Day 13, Fao - Marinhas

9,3km, 13 779 steps

My feet are trying to kill me

It was a short day for me. Only 9km to give my tired feet the well deserved rest. They have been aching a lot lately and I assume a day with less kilometers is a welcome change for the tired feet.

My muscles all over my body are exhausted and I feel powerless. I think the yoga instructor in Porto was right, when he said that I don't have the strength to do my regular exercise. I'm on the Camino and my body is not used to something like this. It's draining me. But it's all good.

Yesterday I had a good night. Had dinner with bunch of German girls, sat down for a beer with a Walesh guy and then ended up drinking wine at the pool with my Portuguese friend and some other people from the hostel.

This morning we started walking with my Portuguese friend, knowing very well that we would go our separate ways after the 9km. I would stay there and he'd continue onwards.

When we said our goodbyes, I gave him the cross reflector that had been on my backpack. I wanted him to have it, to keep him safe if he walks during the dark hours. I still have another reflector in my backpack, so there's no reason to worry.

In the morning I obtained my own shell and attached it to my backpack. Now it's there, telling to others that I'm a pilgrim.

I've been getting the 2 mandatory stamps each day now. Visiting churches and other places on the way to find the stamps.

It has been many good days despite my feet being so tired. It's been easy walking with someone who knows the local culture and habits and speaks the language. I learned a lot during the days and got an insight to Portuguese life that I would've never gotten without him. I'm so grateful he walked with me for these days. We had so many good conversations and it was nice to have someone who walks with the same speed with me.

It's always sad to go separate ways with good people, but I knew that it would happen and I feel like it's not the end of the friendship. Instead of feeling sad, I feel grateful for what I had for the past days.

Camino has been kind for me.

Tomorrow my plan is to continue walking normally, so closer to 20kms for tomorrow. If I'm right I should also be running into the people I met before Porto around now. But that's if they took the coastal route and not the central route.

Camino seems to be filled with surprises. I'm waiting to see what happens next.

To end this post with a picture, I'm sharing the yellow arrow I found today. I wonder if I took the wrong direction when not following this one:

#CaminodeSantiago #CaminoPortugueseCosta #CaminoPortuguese #Camino #pilgrimwithadragontattoo