Learning to Walk 18

CAMINHO PORTUGUÊS – Vila do Conde

(18,749 STEPS – 14.29 KMS – 8.87 MILES)

My inner stoic is embarrassed to write the next paragraph…

I decided last night NOT to walk out of Porto. My normally active imagination could not imagine any benefit of repeating yesterday’s odyssey through the big city. I had no desire today to be a bad-ass, durable, stoic pilgrim. So, I took the day off. And I took a train out of Porto, skipping the walk out of town. No thunderous walks on cobbled streets, no pilgrim frogger, no neurotic nibbling dogs. Today, I was a tourist.

The Tour of Porto

The Train Ride

Though a tourist today, I still had some pilgrim work to do. I needed to find a train that went to Vila do Conde, 30 or so kms up the coastline, and find the best train station for embarkation in the Old Town. It sounds easier than it actually was, nevertheless, I was on the metro heading north just before noon…and feeling guilty for not powering through this walk. I still have lessons to learn.

The Hamburger

My first order of business in Vila do Conde was to find a place to sleep. I walked to the Municipal Albergue; they didn’t open until 3:00 pm. So, my first order of business changed to finding something to eat. Wandering through the streets of town, I found a hamburgueria! They had me at hamburger, I fell in love at artsenal. DARZ! Hamburgueria Artesanal not only delivered an amazing burger, they had a good Portuguese craft beer selection.

Three bites in, I dubbed Portugal the Hamburger Capital of the World!

The Beach

After lunch, I waddled back to the albergue and secured a bed for the night. I was the third in line, by the end of the day, the shelter was full. Having secured a home* for the night, I walked to the beach.

*Author’s note – home, in this case, was a lower bunk in a 12-bunk room. A locker and a window that opened to the courtyard below made it more home-y.

Praia da Ladeira Norte in Vila do Conde.
Praia da Ladeira Norte in Vila do Conde, Portugal.
Waves crashing against the rocks at the Praia da Ladeira Norte in Vila do Conde, Portugal.
This picture is self-explanatory, so no caption is needed.
The Ave River drains into the Atlantic here.

At the end of the beach where the Ave River empties into the Atlantic Ocean, my true destination was near.

I noticed on Google Maps that there was a restaurant on the beach called Chillies Tex-Mex. Violating my policy of not eating Tex-Mex north or east of the Guadalupe River in Texas, I planned on dinner here, offering them some expert critique in exchange for a meal.

Sadly, Chillies was closed.

By the end of the day, I had logged nearly 9 miles. Not bad for a day devoted to sloth.

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