Day 12 - Fisterra to Muxia

This was our last day of hiking, and it was a pretty long one. 28km, and some decent elevation gain. We started early because I was over Fisterra, and wanted as much time in Muxia as possible.



The weather was pretty good in the morning and it was a nice rural walk. It started to cloud up and spit a little as we got closer to Muxia, though. Also, even though we were kind of following the coast, we were far enough inland that you couldn’t really see it for most of the day.



There is a little town called As Lires about halfway between Muxia and Fisterra, and the guidebook said to stop and make sure that you get your passport stamped at the cafe there. I was glad we did, because when we got to Muxia the people in front of us got turned away when they tried to check into the albergue because they didn’t have the stamp. Apparently they require it to prove that you didn’t just take the bus. The crazy thing was, we got to that cafe about 9am, and we got up pretty early and pushed pretty hard to do it. They closed up immediately after giving us our stamps, so I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do if you get there and it’s not open.

There were also a bunch of random dogs running around that day. There was group of three in As Lires, and then these three little guys showed up while we were stopped for a break to beg for scraps.



We were walking through the woods behind another pilgrim when she stopped and turned around and came back towards us with a scared look on her face. I went up around the corner and there were a couple of dogs on the trail, one of which was this big fella. He wasn’t aggressive, but he wasn’t exactly friendly, and followed us for a couple of hundred meters. At the bottom of the hill there was a sheep herd, which I think was his responsibility, and he stopped and stayed with them.



The albergue in Muxia was awesome. It is kind of a noe-modern design, very big and very open concept. The registration guy was really helpful and told us where to go to get bus tickets and what time the bus left for Santiago in the morning. We went out and got some lunch at a cafe, bought our bus tickets, and then walked out to the point and the church.



The sea was crashing on the rocks and it was nice to just sit and watch it. My wife had been talking about getting some churros earlier in the day, and amazingly there was a guy with a churro truck parked out by the church and he fried up some fresh for them, so we sat there and enjoyed the view while they ate.



There were a bunch of security people hanging around the church yelling at everybody and intermittently denying access. Turns out they were filming some Italian movie. We did finally get inside the church and there were a bunch of cops standing around in there. I thought that was kinda odd, especially when they started wrapping themselves up in blankets before going outside. That certainly didn’t seem like anything that any self-respecting cop would do and I thought “man, these guys are a bunch of pussies.” Then I realized that they weren’t actual cops at all, but actors. That made more sense, lol.



The zero km marker in Muxia is in front of a big monument to a shipwreck/oil spill that happened in 2002.



The town of Muxia itself is much smaller and quieter than Fisterra. I really liked in and was glad that we chose to finish our trip there, rather than in the more tourist-ridden Fisterra.



We got our final stamps in the church, and then went to the tourist information center to get our “Muxiana” certificate. We ate dinner from a grocery store, and walked back out to the point for the sunset, which never really happened due to the clouds, but it was still a pretty view.

Day 13 - Muxia to Porto

The bus left at 6:15 for Santiago, so we were up early and on the road. We had about 5 hours in Santiago, so we walked the streets, got some food, and I found the stone in the square that serves at the 0.0km marker for the whole Camino Santiago (A lady we met in Muxia told me about it).





As before, Santiago is very much a commercialized tourist trap, but there is some funny stuff.



The three-hour bus ride back to Porto (on Alsa, a competitor to Flixbus because I wasn’t going through that mess again!) was smooth sailing. I sat next to a German guy who had just finished hiking the entire Portuguese way. We swapped stories and talked about the trip and different hikes and trips that we’d done and wanted to do, and about two hours in the conversation got to a point where I had to admit that I was a cop. At which point he laughed and admitted that he was too, lol. The rest of the trip was fun talking shop and it was pretty amazing how many similarities there are to the job even working in completely different environments, in different countries, with different laws. We even shared some of the same struggles and frustrations with what the job can turn you into. It was awesome to talk with him and in a way even spiritually cathartic to talk through some of those issues with a complete stranger on a bus. Those three hours were some of the most meaningful of my entire trip.

We got off at the airport in Porto and switched over to the metro to get to our albergue. The metro system in Porto is pretty good. The tickets are time based, and they do have a weird zone system that you have to comply with, but it’s not that hard to understand. We ended up getting a 24 hour tourist pass the next day, anyway, which made the zones a non-issue.

The albergue was one where my wife had stayed on our first trip, and the host was a super nice guy with a three-legged dog. We got some dinner (and tomorrow’s breakfast) at the local supermarket, played some three-handed euchre, and called it a night.

Day 14 - Porto

Portugal is on it’s own time zone, an hour behind Spain, so we easily woke up around 7:30 and hit up the local bakery for breakfast before heading into town on the metro. I’d never been to Porto before, so I had no idea what to expect. It’s fantastic.

The city is centered around the mouth of a large river right where it empties into the Atlantic ocean. There are large, steep hills that drop down to the river on either side…almost what you’d call a canyon. The city is famous for its cork and wine production (complimentary industries for sure!).

We got off the metro at Trinidade station, which is right behind a big building that I believe is the city hall.



We walked down the square in front of it, and encountered the “Imperial McDonalds.” Possibly the most impressive Micky-D’s I’ve ever seen, but no way was I eating there.



We then climbed a hill to the east to go look at a big church. It had a tower you could climb, but you had to pay for it and we had a lot more stuff to go see so we decided to pass. We went back down the hill and ducked into the main train station, which was awesome. The walls of the main hall were covered in beautiful blue hand-painted scenes on tile…an artistic technique that Porto is also famous for. For me, just being in a european train station again was kind of nostalgic…it brought back some great memories of train trips I took over 20 years ago when I was growing up over there.





After the train station we headed down to the Porto Cathedral, which you also had to pay to enter. Kind of a trend here with the churches, unfortunately. We passed, and headed down to the Luis I Bridge.



The bridge is impressive. It’s an arched steel-girder construction, with trams and foot traffic on the upper deck and a road and sidewalk on the lower. The view down to the river from the top is pretty epic, too. After crossing the bridge we climbed further up the hill to a little overlook and got some panoramic views of the city.





We then descended down the hill on the south bank and crossed back over the bridge on the lower deck, and started following the riverbank out towards the ocean. There were some stands selling roasted chestnuts, and I decided we needed to try some because we’d seen them constantly on our walk, and had even played soccer on the trail with the spiky hulls as we were walking. My grandparents in Pennsylvania had a few trees when I was growing up and we’d eat them all the time, and they were a staple at Chiristmas time in Prague, but my wife and son had never tried them so I figured this was their chance. They were excellent, and my son loved them, but they screwed with my blood sugar something fierce. They’re not something I have access to at home, and I had no internet access and thus no way to check the carb count. I eat a ton of tree nuts because they’re pretty low carb, and I figured these would be the same. They are not. There’s about as many carbs in 100 grams of roasted chestnuts as a donut. I ended up having to give myself a shot.



We walked along the river for a few miles until we reached the ocean. Along the way we sa some big birds standing in the water with their heads submerged stirring up the bottom with their feet. One of them lifted it’s head and I realized they were flamingoes. I had no idea that they had flamingoes in portugal, but upon googling it they certainly do, although they’re not common in the city. That was kind of a cool thing to see.



Upon reaching the ocean I was hoping to go out on the breakwater pier, but it was blocked off. We found a little supermarket and got some lunch, then explored a couple of old forts and walked the beach for a bit, waded in the ocean, and tidepooled in the rocks.



After a few hours of that we caught a bus back downtown, and got some supper at a doner kebab stand. Then walked over to the commercial district to visit a market. It was a tourist trap and prices were insane, but it was fun to walk around and look. The fish stands never disappoint.



After that it was back to the albergue for our last night in Porto.

Day 15 - Porto to Indiana

We woke up in the morning and hit up the local bakery one last time before hopping the metro to the airport. It’s not a huge airport, but it’s really busy. It seems like all of Europe wants to vacation in Porto, and I can understand why. I predict some major expansion within the next ten years.

Our flight to Istanbul left on time, and the weather was great so we got some awesome views of the city on the way out. Actually, we got great views of all of Portugal, Spain, Sardinia, Italy, and the Balkans before the clouds moved in over Turkey.



We only had an hour and 25 minutes for our transfer in Istanbul, and apparently they close boarding 30 minutes before departure, so it was functionally only 55 minutes. We were a few minutes late getting on the ground, and they landed us on the absolute furthest runway from the terminal, so we spent almost 30 minutes taxiing all over creation before finally getting to the terminal, where we got unloaded via airstairs onto busses and bused to the terminal. By the time we got inside we had less than 15 minutes. And of course our gate for Chicago was literally on the complete opposite side of the airport.

Thankfully, IST is set up really well for transfers, and they don’t force you through redundant security or passport controls (passports were checked at the departure gate for the US flight). I took my wife’s bag and we ran through the entire airport. We made it to the gate two minutes before they closed boarding.

The plane was a 787 with those external cameras that you can watch via the IFE screens, so I was watching them get us ready to pushback when something went wrong with the tractor. It blew a hydraulic hose or something and fluid went everywhere. So we sat there for an extra 30 minutes while they figured out what to do with that. Apparently that involved buckets of oil dry and a pipe wrench. Ultimately they gave up and just got another tractor.



The flight back was uneventful and about as pleasant as an 11 hour flight in economy can be. Customs at OHare was pretty straightforward, and we got through pretty quick because we didn’t have to wait for bags. It was 11:30pm on a Saturday, so there wasn’t even any traffic on 294.

So now I’m back home, back to work, and dealing with everything that broke or went wrong during the two weeks that we were gone. My son burned up the clutch in our car, hit a deer with his truck (well, the deer hit him), the dog got fleas, and I killed a mouse on the kitchen counter 5 minutes after walking into the house. I really want to just turn around and go back!

What an amazing travel log. I vicariously went on the trip as well. I doubt I could realistically do it - it sounds like much more walking than I could undertake. So this was very pleasurable.

I have partially / minimally done a pilgrimage when I was a little younger and healthier. It was one somewhat well known in Japan on the island of shikoku. There are many others in Japan but it's doubtful I will attempt them now. But it was a tremendous experience, with locals encouraging you along the way. Look for "ohenro" if you want to find some in Japan. The one I did partially linked 88 temples.

Curious - did all the manhole covers in the destinations have the pilgrimage markers? Or only ones along the pilgrimage trail?

Thank you for your trip log. I enjoyed reading it and the pictures immensely. It was almost as good as being there myself.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
What an amazing travel log. I vicariously went on the trip as well. I doubt I could realistically do it - it sounds like much more walking than I could undertake. So this was very pleasurable.

I have partially / minimally done a pilgrimage when I was a little younger and healthier. It was one somewhat well known in Japan on the island of shikoku. There are many others in Japan but it's doubtful I will attempt them now. But it was a tremendous experience, with locals encouraging you along the way. Look for "ohenro" if you want to find some in Japan. The one I did partially linked 88 temples.

Curious - did all the manhole covers in the destinations have the pilgrimage markers? Or only ones along the pilgrimage trail?

Thank you for your trip log. I enjoyed reading it and the pictures immensely. It was almost as good as being there myself.

The beauty of the Camino is all the infrastructure in place to make it as difficult or as easy as you want. We did it the harder (cheaper) way, but if you're willing to spend the money there are services that will book places ahead of time for you, and even transport your luggage to the next hotel every day so you only have to carry a small day pack. And there's enough lodging along the way that you could realistically get away with only doing 7-10km per day if you wanted to, and had the time. My son (12) was the youngest person I saw doing it (although I heard stories of people with small children), but there were plenty of people in their 70s or 80s. One older couple was pulling rollie suitcases behind them down the trail. I thought that was crazy, but they were trucking along. Regardless of how you do it, there's still definitely going to be a lot of walking, but don't let how we did it scare you off.

I'll have to check out some of the Japanese routes. That's the second time they've come up in this thread so they must be pretty good. I've never been there but would love to go someday. What was the lodging like on that route, and any idea of the cost? Nice to hear that the locals were encouraging, too. We definitely found that to be the case with the Spaniards. They were very friendly and helpful. It didn't hurt that my wife is fluent, either...and I was pretty happy with what I could accomplish with my rudimentary high school, college, and police academy Spanish. Japan would be a whole different ballgame as we wouldn't be able to speak or read it at all.

I honestly didn't notice the manhole covers until you said something! I had to go back and look at the pictures to see what you were referring to. You're right, and that is pretty cool. If I go back someday I'll have to watch for them. There's definitely a lot of pilgrimage markers all over the place, and I did see it integrated into designs on other things... it's the primary source of income in a lot of the smaller towns, and a significant factor even in the big ones.

I read and enjoyed every word, loved the photos and am sad that I am too old to even think about this excellent adventure. Thank you so much for the excellent posting.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Johnny 3eagles,

This sounds like an amazing trip and one you will remember forever. Trips like this will sear memories into you that you will never forget.

I've been mostly visiting new states and national parks for the last few years. While I have made great memories, ones I will remember forever. There is something about traveling to a foreign country where you don't speak the local language and can't use your cell phone unless on wifi that is special, fun, and insane at the same time.

I like to call it "type 2 fun". It's often hard work and not always enjoyable in the moment, but the memories it makes are fantastic.

What an awesome way to see these countries

The Mrs. and I love Spain and Portugal

I have to ask, why did you fly all the way to and from Istanbul?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I have to ask, why did you fly all the way to and from Istanbul?

Because it was cheaper. Just over half the price of the next cheapest option. TAP has direct flights from O'Hare into Lisbon, but it was over $1100/person, and even the options with connections were priced pretty similarly. The Turkish Airlines flights were about $600. Ultimately, the savings was more than enough to cover all of our food, lodging, and transportation costs for the rest of the trip.

It also gave us the opportunity to see another city that we'd never been to, and I got to step on another continent for the first time (although that by no means satisfied my desire to spend some significant time in Asia someday). The goal of the trip was to see and experience stuff, not necessarily to get there as quickly as possible, so it fit right into the agenda.

Gotcha. I think I’d be inclined to pay extra. That’s a long time to sit on an airplane. Looks like a fun trip though.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Gotcha. I think I’d be inclined to pay extra. That’s a long time to sit on an airplane. Looks like a fun trip though.

I'm 6'5", so sitting in economy for 11 hours is definitely not something I get excited about. But I slept for a few hours both ways and had a good book...it ended up not being too bad.

United just announced a couple of weeks ago seasonal direct flights from Newark to Santiago.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
United just announced a couple of weeks ago seasonal direct flights from Newark to Santiago.

That's pretty cool. We saw a United 757 in Porto...I'm assuming it was from Newark. Transatlantic on a narrowbody airliner sounds kinda rough, but I'll bet that flight is only 6-7 hours long.

That's actually the flight we took to Porto. United on a 757 out of Newark. It was one of the least comfortable flights I've ever been on. The seats were short. I felt like I would slide right out of it. The plane interior was older and in need of a refresh.

Yeah, the 757 is great for short, high-capacity routes, but then airlines figured out they could use it for longer-range, low density routes. It's cool because you get the option of direct flights to more places...at the cost of being squeezed in there like toothpaste in a tube. Add to that United's overall shittines, and I'll bet that was a long 7 hours.

Honestly, I'm surprised Porto isn't a bigger destination for Americans. It's a beautiful city, and about as short a hop across the pond from the east coast as you can get. The Europeans have certainly figured it out. I couldn't believe how busy that place was with European vacation airlines. When we got in from IST they didn't even have an open gate...we had to use stairs and a bus. I predict that airport will see some significant expansion within the next 10 years.

Thank you so much for sharing. It was most enjoyable. Your son will always remember this! BTW how many pairs of shoes did it take to make this journey?

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
Thank you so much for sharing. It was most enjoyable. Your son will always remember this! BTW how many pairs of shoes did it take to make this journey?

Yeah, my wife and I were just talking tonight about how glad we were that we took him. He has had nothing but good things to say to anybody who asks him about it, and I feel like his self-confidence has increased considerably.

Shoes were kind of a saga leading up to this trip. I hike in trail runners. New Balance tends to fit my feet well, and I had a style that I really liked (481s) but they discontinued them a couple of years ago. I shopped around and found a pair of Columbia's that felt great in the store and breathed really well, which paired with high quality wool socks pretty much eliminates the chance of getting blisters. Unfortunately, those Columbias turned out to lack proper arch support and after walking a couple of hundred miles in them at home over a few months, I started having major problems with plantar fasciitis. The tread on those was really soft, too, and it wore out fast.

I ended up buying a different style of New Balance Trail Runners (T410s). I didn't like the tread pattern as much as my old 481s, but the arch support was much better than the Columbias. They pinched my toes a bit and didn't breathe as well as the Columbias, either, and I did get a couple of blisters from them when I was training in them before the trip. I gutted it out and put a couple hundred miles on them before the trip, and got them broken in pretty well.

It came down to a "game day" decision on what pair to take between the NBs and the Columbias. I ended up taking the New Balances. They held up just fine through the whole trip, which was probably only about 175 miles, so not even as much wear as is put on them at home breaking them in. The tread was worn down pretty good by the end of the trip, but there were no holes or anything like that. Because they didn't breathe as well as a better shoe, I had to be intentional about airing my feet out and adjusting my socks whenever I started to get hot spots, but I didn't get any blisters until the last day between Fisterra and Muxia. I also had a pair of sandals to wear around the albergues in the evening to give my feet a break from the shoes.

The NBs turned out to be the right call. Getting away from the Columbias has completely cured my Plantars Fasciitis.

My wife wore a hole inside her Adidas tennis shoes near the heel. She'd had them for a while before the trip to break them in, but IMO nowhere near long enough for that to be happening. She finished the trip with them and managed to avoid any blisters (mainly thanks to her Dan Tough socks), but I wasn't impressed with the durability of her shoes.