Our Camino begins – and the signs are everywhere

Day 3:  Porto to Matosinhos, Portgual

I have a restless night, maybe from the jet lag or the anticipation of actually beginning what we (and many, many have done before us) are about to start.   We have planned a slow first day to get into our own rhythm.  Some we meet are doing in one day what we have planned for three.  But to each their own way, I remind myself, it is not a race.

We take some wrong turns just to get to the cathedral, but we hike the last steep steps and see the cathedral towers and are welcomed into the courtyard with a beautiful cello playing  “Hallelujah” (the version made famous by Leonard Cohen).  I get a little teary eyed as I feel the weight of what we are asking ourselves and myself to do these next two weeks.  Slow down, remove the extra things in your life, focus on what and who is truly important, and be present in the moment.  For me, this is one of the reasons for this Camino.  Besides being able to do it together with Siri, it is also meant to help me purposely mark the beginning of my third phase.

Siri comments at the end of the day that I have been humming this tune the whole way.  It is still with me now. It has been a nice friend today, reminding me it is meant to be slow and earnest. 

One last view of Porto and take in the view of the Clergy Tower, next where we have been staying

As we leave the Cathedral with an official stamp in hand, the cello music sends us off with the “Sounds of Silence.”.  Everything seems appropriate for this moment.

We stop in at the beautifully decorated St. Francis Church and visit their 300 year-old catacombs.  With the rain gone, we start to leave Porto.  We learn from yesterday’s mistake and plan an early lunch to help sustain us. We take another recommendation from yesterday’s guide, Fiel.  We spend a leisure lunch next to a woman our age who is out with her mom for Saturday brunch.  We try the well-salted and dried cod and a mix of meat parts that we can’t all identify.  The rice and potatoes alongside makes for a hearty meal.

We make it to the mouth of the river and the waves are breaking hard against the jetty, startling those brave enough to go near.  We turn north and walk along the beach for the rest of the afternoon.

We finally reach Matosinhos, our stop for tonight and are welcomed with stories of the importance of this place, which according to legend “It was on this beach in 44 AD that a Roman Lord in charge of the region was miraculously transported along with his horse to the stone boat carrying the body of St. James. On the return to the beach, the horse and rider are covered with scallop shells.  This shell has now become the symbol of the Camino.”

As part of this tradition, we now add our own shells to our packs to identify ourselves as pilgrims.

Tomorrow we will continue one more day along the shoreline and then head inland to meet others on the more traveled coastal route.