conversation then turned to attempting to not compare the two and embrace this as a unique adventure that happens to share the same ending point. I believe it was either Teddy Roosevelt or Carrot Top who said that comparison is the thief of joy. Myself, Brian and Alexis are going to resist the comparisons moving forward. The only thief on this Camino is going to be me in the morning when I smuggle out my sandwich.

Here’s a couple more pictures from the day.

Oddly enough Michele and I visited this bridge about 2 1/2 years ago when we were on a trip in Portugal before we did the Mirnavator Azores Running Retreat. So I’ve technically walked the Camino Portuguese Coast before. For about 50’.

Forest

This was a really nice trail marker outside someone’s house.

This is what’s happening on my inner thighs