Back home and reflecting on this adventure. What a journey it’s been! Not what I expected after hiking the Primitivo seven years ago. Yes, I’m older but I felt stronger than before. Ah, the hubris will get you every time!

Some aspects were fabulous, others not so much. But all rolled together it was a memorable time. I got to share weeks of time with my daughter and her partner. To witness how capable they are in any situation, to be amused or distressed by the generational differences, to just relish the sharing of day to day trail issues.

While the trek started out well, the major blisters were a huge blip in the scheme of things. I was fortunate to be able to train up to Porto, get an Airbnb and find an amazing medical clinic. They were so gracious and caring for this foreigner who just randomly showed up and sought their help. It required me to basically stay off my feet for 10 days. Was it boring? Yes. Was it upsetting? Yes. Did it derail my hike for a time? Yes. But it worked!

I was so happy to rejoin Mandy and Karma for the remainder of the hike. They were good to me, taking it slow to begin again. But it gave us time to enjoy the walk, the place, the people, the flora and fauna. Karma took to calling me the Garden Master, as I could identify many of the beautiful flowers we came across.

But even better, were all the people. Our fellow pilgrims from around the world. It was like a mini UN! Some of the many countries represented by those whose path we crossed were from Canada, the US, Ireland, England, Wales, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Lithuania, Japan, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and more. They all had their own story- why they chose to hike, how they were doing, how long they had to devote to it. The fun and the challenge is determining commonality in language or destination or issues encountered.

The Camino, any of them, is all about community. You walk the same paths, you share limited space and facilities in the albergue and hostels, you seek out cafes, you share supplies, you deal with the natural elements. It binds everyone.

Seeing day to day life while passing on foot gives one a good glimpse into life in that country. The Portuguese and Spaniards we encountered were generous in their greetings, as we passed with our usual Hola or Bom Día or Buenos Días. Inevitably they responded and many with a Bom Camino or Buen Camino, knowing we were pilgrims through their piece of this glorious planet.

While this was a grand adventure it is most likely my last long hike. I’m so happy I got to share it with my favorite humans. On to other journeys, so dear readers, stay tuned. It will be a while as I’m happy to be home for now.